The Rookie EA – Thoughts and tips to make it through the day

Years ago, when I started as an Executive Assistant, I was placed in a job by a staffing company. I was new to this role, a rookie. I must admit I had no idea what to expect. I met with the executive hiring for my first temporary job placement. He could tell I was a rookie with no prior experience in the role before. The Executive was hesitant to hire me for two reasons: I had been a stay-at-home mom for the past few years, and I appeared too young. That alone was his indication that I knew nothing about the role and won’t be able to rise to the challenge. It is rare to hear why I didn’t get hired, but I was lucky to learn why later.

Fast forward, he ended up hiring a recommended ‘seasoned’ Executive Assistant that as it turned out, was not a good fit and did not do a good job. As office politics go, it was one of the classic recommendations from a co-worker, an Executive Assistant, that wanted someone they knew to be hired rather than someone most qualified.

Food for Thought: Sometimes, it is as simple as a choice made that you have zero chance of influencing. The goal is to keep focused on the big picture and persevere. You will find something. Maybe not necessarily on your time but keep the faith because, with your efforts, it will happen!

A few weeks later, the recruiter called me back, asking me if I would consider working for this Executive even though he had rejected me earlier. I needed the money, so who am I to be picky and choosy? I accepted my challenge and hoped for the best.
This experience was a great entry into the world of an Executive Assistant. It felt like a concerted and chaotic crash course into what an Executive Assistant job entails with no guidance, prior experience, or a network to lean on for resources and help. Yup, it sounds crazy, as I didn’t even research online to find out what’s out there that could provide some guidance, tips, or help to support me. I was not thinking at the time. I was in the “doing mode” and proving myself mode.

You may ask, “about other EAs that were working in the company, how come they did not help me?” I have many answers; this company had a strange Executive Assistants culture. It was not about helping another, sharing best practices, or helping a new fellow Executive Assistant ramp up quickly. It was more about proving they are better than YOU!

Food for Thought: Now, I did not go in completely blind. I had a great hospitality experience dealing with stress and various personality types. Part of that background also included primary administrative duties in specific roles.

Let the show begin! Most of the EAs I interacted with were too curious about where I was before. What had I done before joining the role? How long is my contract? (too concerned with sizing me up) Initially, I thought, “Wow, these individuals are interested in learning about me.” I did not realize it was a gathering info session for them to help support the process of bringing me down since they have thought to themselves, “I am not good enough and too naïve to know any better, so it should be easy to blame the mistakes and pile up the workload that no one wants to do on the new Executive Assistant.”

Food for Thought: Everyone wants to impress. Sometimes, you will step into roles where the ‘lifers’ (long-tenured staff) want to ‘mold’ you. They will want to know everything about you and slowly tell you how things are ‘done’ here. Your goal is to focus on your efforts to keep your boss working smoothly. Clear the noise coming from the gabby Greta’s and keep moving forward.

I am grateful for this experience as it helped me quickly see the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have learned so much and managed to overcome many challenges thrown my way.  I had earned the right to become a full-time employee from starting as a contractor. I have survived multiple company restructures and supported my fair share of different executives over the years.

I am standing (ok, sitting as I type this) today, very proud of myself, despite some of my former colleagues who still see me as a rookie, lacking the seasonality. I have been challenged by individuals with the classic traditional mindset of secretaries versus how the Executive Assistant role has evolved over the years.

I was young, eager, and wanted to prove myself. My efficiency, speed, directness, friendly demeanor, and willingness to be helpful would be considered both my strength and weakness. All the extra work and owning up to my mistakes along the way add to those attributes equally. The more I accomplished, the more I ended up with more challenges, insecurities, and bad politics and faced those mind games from gabby Greta’s tearing my performance down.

You must hear about the fun and not-so-fun stuff if you are starting new in the role. That’s why I feel this Blog is worth writing about. However, I would like to share some of the takeaways I have come to learn.

If you are a new Executive Assistant trying to find your way and earn the respect of colleagues alike, understand that you will meet some people who will not help you out and want to see your performance suffer to their benefit. How you navigate through all the ‘firsts’ at the beginning of your career will determine your survival rate, learning, and brand-building. Being an EA is a rewarding career; however, most of you will need to go through a few valleys before you reap the rewards.

In conclusion, I am happy to share some thoughts and tips that helped me. When you are new and trying to build your credibility, below are the things that helped and worked for me.

• Understand and define what is your role in the success of the Executive and department you are supporting
• Get to know other Executive Assistants within your department/area. Find out their experience, whom they have supported in the past, how long they have worked in the company, and what other tasks and duties are divided/shared among them.
• Determinate if your role is over-lapping with other peers
• Understand the expectations of the role and your Executive. Or determine the process of defining expectations if none are in place.
• Know your Executive and what works well for them
• Don’t be shy to say “No” (it was one of my downfalls early on, especially when you are new)
• Build a network of EAs for support. If not possible internally, then look externally for support
• Google – is your best friend for almost everything you need to look up and search
• Microsoft Office and Google G-Suite are your tickets to stardom
• Communication is your key to success; understand the different types of communication within your organization and which ones work well.
• When it comes to learning people’s names; your org chart, phone directory, global distribution lists, and intranet are your guide
• Knowledge is your power – so pace yourself and get acquainted with the company’s website, look up policies and training manuals, etc. do it for yourself; it might be handy if your boss needs help.
• Identify and introduce yourself to key individuals and partners such as finance, HR, office manager, building tenanted services, IT, receptionist, communication, help desk, direct reports, and some of the movers and shakers within the organization.
• Duties as assigned – this one is a biggie; you will find it listed in every EA job description. It is a broad statement with the possibility that “EVERYTHING” will fall under it. So, try to get as much clarity as possible or at least a benchmark.
• Floor plan – to help with tours on your first few weeks on the job (those floor maps/plans will help you to know who sits where? So you can find people easier at the beginning)
• Vacation coverage/sick days/ off-site – what are the protocols in place? If none, create them.
• Joining meetings, managing inboxes, and scheduling one on ones are very important in establishing and creating great work habits, opportunities for learning, and relationship-building with your Executive.
• Observation, active listening skills, and even more observation – are powerful skills that have helped me succeed repeatedly and are my key strengths which I was able to develop nicely over time.

Lastly, many strategies out there work well and are not inconclusive of the list above, which is my personal take. Best of luck to all the new Executive Assistants out there, be brave, stay calm, remain confident in your ability, stay humble, decide what your brand is and build it with grace.