Answering Your Questions

I'm writing over at a new site and thought I'd share with you some of the questions I've been answering. Perhaps they will be useful to you as well.



Are the Hollywood exec types as nightmarish as depicted on Tv film etc, or is that all blown out of proportion?

A:
I've been extremely lucky and have NOT worked for anyone difficult or nightmarish - high standards and extremely fast-paced or high-pressure environments, yes. Mean or horrible people - no. I've built my entire career in Hollywood so I know it's unheard of. Sadly, some are not so lucky. There is a lot of ego, money, and reputation at stake in Hollywood so some of what you see and hear is true. It may not be as outlandish and over-the-top as depicted, but there is some truth to it. Whether or not it's fair or right that people behave rudely is not really the point as being a jerk is not illegal. The takeaway is, if you can ace working for extremely nightmarish people, you'll have a job for life as most others would sooner quit for greener pastures. Keep in mind - Hollywood is about great storytelling and Entourage, Swimming with Sharks, and The Devil Wears Prada didn't become popular because absolutely nothing interesting happens.

Q:
Is it true that the executive assistant role in Hollywood is often the entry-level position that can lead to mid-level of senior positions at a company? Compared to, say, a more corporate environment where an executive assistant's career ceiling is really only that of a more senior executive assistant?

A:
An executive assistant role is a great spring board to get your feet wet in the industry. However, you also have to know where you want to end up and work your way backwards. Any smart assistant will know within a few years how much potential they have to climb the ladder at a company. The shorter the amount of time you are an executive assistant, the faster you will rise as they will realize your smarts and talents are wasted being an assistant. How you network, how you brand and sell yourself, and how amazing you are as an assistant all play a factor. Very often, the job description will say up front if they want a career executive assistant. Or they will say they want people to be in the training program or how previous assistants have gotten promoted after a couple of years if they were the right fit. If you are an outstanding worker they will come to you with bigger projects, a better title, and discussions about your future. This is how you'll know. There will always be an amount of paying your dues and the corporate ladder environment. Your best bet is to start at a smaller company where you can wear a lot of hats or a new company that is just starting out. Be willing to do anything and learn a lot of different skill sets and software programs so you are indispensable. If you want to be a director, producer, or writer, being an EA won't help very much - unless you start out as a writer's assistant, producer's assistant, or a PA, etc, which are totally different avenues and only one way to break into the industry. As with anything in life, know where you want to end up so you know how to get there. If you don't know, try everything and learn what you DON'T like so you can make better decisions.

Q:
Are you expected to be accessible 24/7?

A:
Most often, EA jobs in Hollywood are 24/7. The reason is because production and executive's lives are non stop or they just work really insane and long hours. They also travel a lot all over the world. You will find the odd executive assistant role where your boss is lower level or is a really great family man so you will luck out. The best case scenario is they will tell you up front how long the hours are and/or expect to pay your dues the first few years of your career. 40-hour work weeks are rare, typically it's at least 45-50 hours. Anything above that up to 80-100hrs is not unusual. Being in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart, but it's also unlike any other industry!

Q:
How much of your time is spent working on your boss's work stuff vs PERSONAL stuff? Regarding the latter, can he/she even legally ask you to do those things (pick up dry cleaning, get a babysitter for the kids, etc etc?)

A:
I would say that 85% of my duties have been business related and the other 15% personal. However, that 15% was also about 10% work-related to a degree. For example, my boss would be a board member of another company or some personal events would overlap with networking. I've never heard of it being illegal to ask for personal errands to be run although sometimes it might not make a lot of business sense. Keep in mind, there are some jobs where the role is designed to be mostly personal work even though you are the executive assistant and not the personal assistant. It's up to you to figure out how much of the role is what. You can ask in the interview in a nice way. Executives are so busy that to go to one person for everything really makes their life easier. The most high-profile executives will have a minimum of two executive assistants. It's rumored Lorne Michaels has four. Or there is combination of having the EA, a personal assistant, a nanny, and a whole crew of people at their service from an estate manager, accountant to lawyer that you the EA will have to interface with. The newer and younger you are to the industry the more open you should be about doing SOME personal work. If you aren't, there is always someone else willing to do it, sometimes even for a lot less.

Q:
I've worked a few EA jobs and even though every boss sold me on the whole "I want to help you build your career" line, it seems like they all really just want career assistants no matter what they say. Do you agree?

A:
My experience has been a little different only because I've always enjoyed being an assistant and didn't care if I moved on to bigger or better things or just stayed put. There are those bosses that will promote you and help you out as much as possible. There are others who mean well, but never have enough time to mentor you. While you won't ever know until it's too late, try to find the boss that can already say they promoted their last couple of assistants after 2 years WHILE you are interviewing for the job. This is when you have the most leverage. If you are their #1 candidate, you have some power by how much they court you or negotiate with you. Tread carefully and speak humbly when you negotiate. Be clear that while you don't mind being an executive assistant, you will only commit to 2 years, but during those 2 years you need marked growth - a monthly lunch for mentoring, help finding a new job once the 2 years are up, an amazing reference letter, bigger and better projects, being able to go to meetings, events, or parties to network. Be specific on what you want or else there's no way to hold them to it. If you want a career change bad enough you'll find ways to do it without your boss' help - volunteering, doing your own projects on the side, taking a leadership role outside of work, but related to your career, reading on your own, taking classes in your spare time, meeting others in your same situation, etc... And understand, no one will care more about your career than you, so the power is within you.

Q:
Worst blow-up you ever witnessed from a boss?

A:
My war stories in this department are so boring it's almost pathetic. The worst blow-up I've ever witnessed is someone yelling and even that has only happened twice. To top it off, it wasn't even the same person. It was two different bosses and they were yelling at other people that I so happened to be present or they were so loud I could hear them from another room. This is how lucky I've been in my career. Now, other assistants, I'm sure they would have a tale or two...

Q:
What's your personal policy if a boss asks you to lie on his behalf? Like lying to a spouse about his whereabouts? Do you do whatever the boss says, or do you make it understood from the beginnging that you won't do that kinda thing?

A:
Luckily and surprisingly, I have never been in this sort of situation. I've never even paused to think about it. To answer your question - I'm not good at lying and don't believe in leaving my conscience at home while at work. To keep up a lie like that would consume me too much. This scenario is something that each person would handle differently. One defense can be, people's personal lives are their own business so what they do outside of work as long as it doesn't interfere with their work life should be ignored. Other people would probably much rather find a new job immediately while not burning bridges or gossiping about it. This is something you should think about while interviewing for jobs. When I interview, I'm pretty clear about what I'm looking for. At the appropriate time - like when they ask you things you didn't like about your last job or what you absolutely refuse to do this is what I say: I'm love learning, being flexible, supporting my boss and being extremely loyal. I can work for someone who has high standards or is very picky. However, I draw the line at doing anything illegal or immoral. All of my previous bosses have been extremely down to earth, personable, and NOT the nightmare boss, so I'm looking to continue my lucky streak. To me, having the right boss is very important. I'm looking for the right job, not just any job, so I can do by absolute best each day.

Q:
How much can the best of the best EA's earn in a year?

A:
The salary of an EA depends on what city you work in, how big your company is, and a zillion other factors that come into play just like any other job. The entertainment industry is mostly in Los Angeles, but pockets do exist elsewhere in the nation so you will see a fluctuation. Like any other field, the more experience you have under your belt the more you will get paid. It's not uncommon for an EA who has been in the industry forever and who works for someone very, very, very high profile to make a comfortable living - as if they themselves were a regular lower-ranking executive or part of management. Keep in mind, these types of executive assistants are very, very few and far between. Will you get paid mid-six figures as an EA - no. Is the job sometimes well-paying enough that it attracts those who don't want to climb the corporate ladder while reaping some of the benefits as if they were - yes. All in all, there's a part of you that has to want this job bad enough and love it enough to excel in it. Otherwise, sometimes the job can be a little challenging that most people only pursue it to pay their dues or be a writer on the side. It is never their life goal to grow up to be an executive assistant. Not that there's anything wrong with that...