But it does not have to be. The word agent is really as innocent as any other English word. The meaning that commonly strikes a chord in most English speakers and readers is the ' agent' as in the cold war secret agent.
But agent is used more widely these days to refer to a large number of professionals that may also be called officers at other times. All most every field can make use of this humble word in describing one of its members. Let's look at some of them. Property agents deal in properties they buy and sell properties and can also manage properties for owners performing tasks such as rent collection and arranging for repairs. They can also be known as realty agents or real estate agents like the Ontario real estate agents.
In the fashion industry we have the modelling agents who recruit and employ models. They recruit train and find jobs for models for a cut of the earnings of the model. In the same breath casting agents recruit and train interested actors and find roles for them. They interview and much actors to the best roles depending on their appearance personality and other factors.