With such a great response on my blog The struggles of being an EA, you're not alone, a lot of you were quick to point out that although there are challenges with our role, there are of course positives that come with the territory too. And I couldn't agree more. Although I think sometimes however, that it can come down to what type of day you're having! As I'll mention below, no two days are the same, and that applies to how we feel about our roles too. We all have days (or weeks, or months!) where we are just 'not feeling it', we lack motivation and everything feels like a massive effort. But then there are also those days where our jobs give us great satisfaction and joy. These are the days that you sit back at the end of the day and reflect, feeling nothing less than proud of yourself on what you achieved. And with roles that are completely undefinable, some of the tasks we are delegated seem completely unachievable. But once those tasks are complete, the self satisfaction and pride we feel out-weigh those other bad days, leaving us to think that those days were probably just due to a bad case of PMS.
The days where you love your job though, can roll on, one after the other, providing you with a natural high that makes you want to work harder and smarter, to feel that high over and over again. Like a drug, we chase that feeling of self worth, knowing that we are capable of doing anything and everything that is thrown at us. We are, after all, a work-version of 'wonder woman'!
But even with all these positive elements of our roles, sometimes it is necessary to have to sell our job to others. As we all know there is major misconception of what we do, with us often being labelled as 'just the admin person'. But there is nothing 'just' about our roles. So that in mind I've detailed the top 14 positive aspects of being an EA, combined with some gracious contributions from my dedicated readers. Feel free to reel them off to the non-believers in your workplace, or to that relative at your next family get together that asks you "how that secretary job is going?"......grrrrrr. Read on and let them have it!
1) The role is what you make it
The great thing about being an EA, is the role is whatever you really want it to be. On top of the daily hygiene of diary, emails, coordinating travel etc, you can basically get involved in whatever you want to. As long as you don't spread yourself to thin and your regular tasks don't suffer, you can create or get involved in whatever projects you wish. Identifying processes that need implementing or reviewing; assisting with team events; getting involved with the EA community; or embarking upon or even implementing a mentor program - the world is basically your oyster. Whether you work for a large company or small one, it doesn't matter. Just have the conversations with the relevant parties, including your boss, and start building on your role. Make sure you write down what you do though or add it to your job description so when it comes to annual review time you don't forget mention all the great additional things you do. You can get involved in a lot of 'extra curricular activities' outside of your role, and implement a lot of things that your boss would know little about. That's the beauty of what we do, we can work so autonomously and seamlessly that our bosses are none the wiser of what we actually do each day. Which leads me to my next point.
2) No two days are ever the same
Everyday when I wake, I open my eyes and reach for my phone to check my emails. Its an absolute must do each morning to see what I'm up for. No two days are ever the same when you're an EA, and no matter which industry or business you're in, each day will present different priorities and urgencies that you and your Executive will have to deal with. But whatever the day looks like you will need to manage the usual tasks in an around those priorities. It definitely makes for excitement. Our roles could never be described as boring, regardless of what others think. With a misconception that we are desk bound, typing letters and answering phones, you could not anticipate or predict what any day will look like. It's definitely not for everyone.
3) The flexibility to work around your boss
Speaking of not being desk bound, another positive of being an EA (usually) is you have the ability to work around your bosses presence in the office. So if you're lucky and you have an Executive who is a frequent traveller, you may have the luxury to actually take some time away from the office and work from home. This is a clever little thing to do so you can actually get things done without being disturbed! Obviously this is only possible if your boss is agreeable of course, but they must understand how many times a day you can get interrupted, just by sitting at your desk. It's a documented fact that productivity in the work place goes right down with the interruptions of emails, telephone calls and other staff coming to your desk. It then takes a considerable amount of time to regain the same amount of concentration you originally had. If you have the flexibility of being able to work a little at home (on the basis you won't be distributed there too) to knock some of those big items off your task list it can be extremely beneficial and a great perk of our role. Additional to that, EAs get set up with all the tools we need to work wherever we want. Most of us have laptops and smart phones giving us the ability to work on the go, and as long as this doesn't encroach on your work/life/balance this can be a real positive.
4) The care-factor
Do you ever feel like the relationship you have with your male boss could literally be a second marriage? Do you find yourself looking after them in the same way you do your partner or husband? Trying to get them to drink a litre of water each day; ensuring they eat good healthy food; and are not working too long hours? When they ring you when they're on holiday, do you find yourself telling them to go back to their family and stop thinking about work?! And if you've got a female boss do you revert to the mother/daughter relationship? I don't know about you, but this is one of nice and cheesy parts of our roles, where we click into our maternal drive and just want to look after them, because we care. It's nice, if nothing else, and even better when they care back.
5) You've got the power!
There is great satisfaction knowing that you're in control. Whether it be the control you have over your boss and everything he/she does; control of who has access and time with them; or perhaps it's just the control you have over the way the office runs in general. At the end of the day, you're the one with the power, and power is a sweet taste that you could literally roll around in your mouth forever (especially when it comes to some of the struggles we do have to deal with in this role). I must caution you though, as sweet as that power can be, do not get carried away with it. Some EA's end up with a nasty gleam in their eyes, where the power has gone to their head, walking around the office like they own it. There is a fine line that is not to be crossed. So by all means, bask in the glory, but just don't get carried away. Which leads me to the next point.
6) Others fear you
When you're the one who has to deliver all the messages on behalf of your boss, it's only natural for others to start to fear you in the same way they fear them. And when I say fear, I'm really referring to respect. Sometimes we have to get a little 'dirty' when it comes communicating things to people who just continuously do the wrong thing, and sometimes we have to pop on our 'fear face' when it comes to ensuring staff member's comply with policies and process. But there is always a certain element of satisfaction when you see that bit of fear in their eyes, or you suspect the tone of their email to you is nothing less than fearful. It instils the seniority in your position that we all fight so hard for, and the respect we all deserve. You can't help but smile when you feel that respect.
7) Rubbing shoulders
Another time you'll be filled with self-satisfaction in our roles is when you get to rub shoulders with senior executives that other staff member's could only dream of associating with. It might be as simple as the CEO knowing your name; or perhaps you get to attend functions with the top company executives; or maybe it might be your boss' mate who happens to be a major 'media mogul' calls up and through conversation ask you how your weekend was. Its these sorts of things really make you smile on the inside, like you're really dealing with some important people here! Which in turn makes you important, of course!
8) Mentoring others
When you strip back the daily hygiene of what we do each day, you actually reveal some of the seriously rewarding things that we get to do for other support staff alike, and that is mentoring of course. I don't know about you, but this is an element of my job that I just love, and mainly because I like to share what, I myself, have learnt over the years. As I've talked about in one of my other blogs, The benefits of mentoring, there is a lot to be gained for both the mentor and the mentee, especially as EAs, and it's something we should all be engaging in. There is great satisfaction in seeing your mentee grow and develop, but if you're not at a level where you can mentor, then be mentored! It's just as satisfying, knowing that you have another person there to be your sounding board and to give you guidance on whatever elements of your career or life you need.
9) When it's a success
When you spend weeks, or even months, working towards the delivery of a project or an event that you are managing, it can be incredibly satisfying when it finally reaches delivery. But even more so when that event or project goes off without a hitch, it can literally be the best feeling in the world! To know that every piece of organising you did contributed to its success is a feeling that can not be replicated. All that pride you feel then gets topped when you do get acknowledged and thanked by your boss for your efforts in such a successful event. The praise makes it all worth it. But even when that praise is not there as I discussed in my last blog, the inner satisfaction you feel knowing that you created that is awesome.
10) You're in the know, on everything
How many times a day do you get nudged by fellow co-workers for information on certain company secrets? The way they manipulate conversations in the hope that you will let something slip is seriously funny. But how great is it that we are trusted by our Executive's with all this company confidential information in the first place? There is nothing more satisfying than on a day when some serious stuff is going down, for your boss to pull you aside and give you the heads up on what's going on, to ensure you find out before the masses. Further still to sit in on senior leadership team meetings where sensitive information is discussed, never to leave that room, is just another sign of the trust and respect we are given. Which brings me to my next point.
11) Your seat at the table
Although I did detail on my last blog the feeling that we are not always felt to be as important as others, you cannot go past that we do in fact sit on the leadership team and partake in all the same activities that those senior leaders do. We all know there are some that don't like us being there, but the fact is we earned that seat at the table, along with everybody else. That in itself is a good and satisfying feeling.
12) Set for life
I've mentioned before that not many of us have studied to become EA's, yet each and every one of us have a skill set that others would kill for. Just a couple of years spent in the EA's chair will literally set you up with skills for life. The organisational skills you utilise in your every day work life, come in handy when it comes to your personal life (assuming you make time for your own life of course!), not to mention the other skills you obtain when it comes to booking extensive overseas travel and arranging events........you'll have the BEST holidays and throw the BEST parties, I can assure you. Your friends come to you when they want help organising their wedding or event, or want advice on the latest and greatest restaurants and venues to wine and dine at. You are the go-to person, which makes you feel pretty smug about yourself. Another tick for being an EA!
13) We are one team
If there is one thing that we are good at, that is building networks amongst us. Most of us (although unfortunately not all of us) see the value in binding together and supporting each other as I detailed in my blog on The Importance of the EA Network. And when we do successfully build these communities and networks there is a great deal of satisfaction for all of us. The support we give each other is paramount, and if it's you that is the glue that is holding your company EA network together, then hat's off to you! Strong EA networks equal happy and content EA's, I will definitely vouch for that!
14) The perks
One of the upsides of doing what we do is that often we will be on the receiving end of some great perks, or be exposed to some rather glamorous events and people! It can depend on the industry you work in and what it is your company does, but it's always fun to coordinate (and hang out with!) celebrity speakers for events your arranging, or get invited to the races or flashy events by your company's clients. Better still when you get substantial discounts on your company's products/services, or you're lucky enough to get samples of the products they make/sell. I find whenever they're trying to decide on who to give the limited number of these samples, it will often enough come to us, as the minority in the office.....another upside! We love freebies!
So that's it, my top 14, but we all know there are definitely more positives than that. They just change on a day to day basis, just like our jobs do! I'd love to hear your take on the positives, and what other aspects of our roles make you smile.
When you're the one who has to deliver all the messages on behalf of your boss, it's only natural for others to start to fear you in the same way they fear them. And when I say fear, I'm really referring to respect. Sometimes we have to get a little 'dirty' when it comes communicating things to people who just continuously do the wrong thing, and sometimes we have to pop on our 'fear face' when it comes to ensuring staff member's comply with policies and process. But there is always a certain element of satisfaction when you see that bit of fear in their eyes, or you suspect the tone of their email to you is nothing less than fearful. It instils the seniority in your position that we all fight so hard for, and the respect we all deserve. You can't help but smile when you feel that respect. 
11) Your seat at the table