Hello office pros. In today’s post, I’m sharing my results, thoughts, and philosophy of mentoring peers. It’s an article I’ve had on the back burner for a while, and is a bit more personal.
Being data-driven, I regularly update my resume and review my various trackers. The recent review was prompted by my application for Permanent Residence in Canada, which requires a current resume.
My career in a nutshell
In case you’re new here, I’m a career office professional with experience as a project manager and cost analyst in cancer research studies. I joined Amazon as an L4 EA in January 2020. In April 2022, I was promoted to L5 EA and received feedback to share knowledge with my peers. I received my first mentee in 2022 and joined the Amazon EA in Training Program as a Mentor. In 2023, I launched the EA Mentor and my coaching business. In 2024, I closed my mentoring business after moving to Canada on a closed work permit.
My mentees & results
I’ve mentored eight EAs since 2022; all were L4 EAs (entry level Executive Assistant) when we started working together.
What follows is my assessment of my mentees using the World Administrators Alliance Global Skills Matrix, provided courtesy of Executive Support Magazine.
Of these eight, five were officially mentored for 6 months – 3 years, with a regular cadence of meetings. Two operated at Level 2 (transactional); one EA left Amazon and the other is languishing at their current level. Two operate at Level 3 (transactions + strategic) with one being promoted to L5 EA in 2024. The fifth EA operated at Level 4 (strategic) and left Amazon to become the EA Business Partner to the CFO at a multinational software company.
The others were mentored on an ad hoc basis, and all operated at Level 2 (transactional). One left Amazon, and the others languish at their current level.
I currently mentor two EAs who operate at Level 3: my L5 EA is thriving in her current org and level. Promotion to L6 is not out of reach but she needs to decide if that’s her path. The other EA has been at Amazon for 6 months and needs another 6 months in the role before her manager can submit a promo doc. Both L5 and L6 EA roles are within her reach.
My thoughts
After reviewing my data and having a good think about all the EAs I’ve worked with, I’ve found high-performing EAs share the following traits:
- Approachable
- Asks questions
- Takes notes
- Takes ownership
- Critical thinking skills
- Sees the Big Picture
- Detail oriented
- Very organized
- Identifies issues AND brings potential solutions
My mentoring philosophy
My role is to:
- help my mentee reach their career goals
- provide training and guidance
- act as a sounding board for ideas
- brainstorm solutions
- be objective
- serve as a feedback provider for their promo doc
- to learn as much from them
I set the expectation that our conversations are confidential. Our sessions are conversational, with questions arising from the discussion. I try to understand their org, projects, team dynamics, etc., so I can provide effective annual and promo doc feedback.
When my Lead EA assigned my first mentee, I was excited and nervous. It was up to me to assess this EA and provide feedback to my Lead. Years later, I understand the purpose of this assignment.
At first glance, I felt I’d failed. In fact, I did my best. They were not able or willing to live up to expectations and quit abruptly.
My learnings
I’ve been an office pro since the dawn of desktop computers. I don’t pretend to know everything because, well, I don’t. I enjoy learning new subjects, skills, and ways to solve problems.
I don’t intend to be a global EA influencer, speak at admin conferences, or write articles beyond this blog. I know my strengths, and I’m at my best working one-on-one. I can and do speak in front of groups. I tend to be a bit silly – not that you can tell from these posts, thanks to years of technical writing.
What I learn from my mentees:
- solutions I would not have come up with on my own
- a new tool or mechanism
- ideas for team events
- looking at this career with fresh eyes
When I had the idea for this article, I thought my success rate would be around 20%. Doing the math, I find 37.5% of my mentees are successful. While I play a role in their success, it’s up to them to take responsibility for their career.
My younger sister and I love classical literature. Since January 2024, we’ve been reading Norton’s Anthology of World Literature Volume A. We meet online every week and discuss what we learned, liked and didn’t like about the reading. Clearly, this is how I operate best, so why fight it?
Data aside, I like everyone I’ve mentored and consider them friends, no matter how our mentoring relationship turned out. We’ve spent a lot of time together. They’re good people.
The Executive Assistant career isn’t easy, but it can be rewarding for both mentor and mentee. If you don’t have a mentor, I highly recommend finding one. If you’re more experienced, share your knowledge and help out a peer. There’s always more to learn if you’re willing to try.
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