As an executive assistant, you have sat in meetings with Directors, Heads of Departments, CXOs, Chairman of big organisations among many others. You have worked on projects beyond the initial scope of your role, put in long hours planning conferences while attending to requests from the direct reports of your boss while filing reports on the last retreat you organised, while sharing your perspective on an issue that will have a serious impact in the organisation … you get the picture right?
Still, you are referred to as ‘just an assistant’ when you share your desire to progress in your career. If this is you, you are not alone. I have faced this in my career as an EA and will be sharing five ways you can accelerate your career growth with an equally financially rewarding salary.
One of the challenges Executive Assistants have to grapple with is an undefined career path and this is attributable to a number of factors. A few are:
.It is not a course taught in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, students are not aware that such a title exists until they start working or encounter an EA and since they are not aware, they do not choose the role. Personal research has shown that a large number of those who became EAs ‘stumbled’ on the role
.Lack of a professional body that sets the tone and standard for the profession or even defines its training needs, scope of requirements.
.The belittling of the role by outsiders who do not understand what being a professional EA entails or the value it brings to CXOs and high-level professionals. This discourages entry-level employees who jump ship after a while
.Inadequate modelling, mentorship and coaching from thriving EAs.
Despite these, if you have chosen this as a career path or ‘found’ yourself in this role and desire to grow, it is a perfectly normal and healthy desire. I have had the same desire a number of times in my career. Here are five ways I believe you can accelerate your growth and demand more financially:
.See and understand the bigger picture: Your role as an EA brings you in contact with key decision makers. You are privy to high-level conversations and gain insights into how leaders think and make decisions. This exposure enables you understand the vision of the business and the forecast of the industry and they are important because they help you position yourself strategically to offer value.
Be intentional in communicating this value when you speak and interact with your leaders and peers. Ask intelligent questions and make valued suggestions and contributions that show you understand the business; pique the curiosity of your leaders.
Make valuable connections internally and externally so you can appreciate how different teams work to achieve the organisations objective and benchmark with what obtains beyond your organisation.
.Be indispensable: I know no one is indispensable in the practical sense of the word still, most organisations will do all within their power to retain their top performers. You should be one of them too. Layer your big picture thinking with an in-depth understanding of your leaders.
Anticipate their needs and prepare well in advance for it. Work at being a solutions provider so much that you earn the reputation of getting the job done without excuses. You have to get to a point where it is in the best interest of your company to keep you happy and fulfilled because of the value you bring to the table.
.Grow your network and seek stretch assignments: A whole world exists and if you stay in your corner, you would never know. Step out of your comfort zone, enroll in programmes and projects that stretch you, join professional/business bodies that expand your mind and grow your network, then work your network.
You do this by volunteering, being authentic and genuinely interested in others, showing up for them when needed and lending helping hands among others. Whatever value you get from these, bring them to bear in your role. Let it show in the way you do your work that you are growing. You already know that tooting your horn is a skill you must learn to do in the workplace right.
.Document and share your wins: Learn to keep a record of every achievement in your career. Share what you have accomplished with relevant stakeholders and leaders, tying it to how it has contributed to business objectives. Remember you are a strategic big picture thinking EA, always share from this perspective.
.Make your move: The best time to do this is during Performance Discussions, mid-year or annual reviews with your boss. Show your value and ask for a promotion with commensurate raise. This is the first step and may involve many other steps but definitely is the step in the right direction. You are at liberty to seek new opportunities that will give you the desired reward you seek if all negotiations fall through.
.Emechebe, member, Chartered Executive Personal Assistants (CPEA) and executive assistant to the Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, writes from Lagos
