Hear Directly From Them

The expression "a man's world" is one that's been frequently used, but within the realm of the administrative profession, the dynamics can appear quite different. 

In an industry predominantly occupied by women, male administrative professionals bring a valuable and unique perspective to the table. Male administrators have the opportunity to challenge stereotypes, promote diversity, and make positive contributions to the growth and advancement of the profession. Did you know, originally, male professionals dominated the admin profession? Be sure to checkout the History of the Admin Profession article.  

Exceptional Admins had the pleasure of featuring three administrative professionals on the EA podcast (with more to come). Below, you'll discover some snippets from their episodes. After each excerpt, you'll be able to listen to their respective full episode. Get ready to dive into their firsthand experiences. These conversations are sure to be enlightening.

Jeremy: Q&A Excerpt

What characteristics are you seeing in assistants that stand out? “The essential characteristics I see in assistants are things like handling confidential info and being loyal. Some game-changing characteristics would be having humble confidence and the ability to discern.” 

What would you do to challenge an assistant to become a confident leader? “One, you can have experience. More experience gives you more confidence. Also, what I call ‘deep rooted confidence’, remembering that you’re a valuable human being no matter how well or poorly you perform at work or what other people say. We must remind ourselves that these things are not what dictate our value.” 

Brandon: Q&A Excerpt

What is your advice to an admin professional afraid about asking for professional development from their exec? “I would say that you have to show the ‘why’. Explain how it can help not only you, but the whole department, the organization. Don’t be afraid, because at the end of the day, this is your career, this is your life. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.” 

How do you build trust with your exec? “I would say have open and honest conversations and don’t sugarcoat anything. Tell it like it is. Don’t only build a professional relationship, but a friendship as well. Have respect and be consistent.” 

Alan: Q&A Excerpt

What is one piece of advice you’d like to give the listeners to help them move forward in their career? “Always be a student. Always try to be an expert at everything that you can be an expert at, but rely on others when you’re not. We can’t be the experts at all things, but we can be the masters of a lot of things.” 

What do you love about being in a supportive, yet highly impactful role? “We are the storytellers of an organization. We touch everything as EA’s, which I feel gives us a lot of power, a lot of clout and a lot of voice which gives us a strong seat at the table. I love that we are at times the sidekick and the narrator simultaneously of our organization or our leader.”