I've been an executive assistant for thirteen years and I have personally evolved in this position from entry level admin to chief executive assistant to the CEO of a training company with a long history of pushing administrative professionals to become their personal and professional best. In this time I have learned that it is cool to be in this profession for so many reasons! One cool thing about being an administrative professional is that you are the hot spot, the hub, the numero uno go-to gal (or guy) for pretty much anything in the office. Once you have established yourself and your credibility in your role you are the cool kid... or hot spot. Do you find that people are coming to you with questions about the company, the equipment, the processes, the calendars/schedules? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you are the hot spot!
The hot spots in an organization may not be the highest up on the corporate ladder but they are people that others turn to whether they are above or below you on the org chart for more information. Information about the company, about procedures, about technology -- they go to you, because you have the answers!
If you were to visualize a heat map of your office, red zones being the areas that seems to get the most traffic (your inbox and phone can play a part in this heat map), I bet your desk is a blazing red inferno. You are the real, live EASY BUTTON in your office.
In fact, several assistants shared with me some of their experiences as the hot spot.
Ariel often gets this line: "I know this may not be your job, but you were the only one that actually helped me last time."
Jennie says: "It's a confidence boost when someone says they came to you because they know you will have an answer or can get an answer. But with great knowledge comes great responsibility. Admins must learn to delegate when necessary."
It's true, when you are the hot spot you can quickly become overwhelmed. Knowing the tasks that are deserving of your time and attention are crucial and being able to delegate items out of your expertise or to another admin in the office is just as important as being able to help all those who cross your path.