Administrative Professionals Day 2026, and owning your future

22nd April, 2026, with photos of just some of the assistants I’ve interviewed from 27 different countries for my Real Careers series, which I launched in 2015

If you’re reading this on your phone or a tablet, you’ll enjoy it more if you hold your hardware horizontally.

THIS ARTICLE reflects my 2026 thoughts on Administrative Professionals Day/Week. I see the annual celebration is gaining ground in Europe, and do hope people everywhere who receive recognition are having a good week. That said, meaningful recognition that’s extended when merited rather than on a prescribed date is my preference. I also believe it’s more important than ever to be proactive about your role and your future. Read on for my thoughts on better ways to adapt and position yourself to thrive within this evolving career.

ARE YOU THE PERSON WHO ORGANISED WHATEVER’S GOING ON FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY WITHIN YOUR TEAM?

If so, you’re in good company – and your colleagues will hopefully appreciate you. In a number of workplaces and countries, April 22, 2026 marks an annual day of recognition that predates the lives of most – if not all – of us reading this. Originally known as National Secretaries Day, it was 1952 when a group of our career predecessors in the US began the tradition now known as Administrative Professionals Day. 

Businesses caught on, with the greeting card industry leading the way. They were joined by restaurant owners, florists and more. Decades later, this week also became a busy time for those of us who provide professional development for assistants. This is a springtime event (or not) in northern hemisphere workplaces, while those who mark the occasion in countries such as Brazil and South Africa do so in September.

“tell us what you really think, shelagh”

I’m glad you asked. As people who’ve been reading my website since I launched Exceptional EA in 2013 will know, I’m not keen on the concept of mandating an occasion to extend appreciation and respect that – in ideal circumstances – would not require a specific date on our calendars. Some leaders happily extend recognition for Administrative Professionals Day, or support such efforts undertaken by a proactive assistant or EA.

Others leaders, and I’ve heard from them, dislike feeling obligated to participate in the ritual. We also have the matter of untold numbers of assistants who go without recognition on this particular date, while they watch or learn about colleagues in the same business unit or team being given special treatment.

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Let’s direct our energy and focus to the future, rather than traditions reflecting the state of this career 74 years ago.

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does this event reinforce dated stereotypes of your career?

Shall we agree, or agree to disagree? This career is in many instances undervalued, and I suggest the notion of cards, flowers, chocolate and lunches or other meals tend to reinforce historical stereotypes about what you do for a living. Can you imagine people in communications, finance, HR, IT, legal, procurement, risk management and other careers – let alone your senior executives – advocating for a special day or week to honour their impacts?

FOR SOME OF YOUR COUNTERPARTS, THIS EVENT IS A MOOT POINT

An increasing number of good, qualified assistants and other white collar workers are in the thick of extended job searches and just might give their molars (rather than their eye teeth) to return to having a steady pay deposit and decent compensation package, let alone an annual day of recognition.

If you’re reading this while engaged in a job search due to redundancies, please refrain from referring to yourself – out loud, or internally – as redundant. It’s the job, rather than you as a person, that’s redundant. You’ve likely already picked up recommendations on tailoring your resume to specific positions and for AI screening, as well as networking, and more. You may want to check out the article I wrote this time last year, in which I expanded on instability and job losses in this AI era. I’ve written a number of articles here on Exceptional EA to help prepare for interviews; enter the term in the search field atop this page, and see what may help you. Chin up, and know I’m always rooting for good people.

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own your FUTURE AND YOUR CAREER, rather than letting THEM unfold by default.

ATTITUDE

Your attitude counts. Even when they’re unwanted, changes and challenges can represent opportunities. When a deep recession hit in my corporate days, our corporation made reductions. One VP and his assistant were among those who saw their roles dropped off the org chart. When my VP Ozzie and I took on those colleagues’ marketing and communication portfolio, both Ozzie and I covered aspects of the former VP’s responsibilities. Were we both dealing with heavy workloads? You bet.

Did I resent this? Not for a second. I gained skills, insights and connections beyond my years. I elevated my visibility and reputation, and made quantifiable impacts. In hindsight, it’s unsurprising my VP was subsequently promoted to the top of our org chart. It’s equally unsurprising that he invited me to move up the org chart alongside him.

Pay attention to what’s going on, within your area of the organisation and the organisation as a whole. What do you know about opportunities and challenges for your sector? We need to pay attention to geopolitical matters, as they impact employers and workplaces. When you ask questions, make them informed questions.

Identify for yourself what you’ll do to build or maintain your adaptability, what impacts you can and will make, and how to effectively communicate the value you represent. You want to be be visible, and for the right reasons.

Whether or not GenAI, agentic AI or other tech changes are impacting your workplace, it’s inevitable that assistants’ careers will continue to evolve. This is nothing new. We can and should own our prospects rather than letting our careers unfold by default or by the stroke of someone else’s pen or budget plans.

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expand your horizons, and elevate your value

On the same day I’m publishing this article, the World Administrators Alliance has released its 2026 Global Skills Matrix. The document reports on the WAA’s 2025 survey, which generated responses from 3,221 assistants across 69 countries. It was with great interest that I saw a new focus on one of my areas of expertise, governance.

Along with everything else I speak about, I train people in governance and in topics – strategic planning, risk management, enterprise risk management (ERM), cyber awareness and more – that are critical to good governance.

The term “governance” appears 42 times in this 28-page report. There are references to governance awareness, and to understanding governance compliance, documentation, exposure, processes, readiness, reporting structures, and more.

You’ll also find references to enterprise risk oversight, strategic decision support and additional areas of development that can expand your horizons, and your understanding of the language of leaders. You may already hold a role involving governance. Whether or not that’s the case, drop me a note if you’re interested in quality governance education for yourself or your team.

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change is inevitable. focus on your future.

focus on PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, resilience and adaptability

Be both proactive and discerning in how you approach your professional development and the career itself. This isn’t a wake up call. It’s a friendly reminder of what you already know.

When you have opportunities for relevant professional development, nab them. Nab them, convey your appreciation and also identify and communicate how you’ve gone from absorbing theory to applying it in your role. When you effectively quantify the impacts of your training, and the return(s) on investment (ROI) in such opportunities, you’re also laying the groundwork to secure ongoing developmental opportunities.

It’s terrific when professional development opportunities are extended, yet why wait for an invitation? Rather than waiting for professional development opportunities to be offered, advocate for them and do so by treating your proposals as business cases. What’s in it for your colleagues, your unit, your organisation? I recommend planning your proposal around what I call the “WIIFT Principle”. Approach your remarks and the proposal itself in terms of what’s in it for them.

Be discerning in the focus of your professional development undertakings. Will they broaden your perspectives, insights and opportunities? What courses, webinars, conferences, events and podcasts, books or articles will serve you and your organisation well? Networking events also offer value; aim for quality, and opportunities to learn from and support one another and your respective organisations.

Adaptability has long been an attribute of the best assistants. Resilience is also key. It makes sense to be intentional in nurturing your personal resilience, which also supports your career resilience.

Whether or not you and your colleagues mark Administrative Professionals Day, know you have my good wishes today and as you move forward in your career – and also know that all those faces you see in the image accompanying this article are your counterparts. These are just some of the many fine assistants from 27 countries whom I’ve interviewed for my Real Careers series!