I’m considering moving into project management, program management or even comms as half my title is comms lead as I write our annual report and management report for the CEO.
I hate telling people I’m an EA to CEO - people look down on me and assume I’m just a diary manager and yet I feel like I hold the company together ! I need to escape after 8 years working as an EA.
I’ve worked as an EA/ for the past eight years across media, health and insurance, and I’m now looking to take the next step in my career.
my role has naturally expanded well beyond traditional EA support including board and committee coordination, internal communications, and project managing one of our training programmes. However, as I work in a not-for-profit organisation, the scope of my responsibilities isn’t fully reflected in my current title or salary, and I’m now looking to move into a role that better aligns with my experience and progression goals.
I’ve realised I work best in roles with more autonomy and ownership, particularly where I can lead on projects rather than primarily supporting a single executive.
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or connections to reputable recruiters or individuals who specialise in helping EAs/operations professionals transition into more senior or broader roles. I’m open to roles in operations, governance, programme management, or executive/business support functions.
Thanks x x
I joined a leading psychotherapy org (moving out of media) to try a more human centred industry but boy did I seemly make a poor mistake.
I reached burnout as an EA to some leading media execs and was told to take a more gentle role so I took a pay cut and decided that this new boss seemed nice which he is however I’m younger than a lot of the 10-12 year serving old guard women who are senior management level and they are extremely territorial, undermine me, I get blamed for processes I wasn’t shown, when I lead on reports for the ceo they ignore my emails explaining the process they bypass and go to my exec and so I’m not communicated with but I get blamed for any small thing or it’s assumed it’s me as I’m seen as junior admin as I am 32 and anyone under 35 here is seen as somewhat entry level!!!
I have to vent but I’ve never seen such insecurity and poor organisational functioning anywhere else than in a non profit and the fact barely anyone communicates but they love to rule by hierarchy and defending their turf. I get spoken to like I’m slow even though I have 8 years of experience and have a degree and have worked in some very well known companies. I hate how entrenched older colleagues who are the old guard can literally make or break your chances of being promoted or … scapegoated, bullied out ….
These roles literally WELCOME bullying as we don’t sit in one team and my conflict avoidant exec still defers to the older entrenched staff even though I literally keep the org running…. A vent! But I wish I’d never gone into this work …
So I am EA to CEO in not for profit. I handle the following:
• writing reports and comms which go into board papers
• emails from him to company of 34 core staff and 100 visiting staff
• presentations to his international conferences
• agendas minute tracking for 6 separate committees
• inbox management and jumping in on his behalf
• writing and managing the development of our annual report
• diary management
I have 8 years experience, but I feel I get treated as entry level but I was told the role is managerial level - wth?! I need to pivot out of these roles man.
She’s in the US a lot and is from Australia but always on yachts is she a yacht girl ?