In order to broaden the understanding of the process of consolidating the Secretariat as a profession in Brazil, this article carries out two review movements. The first is the mechanisms that the sociology of professions has identified as legitimising occupational practices. We then turn to the history of the Secretariat in Brazil, focusing on the achievements made by the movements in the category seeking to legitimise the profession and reserve the labour market for those entitled. It follows that, although the secretariat has gone through the same stages of consolidation of professions already traditionally established on the Brazilian market, the absence of a regulatory and disciplinary body in the form of advice makes it difficult to guarantee the exclusive market for already accredited professionals. DOI: 10.7769/gesec.v4i2.209