development and what they get up to in the office INTERVIEW
This issue we meet two PAs to find out more about their career
always makes time to check in with me which is important. My relationship with the SBG Board and Executive Team is
also very important; I see or speak to most team members on a daily basis and endeavour to be friendly and helpful at all times.
What has been your biggest achievement as a PA? One of my biggest achievements was when I worked at AstraZeneca in 2011. The site had unfortunately been informed that the majority of employees were to be made redundant, myself included. Morale on site at this time was low; and I could see productively levels drop within my own Project Team. I decided to turn something negative into a positive and so organ- ised a series of Careers Fairs for AstraZeneca. It was the first time any such event had been organised and involved a small team of administrators arranging for over 50 local businesses to come on site to meet with our 800 employees to promote employment opportunities, and also to raise awareness of the skill set of our employees to recruiters.
LIZ MCEWAN Executive Board Assistant, Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG)
How long have you worked as a PA? I have worked as a PA for the last 6 years, across a range of dif- ferent industries including Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing and Financial Services.
How did you get into the office support industry? Looking back on my career, I would have to say I ‘fell’ into the office support industry. The defining moment for me wanting to pursue a career as a PA was when I worked in a surveying office supporting three surveyors managing their diaries, arranging mortgage valuations and surveys, and typing up reports.
What does a typical day involve? A typical day for me often includes preparing agendas for either Board or Executive Meetings, collating reports and producing Board or Executive Meeting packs. I also provide shared PA sup- port to the CEO when in London and the Non-Executive Chair- man. In addition I act as ambassador for SBG in London, and frequently provide ad hoc support to the Executive Team when visiting the London office.
Describe your relationship with the boss? I report directly into the CEO and we have a very good work- ing relationship. He is supportive and approachable, and trusts me to act on my own initiative. Our CEO is extremely busy and travels a lot, so it can be a bit of a whirlwind at times, but he
What do you love about your role? I absolutely love being a Personal Assistant and feel passion- ate about raising the profile of a PA’s role in general. In my cur- rent position, I am very fortunate in that I get to work closely with senior members of staff such as the CEO and Non-Exec- utive Chairman, Directors, Executives and Managers. I am made to feel part of the team, which is important to me.
What is the downside to your role? It is hard to find a downside to my role as SBG is a great com- pany to work for. The only one thing I would say is that being the only PA in London, I do miss the networking opportunities with the rest of the PAs across the business. However I am in the process of organising our very first SBG PA Networking event in London, which SBG has been very supportive of.
How do you hope your career will progress? Looking back on my career, one of my objectives was to become a PA to a board member or equivalent. I am really happy to have achieved that role so I feel my career is exactly where I want it to be at this moment in time. For the future, I hope to con- tinue to develop as an Executive Assistant and become a fully integrated member of the management team.
How many hours in your average week? I think a PA’s work can sometimes never be done and so for that reason it is hard to put a time against my average week. The most important thing for me is to be contactable and flexible even after the working day is done as that is often the formula for a winning relationship with your boss.
If you could pick another career, what would it be? If I could pick another career it would most likely be a doctor or nurse. I think PAs in general possess quite a caring nature and so something along those lines would be ideal! E
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