Executive assistant jobs

[Ontheflipside_]

Hi all, I'm looking for advice on EA jobs.

I'm currently a Sales and Bid Manager and looking for a change. I have a degree in Event Management and have been in my current role for 3.5 years. I enjoy it, but sort of fell into sales after uni and want a change where I don't have to line manage anymore, but also don't want to take a massive financial hit. I'd be looking in London/ Sussex and would like a hybrid role. Is this likely with my background? I'd be looking at £55-£60k salary banding, is this realistic?

Thanks in advance

Good idea, thank you ☺️

I work in sales and spent the first 3 years of my career in an all male team of 40+ year old men when I was 22 and came in overachieving all my targets within the first 3 months and continued so far years whilst they barely scraped by, so I'm used to big egos 😂

I used to be an EA in investment banking and warned around that with around 10 yrs experience. But you have to be on call quite a lot out of hours. I worked for a big American investment bank

This is good insight, thank you! I definitely cannot take a 50% pay cut 😫

I'd say you need 10+ years experience as an EA to earn that around here (west of London). I'm not really sure what the starting salary would be as there are far fewer admin/PA jobs.

The assumption is that it's an easy job but to earn the higher salary you really need to know your stuff. You need to be really adept at having lots of different projects on the go, working at pace, being one step ahead and managing lots of different personalities. It's not for the faint hearted.

Working in a sales team with a load of men with your own targets is a very different job though. Even if you have a great relationship with your boss, you are still the underling as an EA. You can input/advise but if he or she wants to do something a certain way then you have to just say yes and make it happen. Those requests can sometimes be bloody unreasonable and put you under a lot of pressure. Very difficult to understand what that is like until you have done the job. Depending on where you work, you have to become adept at pushing back on people or you will drown.

I wouldn't say it's a great role if you want work/life balance. It also a bit of a dead end in terms of earning potential. Personally, I would go the PM route if I were you.

Thanks for your honest advice! Everyone has given loads of thoughtful feedback, so lots to consider. I'll definitely take my time and look into different avenues.

So hard to feel like you're trapped but not quite sure what your options are or where to go

Sorry but not a mission. With a degree and experience the top I earned was £34000 and the CEO was an absolute nightmare!!!! calling me at 11pm to demand I order her nail varnish 🤯 anyways I left the job and totally and utterly lucked out in a sales role and earned £90k last year working three days a week 9-5 and a 20 minute commute. Sales is amazing you just need to find the right area

Agree with other posters, it's extremely unlikely you will get that salary with no experience.

I have 20+ years experience, currently in Private Equity £72k plus 35% bonus, hybrid role.

EAs seem to be having a bit of a moment currently, going on some recruitment we did recently. Temps were on very good salaries.

I would suggest temping, although that might not offer the security you need but it would give you some experience and a way in.

What do you do 👀 in fairness I do like sales, and I am good at it, I'm just sick of line managing and our company has leaned out SO much throughout the pandemic, but our customer base has built back, it really all just feels a bit demoralising and the growth opportunities are no longer there. I also work in an industry where the products aren't expensive and you don't earn individual commission, it's all about company performance 🤦🏽‍♀️

Thanks for your reply. Ordinarily I would agree, my mum is a huge fan of temping for flexibility, but I can't risk that with the cost of nursery fees and everything else 😓

What do you like about your current job and what are you good at? If you can identify those it can help you to step in a different direction without taking a massive step down.

I suspect that you've looked at the salaries and thought that it's something that you could do. It's not too hard and you can step out of the office (or work from home) and finish on the dot. It depends on the role/boss/company but generally the jobs paying those salaries in corporates and banking will want their pound of flesh.

The very best PAs are super organised, great at herding cats, love cracking through never ending to do lists at pace, don't take any shit but are super diplomatic, don't mind changing things and redoing tasks because someone has changed their mind on a whim or has decided that they can't do that date (usually tomorrow) after all. You also need to be able to ignore the attitude that you are 'just the secretary' and are there to make the tea/file because unfortunately those outdated attitudes still prevail in some environments.

I think you will find it hard to get an EA role with no EA experience -

I am an EA on £55k but have been working in London as one for 20 odd years so lots of experience

it's hard work!