My Journey of Resilience: Thriving as an Executive Assistant

In the fast-paced world of corporate leadership, the C-suite is where decisions are made, strategies are crafted, and visions are realised. At the heart of this environment stands the Executive Assistant, a role that requires not only efficiency and organisation but also resilience.

Resilience is the capacity to withstand adversity, recover from setbacks, and maintain equilibrium in stressful situations and environments.

I was in an exciting and challenging role, and doing a job that I really enjoyed, I had job security and fulfilment, but then it suddenly ended.

When I look back, it was my resilience that had the biggest impact for me over those next 18 months, and still sees me through to this day.

I was made redundant at the beginning of COVID and like so many thousands of others impacted in many different ways, we all had to be more resilient in our own way to navigate uncertainty and find opportunity.

Looking for a job in one of the toughest job markets I have known in my career, was hard. Knowing that I was one, up against thousands of others, often going for the same job. I felt it was me against thousands, sinking deeper in the sand. I have always been optimistic, a glass half full person, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. However, this time felt different. This time we didn’t know how long it would last, when it would be over - there was no timeline. That was exhausting in itself, never mind the job search. I had to dig deep and muster up all the resilience I could find in me. I believed in myself and knew there would be a job out there for me. For every decline for a job application I received, I had to build myself up again and believe the right job was around the corner. I only needed one job, but it needed to be the right job. Putting myself out there, showing what I was worth and maintaining my confidence levels has definitely attributed to my personal growth. Most importantly keeping my sense of humour when days were hard and never giving up!

I belong to the Strategic PA Network which is a fabulous network for EA’s, PA’s and all business support professionals across London and the South East . They were hosting their first awards event in 2021. The network encourages you to nominate your peers as well as self nominate, the latter is not something I have ever been entirely comfortable with. However, there is always a first time for everything.

“Believing in yourself is the first step.” Here began my self nomination process explaining why I believed I was deserving of the COVID 19 Resilience Award. My resiliency, persistency and adaptability during an extremely challenging time. During this time of searching for a job, I also spent the time seeking out opportunities to learn both professionally and personally which showed a growth mindset. I volunteered as an NHS Volunteer Responder during COVID during my job search. Giving back has an incredible impact on your wellbeing, confidence and empowers you which are all positive attributes you need to have during a job search process and also reasons why I believed I was a worthy finalist. In a previous role, my Executive said that I have a positive approach, developed successful relationships and was well respected among their leadership team. That makes me feel incredibly proud of the impact I have as an Executive Assistant.

So, through those 18 months, I adapted to change (having a job to no job), handled high pressure situations (interviews) and, bounced back from setbacks. Of course, during this time it’s important to build your resilience by having self care (I walked 10,000 steps a day for 5 months which worked out to me walking to Edinburgh and back, quite some feat), networking (I joined a number of groups and webinars where people were going through the same situation as me), embracing flexibility and, seeking support when needed.

I was beyond surprised to receive an email to say I was a finalist and had to submit a video explaining again why I believed I deserved the award. I was not sure I would be able to attend the event due to work commitments, but I am so pleased I did. I was a little late in arriving and sat down quietly in the back of the room. A short while later the awards ceremony started and my name was called out. I was beyond surprised and absolutely delighted and so incredibly proud. It is the first time I have won an award. One of the ladies sitting next to me commented about how no sooner had I arrived, I was up and receiving an award. I was just as surprised as she was.

So in summary, the resilient Executive Assistant is not only an efficient assistant; they are a strategic partner. Their ability to weather storms of a business or personal nature and adapt ensures that executives can focus on what matters most.

So, next time you interact with an Executive Assistant, remember the quiet strength behind their resilience.