Current job title: Executive Assistant
to the President/Board Secretary
Industry: Community college
Department: President’s Office
Years worked in this industry: 3
Years worked in this department: 3
Special training or attributes needed or helpful to
get job in this industry (or specific department): Experience
in support of high level educational administrator; PowerPoint knowledge;
experience in complex meeting minutes; excellent people skills
Number of
managers and/or staff supported: 1 [busy] president
Typical work hours: I am salaried, so
hours can be between 40 to 60 hours per week, depending on work load and
time of year.
Weekends or overtime hours: Yes (see
answer above)
General salary range
(Note: This is a general figure or range provided by survey respondent and may
NOT be an exact salary in order to
give survey respondent some privacy. Also you must take into account that
the number of years worked in industry/department may contribute to this
salary as well as criteria such as level of position and person reports
to, required hours and geographical location.): $36,000 - $54,000.
(Need reclassification to go to a higher salary level.)
Benefits (direct or indirect): The
world’s best boss!! ? Excellent family health care coverage, employer
contribution to Public Employees Retirement Fund, as well as $200 per
month employer contribution to Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA)
Lingo you might hear in this industry:
a) “College Wide Success Indicators” and “Institutional Effectiveness” –
ways of measuring our success in terms of number of graduates, number
employed after graduation, etc.
b) “Training and Business Development Center” – houses those who deliver
services offered to local businesses that enable start-ups, train or
re-train employees, offers business consulting
c) “Community Education” – all those watercolor and yoga/tai chi classes
for senior citizens that we offer as a community service since we are a
community college
A typical day on the job: Part of the
reason I love this job so much...there’s no such thing as a typical day!
One day, I could be spending half the day arranging meetings and the other
half producing a PowerPoint presentation for my boss. The next day I
could be working with US Senators’ staff members on a federal
appropriation request and then “catering” an informal reception for
college staff hosted by the president. Everyday is different.
Positive things about being an administrative
professional in this industry:
a) the chance to be a part of
a BIG change in a student’s life
b) the wonderful people on the staffs of most community colleges
c) the strong emphasis on professional development and life-long learning
for staff
Negative things about being an administrative
professional in this industry:
a) As with most educational
endeavors, pay is mostly not commensurate with hard work done.
b) Stress that comes with budget cuts, fewer people to do more work and
subsequent low staff morale.
Type of workspace/office:
large office suite (shares with two other admin positions). Seated outside
president's door (for receptionist purposes).
Primary responsibilities as an administrative
professional in this position:
a) calendar/scheduling of
president’s time
b) serve in confidential capacity as assistant to president and Board (for
collective bargaining, personnel issues/discipline appeals, student
issues/discipline appeals, etc.)
c) take and transcribe minutes for meetings, especially monthly Board of
Education meetings
d) hold primary responsibility for president’s office budget
e) make travel arrangements for president and Board of Education members
and be responsible for reimbursing same for incidental travel costs
Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job
applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement:
a)
people skills (communication, caring, active listening, ability to work
well with others, etc.)
b) ability to keep an absolute confidence
c) ability to keep track of details and help your boss keep one step ahead
of emerging concerns
Office machines or equipment operated regularly:
Desktop computer, copier, laptop, PDA
Technology (hard) skills used regularly:
a) work with all Microsoft Office programs
b) low-key troubleshooting with boss’s electronics (fix the printer, help
with email glitches, etc.)
Critical soft skills: See answers to
question [about job description above] for first part of this question. As
to “why”…you can have all the technical skills in the world, but if you
can’t relate to people in this position, you make things incredibly
difficult for the president rather than easier, which is what your job is
designed to do.
Pace of this position: mostly average
to fast
Geographical region: Pacific Northwest
USA
Karen Porter, The Administrative Professional Job Performance and Career Success Coach™