(no subject)
In my previous job I was an administrative assistant to the site manager of our branch. While my boss definitely did a lot of work, there were a great many things I did for him behind the scenes without which his job would not have been possible. There was a lot of project support, customer support, keeping him straight on what needed to get done and when, and then doing a large portion of that so that he could focus on other things. Five of our out of state projects were quietly run by me for him because he couldn't keep it straight in his head how we were supposed to do them, the state requirements for completion of each task, or the billing procedures for them. When I was out for my honeymoon the office practically came to a standstill. After that I made a handbook on the many things I did, and my boss dubbed it 'Becky for Dummies'. I know he respected everything I did, and I really appreciated that he knew he couldn't get even half his job done if I wasn't there doing my job.
One time one of the field techs was talking to me in the kitchen, and he said that I was smart enough that I could do any of their jobs (meaning the other employees), so why was I an admin? I know he thought this was a compliment, but what I should have said was that yes, I was smart enough to do their jobs, but since none of them could handle mine that's where I was needed.
I know many people think that administrative assistant is just a fancy term for someone who answers the phone, and that it requires minimal intelligence. While I'm sure there are positions like that, I wish people wouldn't judge someone's job unless they've actually had to do that job.
One time one of the field techs was talking to me in the kitchen, and he said that I was smart enough that I could do any of their jobs (meaning the other employees), so why was I an admin? I know he thought this was a compliment, but what I should have said was that yes, I was smart enough to do their jobs, but since none of them could handle mine that's where I was needed.
I know many people think that administrative assistant is just a fancy term for someone who answers the phone, and that it requires minimal intelligence. While I'm sure there are positions like that, I wish people wouldn't judge someone's job unless they've actually had to do that job.