The Administrative Assistant: The Unsung Heroes of the Workplace
We all dream of being CEOs, general managers, executive producers, you name it. We wish nothing more than to move up in the world and leave a lasting legacy in our professional occupations. As we enter the workforce, one of the first life lessons, which some don’t learn until years down the line, is that everyone has to start from somewhere. There’s a very rare percentage that you make it big overnight, but for the majority of us, it takes a lot of work over many years to get to a position with real influence. I have started to make that progression upward myself, as I’ve achieved a promotion recently. Because of this, it has finally given me a chance to reflect and recognize the work that an administrative assistant [or one in a similar line of work] does.
This position goes by many names in numerous industries, but overall, the most common term is administrative assistant. In the world of Hollywood, these would be the writer’s production assistant (PA), the executive assistant, the [on-set] production assistant, or the post-production assistant amongst others. The basic definition sums up this role as someone who assists their higher-ups and mostly minimal, day-to-day tasks. These tasks can include managing day-to-day operations in the office, managing travel & guest arrangements, providing excellent customer service, planning and scheduling meetings and appointments, as well as so much more. In my experience, I have done a wide range of responsibilities; the typical coffee and lunch runs for the office, paying invoices, greetings guests, scheduling meetings, filing paperwork, you name it. As I transitioned from Hollywood to higher education, some of these tasks became more nitty-gritty and paperwork focused. I have even had to learn and understand the world of budgeting and Procurement on top of all my other administrative responsibilities. Office and Google Suite become your best friends, you memorized every single person’s extension in your office and other departments, you become fluent in emailing vendors and work colleagues, and you become so familiar with your supervisor's schedule that you can manage it in your sleep. Eventually, things become routine and easier to manage.
Regardless of the field, the administrative assistant role, or any role similar to that, is vital to any office. It breaks my heart that even today, administrative assistance or similar positions are under-appreciated, underpaid, and underutilized. And yet, the tide is slowly turning, as people have begun to realize that those on the lower end of the career chain, actually do make a difference, both every day and in the long term. I have heard it said that administrative assistants are “gods”; well, throughout my many turns as one, I have never seen myself as such, but rather, as an essential asset to my team.
I always like to think the administrative assistant, or any assistant, works as the backbone of a company. They are present, but they serve more as a support for everyone else. Depending on your industry, the brain or the head can be the CEO, VPs, AVPs, managers, supervisors, or executive producer(s). The appendages (such as the arms and legs) are the heavy hitters; these people could be the project managers, the editors, the writers, etc. You have the eyes and ears of a company, which can be your PR teams, communications and media representatives, administrative officers, and those in similar vocations. You have the heart which could be a combination of all of these workers, as your team, as a unit, continue to work and keep the heart of the company pumping. Administrative assistants, however, are always deemed as the backbone; they provide the much-needed support and connections in order to keep the rest of the body functioning. I’ve always taken this philosophy with me to every single job, and it has given me not only purpose but a drive to help the company and those around me succeed.
Over time, if one manages to impress their supervisors, one gets a glimpse at what the next step in their career could look like. For instance, in my post-production assistant career on a hit network television show, I got the opportunity to work with the actors to help with audio dialogue replacement (ADR); this was a typical responsibility of the Post Coordinator, Eventually, my hard work paid off, and I got to take on more and more responsibilities apart from my administrative duties. This is a vital lesson in the workplace; hard work and tenacity in one’s work pays off.
I learned very long ago, that you have to respect all coworkers, no matter what title they have next to their name. Granted in some workspaces, my colleagues apparently did not learn the same lesson. I have always appreciated everyone else’s hard work and dedication to their craft. Even as an assistant, you learn more not only about your perspective career but you learn about yourself as a person. Another vital work and life lesson; respect all of your colleagues, because you might never know who would be willing to write a stellar recommendation letter down the road.
In closing, I urge the following: please take the time to thank your assistants. The simplest words, a single thank you, can make all the difference in someone’s life. Everyone wants to have their hard work appreciated, whether they struggled through finishing a year-end report or tediously updating an outdated contact list. Administrative assistants take the extra time and focus on every little detail in order for it to be perfect. Without them, it seems that most would be lost in the office workplace. If you wish to extend the kindness and gratefulness further, give a gift; a gift card, an edible fruit basket, flowers, or even, a handwritten thank you note. I have gotten all of these throughout my years and each one of them has put a smile on my face. For one, the gesture shows that your work is being valued, but secondly and most importantly, your work does not go unnoticed.
