New job and nothing to do!

[Polarbearflavour]

I've recently (few months) started a new job in a very large, well known organisation. (Not being specific!)

It was meant to be a one to one executive assistant role to a very senior person. Instead, said person said they don't need assistant help. So I'm helping 3 other less senior managers with ad-hoc meetings, occasional travel bookings and running errands. It's more of a basic admin assistant job! I have nothing to do 80% of the day.

I have spoken to HR who are seeing if I can be moved. I have had one to one meetings with the managers to try and resolve. I ask for more work and get given photocopying, stationery orders or asked to fix the printer!

I have done mandatory training and found other training courses to attend. I have spent a day shadowing a private secretary.

In my last job I was PA to two senior managers. I ran their diaries and inboxes, acted as a gate keeper, dealt with budgets and HR issues, did expenses, planned complex meetings and conferences, did extensive travel bookings and planned their itinaries, travelled with them, did expenses, put together presentations and briefing packs, meeting minutes etc.

I feel seriously bored and demotivated!

I would spend the time applying for other jobs!

It's tricky - after I have passed probation I can apply for internal jobs across other Departments. There are currently 100 jobs I could apply for if I had been here longer.

It's a good place to work due to salary, performance related pay and bonuses, flexible working, pension and the ability to move into other functions and Departments and promotion.

Just so bored!

How long is probation? 6 months? Not that long to be bored, use the time to do training courses (external if they don't offer them - there are lots of free of charge MOOCs on the internet) and then apply for other roles.

If it's a good company with decent benefits then I would stick with it. Look for ways that you can add value. Monitor their inboxes and offer to do bits and pieces. As they gain confidence in you, they will offer you more. Once you've got through probation you can look at other jobs.

I completely sympathise though. PA jobs can vary massively and it is soul destroying to go from a really interesting involved 1:1 to booking hotels and travel for a team.

Ah, I have had this. I suppose you can't use the "working at home" excuse? How long until you pass probation & can cast around for another job? I resorted to doing citizen science at one point (no one could see my computer screen).

I cleaned & reorganised things. I fetched the milk & signed up for extras. I became the go-to person if someone else just needed to vent at work, I was the in-company ad hoc therapy. I went around & nosed my way into other people's projects. After 2.5 yrs of slow progress, one day my projects all boiled over at once & suddenly I am swamped(!). Oops.

Can you volunteer to take on some corporate responsibilities, join a working group etc. You would then get some - hopefully - interesting work and opportunities to network / raise your profile. Also, take this time to pursue training opportunities. I guess I know the type of organisation, if so, what about your entitlement to take some paid leave to volunteer?

I might start working from home one day a week as I used to in my old job.

One of the managers just emailed me saying he has around 5 hours of "proper work" next week to do on setting up learning and development for his team.

It's such a strange place to work as well!

If the other PAs do that then it's worth asking.

Why is it strange Polarbear?

Hey! I did a very similar sounding job as an EA for a c-suite role in a very large global retailer.

It was the strangest role I ever had but totally worth it. I just tried to make myself invaluable and demonstrate that I was a direct immediate resource available whenever needed. The C had 2 PA's already (personal and private) and as such I could pass relevant admin to them ( as that was how we three agreed to work) and remain available to pick up the more EA type juicy bits.*

I have no advice for you really though as every single person is different and therefore the people you work for will all have very different needs. Mine, as an example, was a super creative (and an extremely unorganised and erratic) person and as such I spent all my time adding value by providing support to the directors below them which actually really supported the C* to do their job better.

I hope you enjoy the role as much as I and the other EA s did.

Littlebrighton, you seem to have completely missed the point.

The op was took the job on the basis that it was a 1:1 role to a very senior person. She was expecting it to be like her previous job but probably even more involved.

In my last job I was PA to two senior managers. I ran their diaries and inboxes, acted as a gate keeper, dealt with budgets and HR issues, did expenses, planned complex meetings and conferences, did extensive travel bookings and planned their itinaries, travelled with them, did expenses, put together presentations and briefing packs, meeting minutes etc.

Instead, she is working for three more junior manager doing their ad hoc grunt work.

At the most, I've only ever know a senior person to have a PA who then has her own assistant so I have absolutely no idea how three PAs would work. I am vaguely aware of a large company who operates along these lines and always thought it was a bit of an odd set up. Was it in NW London by any chance?!

So sorry if I caused any offence, was only trying to be friendly. Was based in central London. Wishing you the best

No offence. You sound a bit bonkers tbh.

Thanks for the replies. I am now being given more work - project based stuff so will see what happens!

Hi LittleBrighton