AIBU for expecting to be called my job title

[Mumsnorthernmonkey]

I work as a XXX assistant to my manager. Three managers and three people at the same level as me. Above us is the manager and above that ‘head of X’.

The lady who is the overall head of our department always refers to people at my level as admin. I’m an assistant and I don’t know why she refers to us as assistants.

AIBU to be bothered by this?

I actually get what you mean OP. I used to work at a university and anyone who wasn't an academic was referred to as 'admin'. My job was in web development.

It felt a little dismissive. Of course, the administrators did great jobs and held everything together. But referring to everyone as 'admin' ignored people's specific expertise or specialisms.

Oh and it was often academics who referred to us as admin!

I had a job at 25 where I was called a Professional Assistant. At that point I had my post grad qualifications and was sitting alongside a partner working one to one with them. There was another assistant (male) doing the same thing. The number of (internal) people who phoned me up and asked to put meetings in the diary etc - once I asked someone at the same level as me but different job title (manager) to call the partner's secretary as it was her job and they said - but I thought you were. Needless to say my male colleague never had the same problem.

The comments are frightening. I think it's the lack of respect from her senior boss that's really hacking her off.

And what's all this snobbery re admin? Most of us do admin, whenever we answer an email! To be so snooty to op about how much 'admin' she does just shows what little respect people have for it.

@LockdownLump nope most jobs are assistant, advisor, officer, manager....

I think I'd prefer that she learned my name and used it, TBH

@Oblomov20 nailed it

@EveryDayIsADuvetDay there is more than one person doing the same role so I’m happy for her to refer to my job title. She oversees maybe 15-20 staff so knowing job titles (there are seven) should be used correctly.

@LyndzB agh

@TidyDancer what’s your job ?

What’s your actual job? As in what tasks fall under your remit?

Perhaps you should ask her to refer to you by your job title, rather than Admin.

If you're not an Administrator, then it's not accurate to refer to you as such.

It's difficult to know outside of your company.

I've seen both sides , an assistant xyz where the role was trained and complex but the assistant was in the midst of completing the specific qualification needed so wasn't called a full xyz.

Then again I have also seen several people called assistant and they were in fact admin. Actually in one role we had to change the title because two of them kept overstepping and it actually caused a problem as they were giving therapeutic advice claiming they could because of their role one of them continued after the title change and ended up dismissed because she was a rescuer who did a lot of damage due to her arrogance

Perhaps she senses that you are a bit uppity and think that some things are “below your station” which is not a desirable or admirable trait in a team member.
Perhaps she deliberately tries to bring you down a peg or two because she finds your view of yourself and your importance to be at odds with her view.
And perhaps she thinks her view is more relevant and that your attitude is inappropriate and unprofessional because you assume that you are entitled to a level of professional respect that you haven’t earned.

Or maybe she just doesn’t see it as important.

most jobs are assistant, advisor, officer, manager

I've worked in a few places with that sequence or similar. In every one the formal title was Administrative Assistant, Officer etc.

However there is an easy solution to all this. Ask the head of department to change your whole grade's title to 'Administrator' and then she'll be using the right word and you'll have a fancier title than just 'Assistant'.

No I don’t just do admin.

Do you make the brews too? If you are ever recruiting there is another OP from someone on a temp contract who would be perfect for your organisation.

Reminds me of a job I had as a X Administrator. Two of us in the same role, both started at same time. Had our name email addresses but one member of staff always started emails to us with 'Hi Admin'. She sat about 3m away from my desk. Used to really pee us off. No reason why she couldn't use 'Hi Frances' or talk to us f2f!

Isn't it funny?
I had a colleague who wanted to be admin rather than assistant.
She thought it sounded better

If you're police staff and not a manager your junior staff.

We have Head of, Manager, Senior Officers, X Officers and X Assistants in my place and the assistants are essentially admin staff.
I call the assistants anything they like as they all have all been there a long, long time and know everybody and far more than me about the general running of the office and how things work.

@mrsmrt1981

I feel your pain. I used to work as a support worker and managers would refer to us as ‘staff’. I always found this abit insulting.

But you were "staff". If you're an employee, you're "staff" by definition surely?

Anyway, it works both ways. I'm a secretary. No more no less. Several colleagues in exactly the same role call themselves PA's. They are absolutely not PAs. But woe betide you if you call them a secretary.

Is your job primarily admin?

Our exec assistant is a well paid highly regarded member of our team. Her job is predominantly administrative, so she is (collectively with the exec assistant to other teams) considered to be part of Admin.

I don't understand what your gripe is?

No I don’t just do admin
What else do you do?

To be so snooty to op about how much 'admin' she does just shows what little respect people have for it.
@Oblomov20 It is literally the OP who is snooty about admin.

If you are an EA or PA which it sounds like you are - you are admin. I have never experienced such hierarchical behaviour and snottiness as you get from PAs and EAs who believe their job roles are of a standing relating to their boss. You are admin - get over it

Like a homogeneous group? 'Admin'??

I think you just have an inferiority complex. You are admin. Get over it or get another job.