Current job title: Senior Management
Executive Assistant
Industry: P&C Insurance company
Department: financial advisory
department
Years worked in this industry: 4
Years worked in this department: less
than 1 year
Special training or attributes needed or helpful to
get job in this industry (or specific department): Our
company provides insurance only to a specific segment so knowledge of that
market is key. Working for an executive vice president requires that I am able to respond on
his behalf to many questions that come in and be proactive in resolving
any issues that may arise. The ability to organize everything, is also
key.
Number of
managers and/or staff supported: One executive vice president
and lead the administrative staff of the department.
Typical work hours: 7:30 5:30
Weekends or overtime hours: Work from
home on weekends or evenings when needed. No overtime salaried pay.
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.): $46,000
$57,000
Benefits (direct or indirect): Yes.
Life, health, dental, great 401k, a free yearly appt. with a financial
advisor to review investments, cafeteria on site, exercise facility on
site, Starbucks on site.
Lingo you might hear in this industry:
P&C property and casualty coverage
basis point one hundredth of one percent
expresses interest rates and bond yields
bond coverage - insurance policy that protects clients' or customers'
money against financial loss occasioned by a third party.
A typical day on the job: Schedule
meetings and/or travel needed, prepare materials for meetings, brief executive
on upcoming meetings and events, attend or lead various meetings, manage
email and incoming calls, some filing, continual work on improving
processes and procedures, and all other duties as assigned.
Positive things about being an administrative
professional in this industry: Unlimited options for learning
and advancing yourself, great bonuses when things are going well,
opportunities to meet a lot of different people and make networking
connections.
Negative things about being an administrative
professional in this industry: What we do as a whole is kind
of boring and dry. Its hard to jazz certain presentations up to make them
sound exciting.
Type of workspace/office:
Cubicle
Primary responsibilities as an administrative
professional in this position: Keep my executive organized,
lead the administrative staff in the department, work closely with
department liaisons (legal, HR, etc.) to keep abreast of any issues that
may require the attention of my executive, improve processes, workflow,
and level of support provided to others in the department.
Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job
applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement: Need
to be an excellent communicator verbally and orally and have to be able
to handle 20 things at once and reprioritize frequently.
Office machines or equipment operated regularly: fax, copy, scan, laptop, etc.
Technology (hard) skills used regularly:
Blackberry, Bloomberg, need to know all types of computer software MS
Office Suite, Visio, Adobe, Internet Publishing, and various databases.
Critical soft skills: Good
communication, need to be comfortable with all levels of executives and
employees, ability to understand the big picture so that questions can be
answered (or not answered) appropriately, and organization.
Pace of this position: Extremely fast
Geographical region: Midwest U.S.
Karen Porter, The Administrative Professional Job Performance and Career Success Coach