Need advice- Executive assistants

i currently work as a staff accountant...and i hate it...i know its a good job to have, a good opportunity and ok money (plus my boss i great)...but i still cant help it, i dont like accounting or the industry and im not happy...

i may have an opportunity coming up to be the executive assistant to the president of a big office equipment leasing company on li...

same commute...a little bit more money...completely different industry...but its not a "professional" position, like an accountant...

has anybody ever made a change like this...any executive/admin assistants who actually enjoy there jobs??

any insight would be great...


additional info: i have a ba in international business and im 5 classes away from and mba...and i need to find something that makes me happy...

no kids yet...but i do hope to start a family within the next few years...so that is a factor in deciding where to work

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

Not executive assistant, however, I did give up a supervisory role after I had my son to go back to be "just a Service Coordinator" at the time.

I was much happier.

People tell me all the time I should be in a management role but it's just not my thing.

I say do what is going to make you happy. Who cares about titles ;).

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

I've been an Exec Asst for a while. My only concern is that going from a pro spot to a staff spot could limit your career advancement later on if you wanted to get back to a position for your training and education.

Also, some people tend to think that being an assistant is far easier than what they are currently doing and I can tell you that it's a real job with real reponsibilities especially at that level.

Do you have any Exec Asst experience?

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

Being an exec asst can certainly be a great career, but can also be extremely demanding and sometimes 24/7 - depending on who you're working for.

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

It is a demanding career choice to say the least - IMO your accounting backround will help you.

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

obviously depending on who you work for and how your personalities mingle will affect your job. I have been doing assistant work for over 10 years in both the corporate world and in education. i was the executive assistant to P, SVP and CFO (all very nice guys) but demanding. Sometimes you are required to stay late if meetings are happening work on the weekends in terms of checking emails/phone calls to make sure they get to where they are going. IN addition people who work in the company see you as 2nd in command because you are the Number 1's assistant (they expect you to know what is the president is thinking). So they put a lot of pressure on you. As an assistant in a school i get phone calls on the weekend from teachers, late night emails regarding things for the next day (Monday) or the week. It can be very challenging career.

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

Being an Exec Asst is all about who you work for. I worked for a very high level exec for 10+ years who was AWESOME. Loved him and would have worked for him forever (he retired).

If you get with the right person/company, it's a well paying job with minimal stress...and in lots of cases...no overtime.

True, it's not the type of position that has a lot of advancement opportunities, but I don't think that's the kind of field it is. With your education and past experience...if you ever got bored...I'm sure you could apply for a job internally.

Good luck!

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

i considered being an executive assistant and it all comes down to who you work for. at my current job, we have exec assistants that order lunches, walk down the street to pick up groceries/lunch/dry cleaning for their bosses and are reachable 24/7 by a company phone of course....and we also have exec assistants who are here 9-5 and their main job is to be a body at the desk to greet people, answer calls and stay organized (they require no additional hours or anything). All people i know arent happy in their roles...the 9-5ers are happy its 9-5 and a job but are bored. the ones that run errands hate that they are personal assistants when their title is executive assistant.

i would say since you are perusing your mba perhaps wait until you finish it and look for a job in your industry. going from an accountant to an exec assistant in a non related field can hurt you when looking for future positions

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

I've been an admin in the training dept of a pharmaceutical company for almost 10 years. i never thought id be there for that long. Honestly the position is what you make of it. It can be very diverse and sometimes tedious but if you work for a good team or person you can create opportunities for yourself.

Re: Need advice- Executive assistants

I am currently an EA and I have to agree with the PP who stated it could be a wonderful job but very demanding at times and it most definitely depends on who you work for. I too came from a finance position into the EA role and when I left finance, I was torn. I hated finance but the thought of becoming someone's assistant felt like I was taking a step down. Best decision I ever made now looking back on it.

I supported someone I loved to work for, who treated me not like his assistant but as her peer. I enjoyed my job and the team I worked with and truly loved coming to work. That all changed when I was hand picked to support his manager. I wasn't really given the choice since I didn't want to leave my department. The executive I currently support isn't horrible, but extremely demanding at times which is expected and I am on call 24/7. But, it has it's perks. In supporting someone at his level, I have learned so much more about the business and it has really helped me network and my hours, working from home, there is much more flexibility.

My advice is, if you aren't happy where you are now, you have nothing to lose in trying. Good luck!