Current job title: Executive Assistant
Industry: Financial Services
Department: Institutional Markets. We
work with large companies & invest money for their retirement plans.
Years worked in this industry: 5
Years worked in this department: more
than 2
Special training or attributes needed or helpful to
get job in this industry (or specific department): I have 22
years in the administrative field. Besides that, I worked as a temp in
this position for 9 months before I was hired. When they saw that I was a
good fit for the position, I was hired permanently.
Number of
managers and/or staff supported: 4 executives and 38 other
team members
Typical work hours: 8-5 w/ an hour
lunch.
Weekends or overtime hours: I rarely
work overtime, but I am not compensated for it. I do it because it simply
needs to be done & I LOVE what I do!
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.): approx. $43,000
Benefits (direct or indirect): I do
have good benefits. Medical, dental, 401k matching up to 6%, 4 weeks paid
vacation + stock market holidays, annual bonuses paid at 10% of my salary
Lingo you might hear in this industry:
We are in a very unique niche of the financial industry & our (VERY smart)
people are always pulling rabbits out of their hats with regard to new
products. The rest of the folks in the financial industry are trying to
wrap their brains around what we do, so I’ve stopped pretending that I
know what is being discussed. I can’t help you with this one!
A typical day on the job:
Unpredictable. Sometimes it’s nuts & sometimes I have time to study for my
Microsoft Office Specialist Certification. I get a lot of variety in my
position and I also get a lot of routine activities. It’s a really great
mix for me! I could be scheduling (& rescheduling) meetings, answering
emails & phone calls, handling crises, gathering signatures, arranging (&
rearranging) travel, arranging a meeting place and catering for 45 people,
dealing with computer problems, ordering in lunches for multiple meetings,
procuring the supplies needed for the business unit, preparing expense
reports, preparing credit card reports, tracking required training course
completions for all team members, tracking expenses, estimating expected
travel expenses for the next year, making sure that new hires have
everything they need, coordinating the meetings for the administrative and
executive assistants onsite, responding to questions and re-directing
requests as necessary. This is in addition to preparing the usual reports,
letters and presentations.
Positive things about being an administrative
professional in this industry: I probably know a bit more
than the usual assistant in other industries about managing my 401k,
solely because I push myself to be a little educated about finances.
Negative things about being an administrative
professional in this industry: Maybe some other industries
have more fun, but I can’t imagine how!
Type of workspace/office:
partial cubicle in front area
Primary responsibilities as an administrative
professional in this position: Scheduling travel, arranging
meetings, coordinating (different things), helping people connect to
solutions, procurement.
Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job
applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement:
Ability to be flexible, handle multiple priorities & handle interruptions.
Office machines or equipment operated regularly:
Computer, phone, fax & copier.
Technology (hard) skills used regularly:
All Microsoft Office Suite products (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access,
PowerPoint, Visio & Adobe Acrobat).
Critical soft skills: Generally knowing
who performs what function within the department (so I know who to go to
for information), knowing where in a multi-national organization to find
someone who can solve a particular problem (obvious), knowing the other
admins in other locations, even though you’ve never met them (so you have
a rapport with them when you have to ask them to cancel or move another
appointment on their boss’s calendar), so they can meet with your boss,
flexibility and the ability to get along with others (so you can all get
what you want), and networking (again, so you know who to go to, to find a
solution). It is also critical to understand who your customers are, even
if they are internal customers (so you don’t mind when they interrupt
you).
Pace of this position: busy & slow times.
Geographical region: Southwest, U.S.
Karen Porter, The Administrative Professional Job Performance and Career Success Coach™