The position of secretary or personal assistant used to be the preserve of efficient and capable women, loyal foot soldiers with no eye on the boss's job – but now men are muscling their way in. "Hold my calls, Mr Jones" is becoming the new norm.
The change is due partly to the highest rate of graduate unemploymentsince records began, and the growing awareness that salaries for corporate PAs can reach £75,000 a year.
Joshua Watson, 25, has been an executive assistant to a female senior director at Barclays for 18 months, having previously worked as a receptionist and PA. He does not see himself as working in a woman's role.
"I don't feel that I'm treated any differently just because I'm male," he said. "I don't think that is an issue for people from my generation. It's a good job for me because I am passionate about organising. I have good exposure to the top people in the company and I want to climb the ladder."
Recruitment consultants are seeing an ever-increasing number of men interested in PA or secretarial posts. "Out of the 1,000 candidates we've registered in the past 12 months, around 200 are male," said David Morel, managing director of Tiger Recruitment. "It is increasing the whole time. Since 2011, the numbers have been doubling each year, and most of them are ambitious graduates."
Susanna Tait, managing director of Tay Associates, agrees. She said she has seen a "huge" increase in numbers of male applicants. "We have witnessed the role of the PA evolve immeasurably and, with it, the pool of applicants it attracts," she said. "As well as organising and managing commitments, they are required to project-manage schedules and communicate with a vast network of contacts. It's an obvious career choice for ambitious individuals keen to operate at the centre of the business sphere."
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