Administrative assistant role RUT
August 5, 2009 4:06 PM Subscribe
I need help/guidance getting out of a rut of my own doing. I have been steadily employed since I graduated high school. Unfortunately these have all been in clerical/administrative/coordinating roles. Now I'm 29 yrs old. While I have taken on more responsibilities I just can't seem to get away from being an administrative assistant. I am ready to redo my resume and start looking for other jobs.
I am also starting school again after taking a break. I'll be a Junior, majoring in English. I know. Salary wise I am in the $50K range. I am worried that this will also be a problem. How do I take my current skills, move into a non administrative role, and actually maybe find something that I am good at?
Admin work too often feels like - "shit trickles down". Like babysitting, and paperwork, and notes and minutia. None of which I am actually good at.
I am also starting school again after taking a break. I'll be a Junior, majoring in English. I know. Salary wise I am in the $50K range. I am worried that this will also be a problem. How do I take my current skills, move into a non administrative role, and actually maybe find something that I am good at?
Admin work too often feels like - "shit trickles down". Like babysitting, and paperwork, and notes and minutia. None of which I am actually good at.
What do you want to do? I'd recommend looking for admin jobs at organizations or companies, preferably small ones, that do the sort of work you're interested in. At a small company, admins often end up working on real projects, which will give you the experience you need to eventually transition out of the admin role.
Worked for me...
posted by decathecting at 4:19 PM on August 5, 2009 [3 favorites]
Worked for me...
posted by decathecting at 4:19 PM on August 5, 2009 [3 favorites]
Common point of everyone I've ever known in your circs was leaving the department, if not the company. Those who know you will, however good you are, have a hard time getting over their usual conception of you. (This included, in fact, an MBA. Working Girl was a documentary to her.)
There might be exceptions, but I leave that to others. Good luck.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:19 PM on August 5, 2009
There might be exceptions, but I leave that to others. Good luck.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:19 PM on August 5, 2009
What do you want to do? I'd recommend looking for admin jobs at organizations or companies, preferably small ones, that do the sort of work you're interested in. At a small company, admins often end up working on real projects, which will give you the experience you need to eventually transition out of the admin role.
This. Plus, make it a part of your job-hunting experience to always mention that you want to move up within the company, from support staff to another, more responsible role. There are plenty of companies that like to move people up through the ranks, and I've found (as someone who's done support-to-management a couple of times) that those companies with established programs to move employees upward (including tuition reimbursement and in-house training) are really great for the kind of situation you're describing.
posted by xingcat at 5:21 PM on August 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
This. Plus, make it a part of your job-hunting experience to always mention that you want to move up within the company, from support staff to another, more responsible role. There are plenty of companies that like to move people up through the ranks, and I've found (as someone who's done support-to-management a couple of times) that those companies with established programs to move employees upward (including tuition reimbursement and in-house training) are really great for the kind of situation you're describing.
posted by xingcat at 5:21 PM on August 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
mokeydraws: How do I take my current skills, move into a non administrative role, and actually maybe find something that I am good at?
By using a skills based CV instead of a traditional one, and applying for jobs that sound interesting. Seriously, focus on your skills, cast the net wide, and see what comes up.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:04 PM on August 5, 2009
By using a skills based CV instead of a traditional one, and applying for jobs that sound interesting. Seriously, focus on your skills, cast the net wide, and see what comes up.
posted by DarlingBri at 6:04 PM on August 5, 2009
It would be easier to give you advice if we knew what you wanted to do. You have already received some excellent advice here, and I agree with everyone except bigmusic. I started out as an admin, too. What I did:
- get an education. English may be OK as a major, depending on what you want to do. I was a health care administration major, but my entire career has been in hospitals. I'm starting a master's program in the fall.
- impress people. Bosses notice if you outperform every other admin they have ever had.
- go somewhere else. Some places may not be able to imagine you as anything but an admin.
- write a very tailored resume. I'm currently a trainer, and to get this job I completely customized my resume to highlight every time I have ever done any training. Use a skills section to explain what you can do and help people look past your job title.
Depending on what kind of work you want to do and where you live, you may have to be prepared to take a pay cut.
I don't think you can get out of this rut if you don't have a clear idea of where you want to go. And it is worthwhile to realize that every job has paperwork and minutiae.
posted by jeoc at 7:45 PM on August 5, 2009
- get an education. English may be OK as a major, depending on what you want to do. I was a health care administration major, but my entire career has been in hospitals. I'm starting a master's program in the fall.
- impress people. Bosses notice if you outperform every other admin they have ever had.
- go somewhere else. Some places may not be able to imagine you as anything but an admin.
- write a very tailored resume. I'm currently a trainer, and to get this job I completely customized my resume to highlight every time I have ever done any training. Use a skills section to explain what you can do and help people look past your job title.
Depending on what kind of work you want to do and where you live, you may have to be prepared to take a pay cut.
I don't think you can get out of this rut if you don't have a clear idea of where you want to go. And it is worthwhile to realize that every job has paperwork and minutiae.
posted by jeoc at 7:45 PM on August 5, 2009
Response by poster: I work in NYC. I understand that a big part of the problem is that I don't know what I want to do and it is hard to see myself as having any skills. I'm very wishwashy and pick up hobbies and then never complete anything. So even though right now working in construction sounds like something I want to do, that can change very quickly. I imagine in that industry everything is project based and working on something that actually finishes is very appealing.
I know this sounds like boohoo poor me but I really suck at things that I don't like to do. It becomes value-less in my mind and therefore not worth doing.
posted by mokeydraws at 8:18 PM on August 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
I know this sounds like boohoo poor me but I really suck at things that I don't like to do. It becomes value-less in my mind and therefore not worth doing.
posted by mokeydraws at 8:18 PM on August 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
One tip - the bigger the company, the more opportunities for ascension through the ranks there will be, not to mention the more resources and budget they will have available for training you if you ask for it.
If you want to go climbing, pick a nice big mountain :) challenge yourself!
Good luck.
posted by greenish at 4:35 AM on August 6, 2009
If you want to go climbing, pick a nice big mountain :) challenge yourself!
Good luck.
posted by greenish at 4:35 AM on August 6, 2009
Well, speaking as someone whose bread-and-butter is EARNED by being an admin, let me first say that there's not actually anything wrong with that....
....but I also get what you mean, too, because I already have sussed out for myself that the admin work is supporting something else which I'm working towards. It's something I found that I want to do. So addressing that:
You know those hobbies that you do and don't complete? That's your brain's way of trying to find stuff. Keep doing that, and don't worry if you don't finish something -- that just means it wasn't a fit for you. But make sure you're starting small with something -- even the world's best writer isn't going to write a hit novel right out of the gate very first thing. More likely, the very first thing they wrote was a short story that they showed to their Mom and their Mom really liked it, and they're the only two people who ever saw it.
The reason I'm suggesting you go ahead with all of these hobbies is that that's how you find th thing that you really like to do. And I'm defining "hobbies" very loosely -- it's not just "knitting" or "cooking" or "scrapbooking" or what have you. My writing began as a hobby, back when I was eight. And then over the next 30 years, it turned into a pursuit that brought me publication in a couple places, two freelance clients, and two short plays getting staged in New York. And I'm getting PAID, even. And the only way I found out that I liked writing was to just try it one day.
Keep going with the hobbies and other interests. If something really isn't enjoyable any more, drop it (stick with it if you like it but you have a setback, though -- that's just a challenge, it doesn't mean you shouldn't do it). At some point you'll find something that you just feel like you're pretty good at, and you like doing it, and you'll keep doing it, and you may start thinking that this is a direction you want to move in. Could be that you just find you have a knack for cooking, and you just get better and better and then you start thinking of taking one of those culinary arts programs that they advertise for every 5 minutes here. Or you find that you're really good at some sport, and maybe you want to get involved in that world somehow (maybe being a professional athlete is a stretch, but sports teams need business managers and the like). Or you find that you're really good at knitting, and you start designing your own stuff for yourself, and people rave about it, and you start thinking, "Hey, I wonder if I could start selling my own designs for a little extra money...."
You may need to stay being an admin while this other interest is getting on its feet, but there's no shame in that. It's what I've been doing all this time, and the same with lots of other people...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on August 6, 2009 [2 favorites]
....but I also get what you mean, too, because I already have sussed out for myself that the admin work is supporting something else which I'm working towards. It's something I found that I want to do. So addressing that:
You know those hobbies that you do and don't complete? That's your brain's way of trying to find stuff. Keep doing that, and don't worry if you don't finish something -- that just means it wasn't a fit for you. But make sure you're starting small with something -- even the world's best writer isn't going to write a hit novel right out of the gate very first thing. More likely, the very first thing they wrote was a short story that they showed to their Mom and their Mom really liked it, and they're the only two people who ever saw it.
The reason I'm suggesting you go ahead with all of these hobbies is that that's how you find th thing that you really like to do. And I'm defining "hobbies" very loosely -- it's not just "knitting" or "cooking" or "scrapbooking" or what have you. My writing began as a hobby, back when I was eight. And then over the next 30 years, it turned into a pursuit that brought me publication in a couple places, two freelance clients, and two short plays getting staged in New York. And I'm getting PAID, even. And the only way I found out that I liked writing was to just try it one day.
Keep going with the hobbies and other interests. If something really isn't enjoyable any more, drop it (stick with it if you like it but you have a setback, though -- that's just a challenge, it doesn't mean you shouldn't do it). At some point you'll find something that you just feel like you're pretty good at, and you like doing it, and you'll keep doing it, and you may start thinking that this is a direction you want to move in. Could be that you just find you have a knack for cooking, and you just get better and better and then you start thinking of taking one of those culinary arts programs that they advertise for every 5 minutes here. Or you find that you're really good at some sport, and maybe you want to get involved in that world somehow (maybe being a professional athlete is a stretch, but sports teams need business managers and the like). Or you find that you're really good at knitting, and you start designing your own stuff for yourself, and people rave about it, and you start thinking, "Hey, I wonder if I could start selling my own designs for a little extra money...."
You may need to stay being an admin while this other interest is getting on its feet, but there's no shame in that. It's what I've been doing all this time, and the same with lots of other people...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on August 6, 2009 [2 favorites]
I totally know how you feel. When I graduated from school (communications degree) for a long while the only kinds of jobs I could get were admin jobs. I hated it. I hated it because even if you are doing great things, even if you are doing web design and event coordination and all kinds of other things, you don't get the same respect, you are still just admin (I know this is not always the case, but it is more often than not.)
I hated taking care of my boss's personal business -- like taking a video back to the rental store for him! I hated being talked down to, I hated it.
If you're doing more than just admin, change your job title on your resume. Or ask your boss if you can change your job title to something different. If you want to get out of admin work, having 'administrative assistant' on your resume is the kiss of death.
Bide your time, save up as much money as you can, take on part-time jobs at your university once you start school. Start writing -- look into fields like editing, technical writing, communications advisor/PR -- and do not take another job with any part of the word 'admin' in the job title.
I'm cheering for you! You can get out of the admin cycle. Granted, some people really love it and are really suited for it, but it doesn't sound like you're one of them.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 1:33 AM on August 7, 2009
I hated taking care of my boss's personal business -- like taking a video back to the rental store for him! I hated being talked down to, I hated it.
If you're doing more than just admin, change your job title on your resume. Or ask your boss if you can change your job title to something different. If you want to get out of admin work, having 'administrative assistant' on your resume is the kiss of death.
Bide your time, save up as much money as you can, take on part-time jobs at your university once you start school. Start writing -- look into fields like editing, technical writing, communications advisor/PR -- and do not take another job with any part of the word 'admin' in the job title.
I'm cheering for you! You can get out of the admin cycle. Granted, some people really love it and are really suited for it, but it doesn't sound like you're one of them.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 1:33 AM on August 7, 2009
Bide your time, save up as much money as you can, take on part-time jobs at your university once you start school. Start writing -- look into fields like editing, technical writing, communications advisor/PR -- and do not take another job with any part of the word 'admin' in the job title.
Countering this a sec: you may HAVE to hang on to an admin job just for a couple years, until the point when you have enough of a resume to get work in the field you want. My own writing career is heating up, but I know it's going to be a couple years before I'm able to afford "quitting my day job", as it were. But -- I'm comforting myself with the knowledge that hey, let's just think of writing as the extra income for now, and that extra income is slowly but surely building.
Besides, if writing is indeed what you're doing, staying at your desk during your lunch hour and writing from there is awfully damn convenient. I have written many, many things at my desk at "the day job" -- and often my bosses knew I was doing that. (I think they let me get away with it because they figured, "well, huh, a lot of the other admins are shopping on Zappos.com on their down time, at least she's doing something a little more interesting.")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:53 AM on August 7, 2009
Countering this a sec: you may HAVE to hang on to an admin job just for a couple years, until the point when you have enough of a resume to get work in the field you want. My own writing career is heating up, but I know it's going to be a couple years before I'm able to afford "quitting my day job", as it were. But -- I'm comforting myself with the knowledge that hey, let's just think of writing as the extra income for now, and that extra income is slowly but surely building.
Besides, if writing is indeed what you're doing, staying at your desk during your lunch hour and writing from there is awfully damn convenient. I have written many, many things at my desk at "the day job" -- and often my bosses knew I was doing that. (I think they let me get away with it because they figured, "well, huh, a lot of the other admins are shopping on Zappos.com on their down time, at least she's doing something a little more interesting.")
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:53 AM on August 7, 2009
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2. Become indespensible to her.
3. Quit.
4. Compete with said boss.
posted by bigmusic at 4:18 PM on August 5, 2009