In 1990, I had just graduated with a Math degree from the University of Chicago – I’d be paying off those loans for years – I had $30 and a Chevron gas card, and no job. I drove 20 hours in one day to get home to Tucson after spending the holidays with my family, because I didn’t want to spend any money on a hotel. I slept that night in my $165/month rental shack wondering how in the world I was going to get a job … fast.
(This was back when we looked through the classified ads in the newspaper for jobs, and there weren’t many ads except Sundays, so I spent the whole week waiting for Sunday to go fishing.)
Most of the jobs I’d had were waiting tables and I didn’t qualify for much else.
But I could type
Of all the advice my Mom gave me, telling me to take typing in high school was one of her most brilliant moments. So, I applied for every “typing + other stuff” job in the paper, sold my text books for cash, and lived on pots of beans. I snatched up the paper each Sunday, hoping this would be the one … so I could stop making choices like which did I need most: $5 worth of gasoline, or a bag of Friskies for Miss Lucy.
Relief came in the form of two job offers. A kind businessman offered me $7.25/hour to be his “Secretary,” and Pima Savings & Loan offered me $7.40/hou威而鋼
r to be an assistant to a medium big-wig, replacing someone who’d received a bad review and fled the same day.
I took the 15 cents an hour better increase and reported to work the following Monday at the building on east Broadway with the pink glass windows with no idea how to use the Mac Plus they assigned me – I’d never even seen a mouse – nor what I was supposed to do all day.
Turns out, I had a very good idea of what to do, almost immediately
And while I’m not knocking my education, very little of the skill-set I quickly put to use for Pima Savings came from the expensive gothic hallways of the UC.
In fact, I succeeded, thrived, and was offered a steady series of better jobs based on the aforementioned typing and the following attributes I already possessed, which, if well-used, can catapult you Admins to some pretty snazzy positions. Those attributes were as follows:
I listened
It’s amazing how far listening for comprehension and retention will take you in your career. For one thing, fewer people than you might think are open to new information, and if you take the time to pay attention to what you are told – and write it down (!) – then use that knowledge to respond according the goals of your business, well, you will catch the attention of those who have interesting projects for you to work on.
I made friends
I have been gifted (or cursed, I suppose) with the absolute certainty that no one is better than anyone else. I am just as interested in what the mailroom guys know and are doing as I am in El Presidente. I connected with everyone I met, regardless of which department, and took the time to deploy those magic words they taught us in Kindergarten: please and thank you. I learned what everyone did and how they liked to work – were they better left alone until after coffee, did they hate to do a task I could take on, what was important to them? Then when I needed help, I had connections.
I learned where stuff was
Wow, I can’t emphasize enough how useful this was! I explored every supply cabinet, every drawer in every coffee room, every door, closet, and noted every detail of the place. When it came time to get more index tabs for a project, I knew Barbara had some in her stash, and she was willing to part with them, because I promised (and made good on that promise) to order her more.
I learned how to manage the equipment
If I had a buck for every Exec who ever jammed up one of the copiers and then left it jammed and sought out another one … I learned every copier, how to install its toner, and how to load all the trays. I followed the guides printed on the inner panels and pulled and turned levers to remove paper jams. There wasn’t a copier in that Bank that could stump me. I left them all full of paper and humming. This skill, basically reading the instructions and using my instincts, would be parlayed into printers, projectors, and plotters, and in later years, WebEx tools, word processing programs, and what I use my admin skills for now: Salesforce.
So, all you Admins out there … on this Admin Professionals Day … realize that you have the skills businesses are built on. Trust your instincts. Listen. Learn. (And write stuff down, for Pete’s sake!) Take the time to get to know the folks you work with and show respect, humor, and kindness. There is a world of career possibilities available to you. And I can help you parlay those skills into a career that will thrill you and make you a lot more money than you’re making right now. If you want to learn more, keep coming back to my blog, and get ahead.
Because Admins mean business.
I too have been an administrative professional for years! I am very very good at managing other people’s things and you are spot on. Attention to detail, organization, and being everyone’s friend is key! I chuckled because my first job was found in the back of the university newspaper!
I was not an Admin when still working in the corporate world but a financial controller but all your points applied as well. I did my job so much better by listening and making friends. By listening to their world and their work I got a better understanding why their numbers were not as expected and because we were friends and I was willing to listen they were willing to help. My boss was always surprised how much I knew about other departments within our organization, something that I felt was very important to understand the numbers. But most people, whether they work in Admin or in Finance, work with blinders and only see their work instead of understanding how it all fits together. I had to chuckle when I read about all the jammed up copiers you had to deal with, co-workers often came to me to say, I have a paper jam in the copier, can you come and help?
I love how you’ve weaved your own personal story here with some what it takes to be a really great administrator. I think those attributes apply to all sorts of areas. I remember when I worked as a receptionist for a small construction company. We had one official administrator (aside from the accounts lady), and I considered her the backbone of the company. She knew how to do everything, helped everyone with their tasks, and she knew where everything was. She was amazing at her job, and just an all around fabulous person!
I love your story! I was an admin before I became a freelance writer and work from home mom. Eventually, I’d like to look at my options and see if returning to the workforce is feasible, so your blog is very helpful!
The bank must have been sorry to see you go 🙂 People like you are so valuable in the workplace and really represent the kind of consultant I’d want to hire – one that is well versed and takes the time to get to know their client!