Here at Convene, we’re excited to celebrate National Administrative Professionals Day and the 3 million U.S. workers who help keep their organizations running smoothly every day. Since 1955, National Administrative Professionals Day has been celebrated on the Wednesday of the last full week of April, which this year falls on April 26.
Too often, administrative professionals are the unsung heroes of their organizations, but we recognize how valuable they truly are. Administrative professionals juggle a wide range of tasks on a daily basis, including coordinating meetings, drafting memos, planning events, and much more. Frankly, many companies and executives couldn’t get along without them.
We talked to our own Jamie Park, who works with our CEO Ryan Simonetti, to get her insights on what it’s like to be an administrative professional:
How you would describe your role?
In addition to providing administrative support to our CEO, Ryan Simonetti and CTO, Patrick Conroy, I am also a member of our Corporate Operations team and support many of our internal communication initiatives (i.e. town halls and leadership meetings and offsites) as well as coordination with and communication to our Board of Directors. I support our entire Leadership team in ways that help them plan ahead and be informed. My role is multifaceted and always evolving to meet the needs of the company using my varied skillset and interests. I have the privilege of playing a small part of many different projects, which allows me to interface with many different teams across the business.
How did you first get into this line of work? What were some factors that drew you in?
I started off working at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel - during my seven years there I moved around a bit (Spa Concierge, Event Coordinator, Operations Assistant and then finally Assistant to the General Manager) and I realized that's what I really enjoyed doing; supporting others. My mom always taught and demonstrated giving and helping even if we couldn't and I've always carried that with me. So, I always took pride in helping and supporting whatever project or event or whatever initiative the hotel had. The satisfaction and pride that came with seeing something start as an idea and evolve into fruition was really great.
What are some of the most common misconceptions that people have about the role?
The #1 most common misconception is that we just get executives coffee and lunch and do the "menial" things every day. This couldn't be farther from the truth. We are trusted partners and keep many facets of the business running smoothly.
What is a skill that you've developed through hard work and grit while on the job that you're most proud of?
The ability to be anticipatory. This skill always changes based on the season, the person/team it impacts, and the goal. It affects how one adapts and how quickly they can.
What do you find most rewarding about your job, both professionally and personally?
The ability to grow within a company that truly supports me not for their own gain but for me as an individual. I've been so empowered during my years here at Convene professionally that I strongly believe it's molded me personally to become more confident, assertive, and vocal in who I am as a woman in all aspects of my life.
What strategies do you use to maintain work-life balance, and how do you ensure that your job doesn't take over your personal life?
I don't like to toot my own horn, but I'm quite good at time management and multitasking. This skillset has definitely helped me maintain my work-life balance but also it's the flexibility Convene promotes. I end every work day with a zero inbox (I really do not like the red bubble notifications), whatever comes in I'll discern based on what is coming up for the people and teams I support to determine if it needs to be addressed immediately or it can wait until the morning. I write down my to-do's for the week and the week after to ensure I'm always one step ahead. I also look ahead once a month for the rest of the year to ensure everything is up to date for the team for their planning purposes.
What do you believe is the key to being a successful and fulfilled administrative professional, both in the short and long term?
It all starts with yourself - It’s important to be cognizant of your own strengths and weaknesses and how you can always work to refine them. Having a plan to hone into them and actively ask for feedback. It's also honesty - not with yourself but with the people you work with and who you support; this is how trust is gained. Being an administrative professional is also being able to keep people accountable in a gracious way, we will often see things differently than others and it's important to protect those you support.
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out in a similar role as you?
Have fun! There can be a lot of pressure and stress in this role, but not a day goes by where I do not laugh. This is how we spend our days, so it’s important to make sure to enjoy what you're doing. Find like-minded team members who can keep you accountable and who you trust to be honest with you too. Give yourself grace, unlearning and learning takes awareness and time - don't rush or you'll drive yourself nuts.
Curious about who else works at Convene and what it’s like to work here? Check out our About Us Page and our Careers Page.
