Even More Questions Answered

I am writing at another site while blogging here as well. I welcome questions at both places. It usually takes me a couple of days to answer questions, usually a week at the most. :) Thanks for your patience. Hope these answers help you.




Q:
You mentioned being headhunted consistently by Fortune 500 companies. Even though I am an EA with over 15 years of experience at the C-level, it seems that all the recruiting agencies I have approached still require an applicant to come in for an appointment to take their basic employment testing, and then only seem to be able to offer lower-level administrative jobs. How do I find a higher-level headhunting firm, or get the word out there without one?

A:
I do agree doing all those basic employment tests are a drag, but companies still feel it's safe to do it and a good way to weed out candidates.  You will see that aside from typing, Word, and Excel, some of the bigger companies will test you on logic, grammar, listening, putting together a budget, creativity, and more.  To find a higher-level firm, find one that specializes in either high net worth individuals or recruits C-Level executives.  However, it's much easier to get your name out their so they can find you versus you finding them.  Branding yourself well and maintaining your presence is the key.  How can you make yourself easily found?  Sign up with the major job hunting sites with your resume and profile, join social network sites geared towards work, and meet with every temp agency in town just to be safe.  Get as many recommendations on LinkedIn as you can and network with people and help them out.  It also means going on job interviews or meeting with any agency that calls you because they will often keep you in their database when the right job does come up.  And since the world is so small, all recruiters know other recruiters and try to help each other out.  Finding a job is very much a numbers game.  What is your unique selling point compared to all other EAs?  With only so many CEOs in town, there are only so many openings at any given time which is why you have to make yourself easily found online and thru word of mouth consistently. Another component to keep in mind is that are your 15 years of experience truly 15 years? If you've been doing the same job every year without any growth or increased responsibility, you really only have 2 years of experience that's been repeated 7 times. They also take into consideration which C-Level executive you assisted and at which company. Working for a CEO at a small business is not the same as working for the CEO of Disney or Pixar. Much like anyone can play baseball - are you playing in the high school league, the college league, amateurs, or are you playing for MLB? Yes, you are playing baseball, but are you a pro or in the little leagues? The amount of skill, pressure, stress, and problem solving differs at each of those levels. It wasn't until I worked for a huge, huge company that the rest of the companies started finding me. And once you're in, you're in. You have to take your career to the next level. How do you do that? Apply at a bigger company for a lower level executive, like a VP, SVP who will hopefully make the jump to President, etc. Don't be an assistant to a Director or Manager if at all possible. Or apply to be the 2nd or 3rd assistant to a CEO at a much bigger company even if you were the 1st assistant at a smaller company. In another answer, I reference 10,000 hours. The hardest part of excelling is getting to be the best and top notch. That will take a deliberate game plan and focus. Anyone can be good, but if you're asking these questions, it shows you have the drive to be great!


Q:
What's your educational background? Do you feel overqualified for what you do?

A:
I have a BA from a state university where I majored in Broadcasting. Believe it or not, some assistant jobs actually prefer you have an Ivy League degree even if they ask for a career assistant or to promote them up the chain. As to whether I feel overqualified for what I do... It might help to give a little background. When I was a teenager, I was already working part time jobs on-air or had clients who were 30-50 years older with very advanced degrees. Before I graduated college, I also did a lot of internships alongside well-respected people in the industry or at well-known companies. When I entered the workforce, my resume was already pretty lengthy so I didn't have to start from the very bottom. Over the years, I've been steadily promoted in regular intervals and given more responsibility so my career actually hasn't stagnated. Within a few years, I was being headhunted consistently by Fortune companies ranked in the top 50 since I had started my career working at Fortune-ranked companies. At times, it's not that I felt overqualified, but assistant/admin work to a degree is the same skill set utilized repeatedly without creativity injected. At the heart of it, you are organizing someone's day and business life. (Most other jobs revolve around a product or an idea in marketing, advertising, software, or what have you, that is constantly changing.) The daily grind can get quite repetitive with no end in sight at times. On the very worst day when boredom would set in from so much repetition, I wondered if I was actually killing brain cells and getting dumber. For an assistant who isn't rising in the ranks, or anyone who does have a degree, I think the perception is being an assistant is too beneath them. Why go to college if you will just be an assistant? The stigma of being an assistant coupled with the role being largely undervalued and under appreciated adds to that thought. I think anyone should have a degree if you can afford it without going into too much debt over it. Regardless of what you major in, if you can say you have a degree from a 4-year university it says a lot about your character. You can juggle studying, you can follow thru on a goal, you most likely work part time while having a social life, it means you're committed and invested in yourself. People can also show these qualities in other ways without going to school like starting a small business, etc. A BA will only improve your chances of finding work because the standard for getting a BA is the same everywhere. Everyone knows what is required to get one and how long 4 years is. This is why anyone who works at Trader Joe's must have a degree, it demonstrates a higher set of skills, thinking, and attitude. Studies have stated that the assistant is the most powerful person in the office because they are the gatekeeper and run the office. Because it can be a very behind-the-scenes role with "minor" duties that seem easy or unimpressive, it's often misunderstood that anyone can just come in to do the job. Finding the right assistant, that's outstanding, and one who is happy to be there is really really hard to find. There are only so many personality types or people that will thrive in this sort of environment. The very detailed, little tasks that assistants manage don't seem like much because 80% of the work is preparation, 10% of the work is while the event is happening, and 10% of the work occurs afterward. Most people only see 10% of what you do, until you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You're running an executive's life, you're saving him time, effort, money, energy, stress, and you're keeping him sane. He trusts you with his life and reputation. You're a mini-me, a clone, and help him run a multi-million or billion dollar dept or company. Without you he would be lost. The best attitude to have while being in an assistant role is to realize you are among some of the best and brightest minds of your company. It's an inside look on how decisions are made, companies are run, and how to sharpen your soft skills. I love my career which is why I've been doing it for so long.

Q:
Ever seen an assistant just lose it and walk out?

A:
I have not seen an assistant just lose it and walk out. However, I've heard enough stories. Some leave within a week or a couple of months and don't give the customary 2 weeks notice. They state that day is their last and come to find out they weren't the first nor the last to do so. Typically when an office/executive is that bad, it's a long string of assistants that quit and most are not surprised when it happens. If anything, they sometimes marvel at how long the assistant did manage to last. From what I've heard, the assistants did leave with class and their dignity intact. There's nothing worse than working for a horrible boss and throwing a tantrum just like the executive would on your last day. Why leave that as the lasting impression? If you're going to leave, be an adult about it and walk calmly with your head held high. Be the bigger person and don't gossip! When a situation is that bad, do everything in your power NOT to make it worse.

Q:
Do you think being an assistant is a necessary requirement to move up the ranks in executive hollywood, or is it paying dues just for paying dues' sake?

A:
Borclans asked a related question on 5/9/12 so you may want to see that one as well. The answer really depends on what kind of executive you want to be. While some do start out on the assistant track or in the mailroom, you have to be superb to make it thru the ranks. You can pay your dues by starting out as an assistant, but the surest way to your dream career is to do exactly what you want now, on your own dime and on your own time. The best ones create their own luck WHILE holding down a full time job. The most successful of the Hollywood elite - whether CEOs, Network Executives, Film Directors, or Executive Producers - carved their territory early on, made their mark while relatively young, and/or went rogue and truly did their own thing and started their own projects because that's what they do for fun. It is ingrained in them. And where they end up is really just a natural trajectory of where they began. If you ever read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers you'll see the concept of 10,000 hours reflected everywhere and Hollywood is no exception. 10,000 hours of precise, goal-oriented practice equals about ten years of working at one's craft whether it be business strategy and vision, visual and creative storytelling, or finding a great team of people to work with that compensate your weaknesses. You have to really really want it and breathe it and you can't imagine yourself doing anything else. You will die trying. You will be extremely committed to your career. You will not accept no for an answer. You will be constantly learning and growing within your craft and always feel thisclose to succeeding. That's when you know you are doing something right. Hollywood is filled with a million others wanting the same dream you have, it's filled with rejection and patience and people just as smart and creative as you. It's filled with people who are trust fund babies or who have great connections. Hollywood has no safe routes or guaranteed ladders to climb. It's true, a lot of agents start out in the mailroom. If you want to be an agent become great at meeting people and connecting groups of people to projects. Know how to network and be helpful. The best become partners in their own firm or the CEO. SOME studio executives or filmmakers have the assistant background. But the most successful studio executives went to great schools, had brilliant mentors, and amazing internships. They often come from a business/mergers background or in writing/publishing and probably got a graduate degree/MBA and joined a company on the lower rungs of management or mid-level of their craft right out of the gate. That all counts toward their 10,000 hours of preparation. Great filmmakers had buzz while in college, entered contests and garnered attention locally, perhaps even online. Again, they took the time to master their craft to satisfy their own curiosity and passion. The reality is, anyone with enough drive will just be happy CREATING along the way and the icing on the cake is the Oscar, becoming Chairmen/CEO, or signing a great deal. Many successful people come from humble beginnings and this is why the overnight success and being discovered is so coveted, unbelievable, YET believable. Whether you are 20, 30, or 40, if you start on your 10,000 hours today, you'll be further ahead than a great majority. Like Nike says, JUST DO IT.