Why I Am Grateful to be An Executive Assistant

Question:?I've recently re-read your book. Thanksgiving seems a good time to thank you for writing it because it helped me realize how grateful I am to find a career I am completely suited for. Did you feel the same way about your career as an EA??

Jan Jones: Without a doubt, I am grateful for my career as an executive assistant. It has taken me to extraordinary heights within the profession, and in my present career as a business owner. Let me share with you some steps I took to develop expertise in the EA role, for which I'm eternally grateful. These are things you can do also.

You've heard me say that if assistants truly appreciated the power and scope the executive assistant role offers, they would dive deep into exploring the role’s immense potential and the career opportunities it presents. Believe me, once you get started, nothing can hold you back.

My experience as an EA enabled me to start my business with minimal outside help. Some of the skills needed by small business owners such as systems implementation, negotiating, communication skills, customer service, resilience, resourcefulness, decision-making, analysis, contracts, budgets, accounting, were skills that I solidified during my EA years and continue to put to good use.

Yes, I’m infinitely grateful to the EA role for the skills I developed. And I’m grateful to the business owners and executives who gave me the opportunity to develop excellence. If you are currently in the EA role, I hope you consider how fortunate you are to have these opportunities at your fingertips, and use them to full advantage.

One important caveat: When I replied to the EA who asked this question, she said, “So, it’s easy for EAs to start a business.” I’m not saying it’s easy for EAs to start a business. I’m saying that many of the administrative aspects of setting up a business were easier because I had experience doing those activities as an EA. There is much more to scaling a business than administrative functions, not the least of which are business acumen, a good product, capital and a high tolerance for risk and uncertainty.

Learning to Add Value

The EA role’s potential doesn’t only apply to assistants in the C-suite. I started as an office junior. At the time, I never realized how blessed I was for that experience, to land a job with two entrepreneurs who encouraged me to push boundaries. When I started, I had no intention of remaining an assistant, even though I had taken a comprehensive one-year training course. From day one in that first job and in subsequent jobs, I looked for ways to add value by practicing business etiquette and protocols, growing my commercial skills and willingly taking on additional responsibility, which often involved much longer hours than a junior assistant was being paid for.

As time went on, like many assistants, I realized I had an affinity for the role. I became fully invested in my work, despite there being a lot of routine in those early days. Something to know: If you excel at routine it will lead you to variety. When I showed how well I did those routine tasks, I was offered more complex projects. Getting that shot so early in my career, learning how to do those projects successfully, worked wonders for my confidence level. It's not something you lose and I'm immensely grateful I had the opportunity. It permeated my work as an EA and now in my business. Confidence in your ability is a huge plus in life. Take your shots when they come to you. Better still, go after them. Here's another hint: Understand the purpose of what you are doing and you will start thinking and working strategically, not just doing isolated tasks at random, that don't feel connected to bigger objectives.

Focus Attention

You know the saying "Do the little things well and the big things will take care of themselves." Those bread-and-butter tasks were the fundamentals on which my future capabilities would rest. I paid close attention to my bosses and how they functioned. What is important to them and why? Those things became the priorities. What did I need to do to become valuable to my executives? That’s where my focus needed to be. How could I learn from their business experience and make practical use of it in my role? Those were the areas where I paid extra attention. The more I took charge, the greater the visibility I created for myself. Step outside the limited boundaries you’ve defined as being your job and doors will open that you can scarcely imagine, whether you stay in the EA profession, or move on to other endeavors.?

Forge Your Career Path

As a young secretary, when I saw those polished senior assistants who worked confidently with the top executives, it became clear I was witnessing business professionals in action; something I was determined to be, but I hadn’t yet figured out how, and never thought I’d find it in the assistant profession. Observing them, I realized this could be a career for me. I owe a lot to those inspirational women. They helped me believe this truly was a profession in which I could develop into a respected businesswoman. I grasped that excellence was not an option. I had to be serious about the work and willingly do what was required. I had to behave professionally, keep my eyes and ears open, and treat the role with respect. I had to remember at all times that my work performance and conduct would reflect on my executive, so high standards had to be maintained at all times.

Opportunities will come your way. You have to put in the effort and take advantage of them. No one is going to build your career for you. You have to do that. A career is a path you forge for yourself. It continues throughout your professional life. Set career goals and review them often. It will give you a sense of purpose, keep you engaged in the work and avoid plateauing, something that happens to many assistants as the years pass. They lose their edge and become complacent and cynical. It's the complete opposite of a grateful heart. Don't let it happen to you.

Activate Gratitude

Every so often, write down what you like about your job, your boss and your colleagues. Gratitude brings a fresh perspective.?

Executive assistant, Rita Vasconcellos Reis, shared that one of her objectives for the year is to network and meet at least 20 people, internally and externally. She said “I’m grateful that my role as EA allows me to meet so many people, and lets me work in many different areas. I can really help my executive and the business because of this.”

Build your connections. Taking opportunities like Rita does, helps to keep you enthusiastic about your work. It becomes so much easier to fulfill your potential when you are energized and enjoying what you are doing. Rita’s profile in her country of Portugal has grown substantially. She is considered a leader in the profession and is sought out as a mentor.

Because I’ve done it, as have many others, we know the executive assistant role has transferable skills that you can take with you into other professions. The broad-based skills you develop will aid you whether you are helping the founder of a startup, or you are setting up your own company. If you stay in the EA world, those skills will help you expand your reach into other areas of the business. This profession can open doors to which you have the master key. I'm thankful I learned that early in my assistant career.

Be grateful for your job. Many weary job seekers would love to be in your position. Express your gratitude. Research shows that people expressing gratitude benefit as much as those who are receiving it. Gratitude towards our co-workers builds team bonds. "Gratitude isn't soft, it's strategic," says Dan Bigman, editor of Chief Executive magazine.

Even with all of life's challenges, we have so much to be thankful for. Let's acknowledge our blessings and keep them in focus. May you live your life in a state of gratitude and recognize the many blessings surrounding you. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Jan Jones retains all rights to her intellectual property expressed in this article. No unauthorized copying, duplication or distribution by any means without the express permission of the author. All Rights Reserved. www.theceossecreetweapon.com

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