Hello office friends! In today’s post, I pontificate on what motivates me as an Executive Assistant and career office professional. TLDR: helping people.
Initially, my motivation was being able to play with office supplies and equipment. My mom used to take me to work at the bank. I was around 12 years old, so not old enough to get a job. To entertain me while she tackled the commercial lending operations, she had me shadow her team members.
I just loved all the office supplies, carbon forms, telexes, and multi-line telephones (remember those?). Yup, I was that weird kid. By the end of the day, I’d learned those jobs. Not that I remember all that now because it was like 400 years ago and I’m not in banking. I loved the office vibe: the energy, the meetings, the jargon, and all the banking customers coming and going to the tellers.
After high school, I didn’t have immediate plans to go to college due to lack of funds. I took my 80+ words per minute typing certificate and searched for office jobs. Weirdly, no one wanted to high an 18 year old kid to run an office. I signed up for several temporary employment agencies.
At first, it was light industrial work, the most memorable being the assembly of hospital inpatient bins. It took several months to get positive feedback from my temporary employers, which helped me make the jump to temp office work.
I loved temp work so much, I did it for 7 years. Admittedly, this was due, in part, to joining the workforce in the Reagan era. I enjoyed avoiding office politics. I could just go to work, rock whatever assignment I was given and leave at the end of the day. As a temp, no one micro-managed me. Expectations were low and my work ethic is high, so the offices I worked got their money’s worth and then some. I didn’t care if it was filing all day, stuffing envelopes, faxing, copying or answering the multi-line phone. It was all good to me. I was helping them and getting work experience.
Temp office work is the ultimate Lazy Girl Job. Being a full-time Executive Assistant or any office professional is NOT a Lazy Girl Job.
As I gained office experience, I found joy in helping my teammates by utilizing my skills to support them.
I grew up working in the office 5 days a week, where everyone sat in the open, taking calls, and having side conversations. You make connections in the office that are not possible when working remotely.
While some days are tough as an EA, I still enjoy helping people solve problems.
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