I came across this great 10-minute video while I was searching YouTube for some inspiration for exactly this type of thing. I watched it twice as I wanted to make sure that I had seen and heard correctly, as my mind was telling me that from 1947 to 2012, absolutely nothing had changed in the expectation employers place on secretaries, executive assistants and personal assistants.
Watching this video made me think back to the days I spent at night school learning how to touch type so I too could be a secretary some day. I seemed to have this glamourised version of what a secretary did, wore and looked like. And by hook, I was going to be the best one that I could be. Sure enough, I haven’t let myself down; I still continue to be the best that I can be no matter what it is I am doing. From managing a diary, to scheduling a client’s social media to uploading content to YouTube. It is all important to me because it is important to my client.
After watching this video, I tried to think about how I do things differently in the fundamentals of my role and really, I don’t think there is much that I do differently. The fashion and technology are about all that has changed from what I can see.
Video courtesy of the Film Archive on YouTube.
If you enjoy history then check out the film archive which is where this little gem came from.