Certified Professional Secretary Career and Certification

<h3 id="section---WhatYouNeedToKnow">What You Need to Know</h3> <p>Certified Professional Secretaries are now Certified Administrative Professionals. To become certified, you will need experience in the field or a combination of experience and education, and to pass an exam. This sector of the economy is set to decrease over the 2021-2031 decade according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b> Certification </b></td><td> Certified Administrative Professional</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Career Outlook </b></td><td> Expected to decrease 20% from 2021-2031*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2021)</b></td><td> $62,060 per year (for executive secretaries and administrative assistants)*</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics </i></p> <h3 id="section---WhatChangesAreHappeningWithTheCertifiedProfessionalSecretaryDesignation">What Changes are Happening with the Certified Professional Secretary Designation?</h3> <p>As of November 2011, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), the organization that grants professional certification for the field, is in the process of eliminating the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) rating (<i>www.iaap-hq.org</i>). This means that the CPS designation will no longer be recognized, as the IAAP has transitioned to a new base rating for the industry, the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP). All previously certified CPSs will have their ratings changed to the CAP designation. </p> <h3 id="section---HowDoIBecomeACAP">How Do I Become a CAP?</h3> <p>You must have administrative work experience and pass an examination in order to become a CAP. The IAAP specifies that all work experience must be from the past ten years. The minimum amount of experience required depends on your level of education; to be eligible to take the CAP examination, you must have completed: </p> <ul><li>Four years of administrative experience if you do not have a college degree </li><li>Three years of experience if you have an associate's degree </li><li>Two years of experience if you have a bachelor's degree </li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCanIExpectFromACareerInThisField">What Can I Expect from a Career in this Field?</h3> <p>Secretaries and administrative professionals are typically responsible for clerical and organizational tasks, which can include: </p> <ul><li>Answering phones </li><li>Operating office equipment </li><li>Maintaining an employer's schedule </li><li>Organizing events </li><li>Conducting research </li></ul><p>According to the BLS, employment of executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants was expected to decrease by 20% from 2019-2029 as the result of other professionals taking over secretaries' job duties (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). According to the same source, executive administrative assistants and secretaries earned a median annual salary of $62,060 in 2019. </p> <h3 id="section---HowWillMyCareerBenefitFromTheCAPDesignation">How Will My Career Benefit from the CAP Designation?</h3> <p>The CAP designation signifies to employers that you are a top-level administrative professional who is experienced and competent in the field. Becoming certified will likely help you obtain higher-level positions, like an office manager or an executive secretary. Additionally, improving your professional qualifications will help to increase your salary. You also have the potential to receive college credit for your CAP rating.</p>