Not long ago, executive assistants spent much of their day at a typewriter.
Today, an executive assistant is the backbone of a business, ensuring everything
runs smoothly on a daily basis.
"In essence, they are the ones who make the office run," says Elaine Tallmon.
Tallmon is an executive assistant working in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"I set the mood of the office as well as take care of the needs of those
in the office, whether I work directly for them or not," she says. Tallmon
says she keeps things running efficiently in her office, often fixing a problem
when something goes wrong.
"I run the errands no one wants to run, I make the phone calls no one wants
to make, I make the things happen no one else can make happen," she says.
"But that is what an executive assistant does. She or he assists those they
work for and they're good at it."
With advances in technology, these backstage employees have much more elaborate
jobs now than they did a just a few years ago. This is a job in which knowing
how to multi-task is very important.
"We used to be secretaries, doing normal secretarial duties," says AlVerta
Harty. In addition to working as an executive assistant for a pharmaceutical
company in Richmond, California, Harty is president of the California Division
of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. "Now we
are meeting planners, travel coordinators/planners, project coordinators,
etc."
On any given day, Harty can find herself arranging travel arrangements
for any of the 26 scientists in her department, as well as looking after the
travel needs of the director and the vice-president. She does this on top
of taking care of thousands of little details such as scheduling and coordinating
meetings, doing expense reports, maintaining databases and ordering office
supplies, just to name a few -- often while also supervising a new intern.
"It's unreal how it's changed in the past 12 years," says Decolynne-Jo
Barteski. Barteski is an executive assistant. She has been in this field of
work for about 15 years.
"Assistants are getting to do more complicated tasks," says Tallmon. These
tasks could include things like assisting executives with presentations and
marketing and helping plan a company event. Executive assistants will do everything
required to make an executive's work easier.
That means that a lot is expected from today's executive assistant. "It's
so fast-paced, it's always changing, it's always on the go," says Barteski
of her career. "You need to be very flexible, organized, detail-oriented."
And while this is still a female-dominated career, it has also become
a little more common to see a man behind the desk. "Off the top of my head,
I can think of a few assistants to the deans, directors, or department heads
who are male," says Fred Woo. "This is becoming more common although ... it
is definitely still a female-dominated profession."
Woo works as an executive assistant. He feels that within the next couple
of years there will be more and more men filling executive assistant positions.
Harty says that because of technological changes, people in this career
are always on the move. "Being proactive and not waiting to be told what to
do is a plus," she says. She adds that interpersonal skills are extremely
valuable in this career. In addition, the need to keep up with technological
advances makes continued professional development very important.
"Globalization, acquisitions and changing technology means organizations
are constantly changing. The executive assistant must stay abreast
of changing corporate climate as well," she says.
"You are at the hub of the action," says Woo. "It's fast-paced and, most
times, very hectic."
However, the hardest part of the job for many of these employees is not
being recognized for all the work they do. This is the case for Tallmon. "Sometimes
... people tend to look down on executive assistants like bottom-rung employees,"
she says.
The lack of public recognition could make it difficult for some people
to survive in this career. That is why this job is not for everyone. "This
field is a field where there are a lot of expectations and very little recognition,"
says Tallmon.
"You do a lot of work to help other people be successful," she says. "You
must have a personality where you can be a caretaker of people and not mind
that. I have found much reward in being an executive assistant because taking
care of others comes easily to me and I find great reward in it."