Has anyone applied for and got a completely different job?

[Karbea]

I was in a previous life a social media marketing person, a local job has come up as an admin assistant, it would be a massive pay cut, but so local I could walk to it.
I've never done admin work, but it can't be that hard... Do you think they'd give me a chance?

There was a similar thread on here the other week.

I guess it depends on the organisation and who you would be working for.

I think admin jobs are a lot harder than people realise. I'm a PA so my work is in a similar vein. Most people I work with (men) are fairly disorganised so I have to keep my eye on the horizon of what is coming up to avert any nasty surprises. You need to be an expert at everything from fixing broken photocopiers to knowing formulas in Excel because everyone will come to you for everything. Add in to the mix that as an Admin you will have several people throwing work at you with little or notice. You will also have other people (you don't necessarily work for) trying to force work onto you. It can get very stressful and you need to be extremely assertive without upsetting anyone. I have developed the hide of a rhino over the years.

There are also fewer and fewer administrators so workloads are higher. It's all pretty thankless really.

Sorry, not trying to put you off but that is the reality. Lots of applicants with relevant experience for admin jobs so you need to make sure you stand out. I would stick with social media if I were you!

Best of luck if you go for it.