Picture this: You're an ambitious EA wanting to enhance your skills through executive assistant training. However, your company offers minimal support beyond the basics. You wanted to learn more, perhaps cross-train in an adjacent department that piqued your interest... but there was an unspoken expectation: Development was your responsibility to figure out. Feeling stuck and unsure how to ask for the support I needed, I let opportunities pass me by. Sound familiar?
Breaking the EA Career Ceiling with Training
Too often, EAs hit an invisible barrier. Sure, there's the path to a senior EA role, but true growth is more than just a slightly fancier title. We want to develop skills that open doors to different, fulfilling paths within or even outside the traditional EA framework. This article is about taking charge and breaking through that ceiling. It´s all too easy to let the time pass and before you know it you´ve been doing the same thing for a decade and the boredom has well and truly set in. The key to a happy career is staying stimulated and the best way to do that is to ensure it doesn´t get stale. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and look into new skills, new projects and even new roles.
Owning Your Trajectory: Two-Pronged Development
1. Finding Executive Assistant Training Opportunities
RESOURCE LIST:
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP): Offers webinars, certifications, and a wealth of EA-focused development resources. https://www.iaap-hq.org/
Udemy/Coursera: Search for "Executive Assistant" and adjacent skills like project management, communication, or specific software relevant to your industry. These platforms provide a range of courses, from beginner to advanced, often at affordable prices.
Make the Case to Your Exec: Frame training as benefitting THEM. Can you become more efficient, tackle new tasks, solve their problems better? Emphasize the return on investment for the company.
2. Growth Beyond the Box
Interest Exploration: What else in the company intrigues you? Production, sales, etc.? Don't be afraid to explore areas outside your current role to discover new passions.
Skill-Swap: Barter knowledge with colleagues (maybe you're a whiz at Excel, they know the company's CRM inside-out). This is a low-cost way to gain valuable skills and build relationships.
Shadowing: Request a day observing another department to get a feel for their work. This can reveal potential career paths you haven't even considered.
Confidence: The Key Ingredient
Taking charge of your career path takes guts. Don't let fear of rejection or the "that's not how it's done" mentality hold you back.
RESOURCE LIST:
Lean In: Organization founded by Sheryl Sandberg, offering resources and a community focused on women's empowerment in the workplace. https://leanin.org/
Negotiation for Women: Online courses and articles geared towards helping women advocate for themselves, specifically in salary and promotion contexts. (Consider searching on platforms like Udemy). These resources can help boost confidence in asking for development opportunities.
[Book Recommendation]: "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" by Lois P. Frankel – A classic addressing common confidence pitfalls for women.
Small Wins Matter: Start with a small ask for development support. Each success builds the muscle for the next. For some examples of business case letters that can help with funding, download our free resources here or here.
Companies want EAs who take initiative. Don't wait for someone to hand you a roadmap - design your own. By proactively seeking growth, embracing a wide range of learning opportunities, and advocating for yourself – the only limit to your trajectory as an EA is the one you set.
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