The Importance of Exploring Internal and External

Opportunities

Vivien Edwards

19th October 2016 Twitter: @cornerstone42_

Quick Introduction: Who am I

What type of admin are you?

Opportunities Definition:

•A time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something

•When was the last time you grasped the opportunity to do something in your career

Opportunity what does it mean •Chance

•Lucky

•Good time

•Golden Opportunity

•Favourable

•Opportune

•Opening

•Right set of circumstances

•Suitable moment

•Appropriate time

• Slot

•Turn

Internal Opportunities

Diary management Event planning Office management Budgets and Finance Travel arrangements Great communicator

Rush my work when pressured Public speaking I am not able to say no when overloaded

Project and Event management Prince2 course Interviews Training and development programme Devise a training a programme

Supporting too many managers Assistants are leaving but company not replacing due to budget freeze/Brexit

The lateral move: The positives

The lateral move: The Cons

• The Perception of lateral moves can be negative

• You are no closer to reaching your aspirations and goals

• With a promotion you tend to get pay rises with lateral moves it usually doesn’t happen

• You need to make sure a lateral move will not become a hindrance

Onwards and Upwards: Promotion

Re-evaluate Your Motivation

PA Personal Branding

External Opportunities

I want out: External opportunities

Exciting Times Ahead

Before Running Out of The Door

• Take your time AND think about you:

• What do you want to do next? The sky is the limit

Ask yourself this

• What do you want to achieve

• Create a list of career opportunities that you would like to explore

Before Handing in your resignation

• Wait and think about the following:

• What are you good at?

• What skills do you have?

• What industries would you like to work in?

• What responsibilities do you enjoy?

Action Plan

• Make a record of your achievements and accomplishments

• Decide on your career aims

• Work out what you need to do to achieve your aims

• Take a step by step approach to plan your future

• Consider further development

Action Plan

• Have a clear vision of your future

• It is important to know your strengths and talents that you can offer an organisation

• Keep up to date with changes in the work place and the profession

• Utilise your network

• Mistakes can and will happen, use the experience, learn and move on

• Be flexible, review your progress regularly and be willing to adapt and change

Skills and Abilities

• Team work

• Spoken communication

• Written communication

• Problem solving

• Time management

• Commercial awareness

• Taking initiative

• Decision making

• Flexibility

• Reactiveness

• Research

• Technology proficiency

External Opportunities

Understanding yourself: Skills and Abilities

• It is important to look at all the facets in your life

•Your work experience

•Education

•Extra curricular

•Voluntary experience

• Project management

• Creativity

• Languages

Source: LSE

Understanding yourself

Knowledge and Personality

Knowledge

•What expertise have you gained through your employment or education?.

•Think about how can this help you in your in your career move

Personality

•Think about your approach to life, toward working with other people

•How you absorb information and how you process and work towards tasks

Motivation and Values

• We are all different but there are a number of inner factors which influence what we need from our working life.

Remember what is important to you

• What do you value?

• What do you see as the bigger picture?

Interests & Culture

We forget: Your interests can be incorporated into your career Culture Fit: You need to be able to fit into the culture of an organisation

PA Personal Branding

Careers research

• Understanding job sectors and industries

• Understanding the different types of role of an admin

• Understanding of the organisation, culture and employees

The Job Hunting Tools

• Speaking to your line manager/HR department/colleagues • Internal vacancy careers board • External network/using your voice • Direct sourcing • LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Job boards • Specialist recruiters/head-hunters

Your Curriculum Vitae: Key points

• Your curriculum vitae mean ‘story of my life’

• Be relevant

• Layout and design

• Language

• Spelling and grammar

• Gaps in CV

• Truthfulness

Q&A and Comments