Life as an Administrative Assistant

[rose45]

I know i should be happy that i atleast have a decent job but at some point I just can't keep thinking like this and I think it is starting to bother me.

 

I have been working as an Admin Assistant since I graduated college 3 years ago. It is starting to eat at me that I spent all this money on a degree and I am doing data entry, e-mail blasts, preparing marketing materials and boxing up so many things for meetings..almost seems like labor alot of the times. Everyone else i know like my friends have much better jobs than i do; i don't get what i did wrong and now it seems this is all i am qualified for when i go to agencies.

 

Guys in my area were able to get an associate position out of college because they were simply men. I am sure they did not know much about what was going on with stocks etc etc..they were trained for it. But me on my review after a year was told I am not quite there to be given that type of work...ummm, why couldn't i be trained?

 

I know i have my flaws--i should have been more of a presence at this place, stayed late, asked for more work, i am introvert and don't seek out attention..but it just sort of ate at me that i would have to do double just to get a better job and others are just offered it on a platter.

 

Me and my coworker are the two assistants in this area. She has kids and shorter hours so she is just comfortable. I think right there it was sort a step back in some sense when i started working with her because I am just sort of thrown into that environment of only doing admin work and being associated with someone who talks about her kids ALOT, has no time to even do anything else etc.

 

A new and younger girl was hired to help this other department and also for some reason works for our boss which i thought was weird. I had to show her things that i did and now my boss goes to me less..and on top of that she is learning from the other girl more than what i ever did within a month because she is asking her to take on the task. The new girl didn't have to ask or stay late or anything; it is just given to her and it seems like she has a better position than me because she doesn't have to deal with alot of paperwork i have to do such a photocopying month end stuff and being on my feet for hours.

 

It just makes me feel very very awkward that now a younger girl is learning more than i did due to the lady she is working for and who she is working with. I think it matters what area you kind of get thrown into because my coworker wasn't really interested in learning other stuff and I sort of got stuck in a rut with the same thing. If i was working with someone more my age and in my situation i think things might have been a little different.

 

I know i can't blame someone else completely at all; I am just saying the circumstances might have changed things a little.

 

I know others probably have gone through worse; I am just sharing my experience and how i am feeling.

 

I just want to leave now. Everyday at work i just feel awkward and anxious. I keep applying but it seems i am only qualified for admin work. I know some executive assistants can make alot after so many years so now i am wondering if i should just do this type of work now but maybe different duties. Or take on an entry level role with less money and start over.

 

I just hate how things have been turining out for me.

 

I know it could be worse but just venting and hoping for some feedback.

 

Thanks.

[Cee]

The key to advancement is taking on more responsibilities and getting more skills. If there is a gap in your workplace for a certain duty (e.g., database management), take it on and grow in your current position.

 

If you are locked into doing email blasts and photocopying, find an admin job that has potential for training and advancement.

 

Volunteer work outside your job is another way to develop new skills and build your resume.

 

Learn to be proactive about your job. The only way to advance is to take the initiative.

[rose45]

i guess my point is not everyone needs to do this like the guys who were hired when i was hired or the new girl who is younger than me; it is just sort of given to them..that is sort of my point and why i don't even want to be there anymore and looking for another place to just start fresh.

 

Just sort of venting looking to see if others have gone through the same.

[spiderowl]

I know what it's like, believe me. If you are responsible and quiet and do a good job, you end up doing the responsible and demanding stuff that no-one else wants to do. Ironically, the more reliable and dedicated you are, the more you get dumped on. The pushy and noisy people always seem to get the opportunities. You need to use other methods to get round the natural advantage that these dominant types have.

 

I'd suggest talking to your employer about training for promotion and if you don't feel they are helping you in that way, get what experience you can in your current job whilst looking for another. Be prepared to move sideways into a job of equal status but somewhere else if necessary, to get different experience that could take you further. This will make it clear to your present employer that you will move on if not satisfied with your status.

 

If you can fit in some sort of voluntary work with training that might lead to a better career, then consider doing that. Put out feelers for the alternatives and develop leads.

 

I know this is difficult to do whilst maintaining full-time work, but consider some kind of training for a particular profession that is in demand. It sounds like you have professional training, so is there some qualification you can get that will clearly take you ahead of those men who have been given opportunities you haven't? In some jobs, only the relevant qualifications will be considered seriously and other experience out in the world is discounted. You need to do your level best to get the qualifications that will take you to a higher level in the profession you are interested in.

 

I actually think it benefits people to change jobs quite a bit. It's not a good idea to change them every six months, but a year gives you enough of an idea of what a job involves to have the experience and to show that you are looking for promotion. I think the days when people stuck at their jobs for years to prove their dedication and loyalty are past. Ambitious people move on if their needs are not met.

[jean-luc sisko]

Firstly, what did you major in?

 

Secondly, what kind of work would you like to do?

 

It could be that the culture of the company was holding you back, or the management were pricks. Though it obviously is unethical, sometimes management can be selective and biased in whom they promote.

 

I would suggest moving company, and developing the skills for promotion. IMO, promotion abilities come in these qualities:

 

- High quality work

- Good work ethic

- Acquisition of more skills

- Good relations with all employees

- Making one's boss look good

- Being proactive. Try and foresee issues that can crop up, and develop scenarios to cope with them

 

All of these may sound a lot, but it's not really so difficult. Hang in there, and you can (nay WILL) make it.

[Citizen Erased]

I was an admin assistant for about 5 years. It sucks. There's no other way to put it.

 

The good thing is that when I went looking for a job earlier this year, my work experience provided me with the opportunity to get a role with HP that made them not just throw me in the call centre like most, if I was staying here and not moving I'd probably be a team leader or in IT support by the end of next year.

 

And that's without a college degree. You can do a lot somewhere else. Clearly your current company isn't going to do much for you. Be patient and get your CV out there.

[Cee]

i guess my point is not everyone needs to do this like the guys who were hired when i was hired or the new girl who is younger than me; it is just sort of given to them..that is sort of my point and why i don't even want to be there anymore and looking for another place to just start fresh.

 

Just sort of venting looking to see if others have gone through the same.

 

Things aren't generally given to people without them showing some sort of initiative or native talent. My coworker was the admin asst and was so stellar she was snapped up by another department. She is now rising through the ranks in Finance and I think she might have a higher rank than me despite being 15 years younger.

 

With that said, you aren't happy and that is probably why you aren't rising in the company. Doing a switch is a good plan, but try to trade up and not down. Or trade different and try a different field.

 

I personally work in a field with little advancement. Therefore, I've made lateral switches to places with better pay, benefits and more challenges. It has not been easy, but I am really happy with my current job. It only took me 15 years of holding jobs that I wasn't crazy about.

[TurboGirl]

Don't agree that being an Admin "sucks." I have a college degree too and have done that in that past. You get out of it what you put in. If you feel that you are being under utilized and are bored (sounds like it to me) then make the change in either your job or how you feel about your job every day.

 

Many opportunities are based on hard work, and just as often I have seen things happen (an Admin getting promoted & pushed into a better job) as a matter of luck & being in the right place at the right time.

 

A large part of your work life has to do with how you feel about yourself and if you are unhappy being an Admin, or you just don't like the place where you work & co workers. Personally, if I like the place & people, the work doesn't matter so much. Your daily happiness and contentment with where you are & what you do every day is important... suggest exploring other fields and examine what you do at your job every day that you DO enjoy. Perhaps try & find a position that has more of what you enjoy doing... phone work? interacting with people? or computer work, etc.? Then you will be able to upbeat about going to work in the morning, and hopefully position yourself to be open for all great things to come your way.

[Tayla]

Seriously...Do educated (college degree) persons really think like this , that certain things be granted them because of the degree? Sorry but as I was reading this , it nagged me that this is what was coming across...."its beneath a person to perform certain tasks...".....I would hope I am wrong and its just a venting and nothing meant to offend .....