HEA
Los Angeles, CA
Female, 0
High-Level Assistant to Chairmen & CEOs of Fortune 100 Companies & Hollywood Executive Producers. Ask me anything! "Like" my answers, especially if you submitted the question so I know you read it! :D Thx!
I would say that 85% of my duties have been business related and the other 15% personal. However, that 15% was also about 10% work-related to a degree. For example, my boss would be a board member of another company or some personal events would overlap with networking. I've never heard of it being illegal to ask for personal errands to be run although sometimes it might not make a lot of business sense. Keep in mind, there are some jobs where the role is designed to be mostly personal work even though you are the executive assistant and not the personal assistant. It's up to you to figure out how much of the role is what. You can ask in the interview in a nice way. Executives are so busy that to go to one person for everything really makes their life easier. The most high-profile executives will have a minimum of two executive assistants. It's rumored Lorne Michaels has four. Or there is a combination of having the EA, a personal assistant, a nanny, and a whole crew of people at their service from an estate manager, accountant to lawyer that you the EA will have to interface with. The newer and younger you are to the industry the more open you should be about doing SOME personal work. If you aren't, there is always someone else willing to do it, sometimes even for a lot less.
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There are two things that drive me absolutely crazy that are the same answers from two different perspectives. Kevin Smith had a great story about this in his latest Q&A DVD about when he was working for Prince. Prince wanted llamas or some exotic animal at 2am and wanted his assistant to take care of it, but obviously at the hour nothing is open. I will go above and beyond the call of duty, but sometimes the answer will be no. When executives usually get what they want, and they should, it's hard to get them to accept that I can't control people/companies no matter how many times I try or brainstorm for a solution. It's like that part in The Devil Wears Prada when all the planes are grounded due to weather and she wonders if she can call the military so her boss can catch a flight. I can't force people, I can't change the weather and I can't [insert dilemma here]. In those rare instances, that shouldn't be a reflection upon me or my talent. It's just a fact of life that sometimes there is no fair or ideal solution. I would like to think that because I'm able to solve 99 of my boss' problems (and a _____ ain't one - - Jay-Z anyone? LOL), the one I can't solve totally throws them for a loop!
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Believe it or not, while some EAs do hold tremendous power, because travel is a very expensive and uncomfortable aspect of business, many executives or companies are very specific on what is or isn't allowed and which airlines they will or won't fly. Unlike catering or gifts where the EA has a lot of decision-making power, travel is usually dictated by the powers that be. Most large companies have in house travel department or a pre-approved vendor and agency list. Smaller companies are so poor they use Expedia, Kayak, or Southwest Airlines. For event planning needs, the EA, admin assts, HR, and Facilties and Operations usually chip in and help. Large companies have depts dedicated solely to event planning and they only hire vendors for red carpet, lighting, catering, and furniture. You will have a bit more luck if you truly have a niche company with helicopter or private jet rentals since there is less competition. It's best to reach out to the EA, CEO, and the travel or vendor dept. What I can share with you is why and how I choose my vendors and which ones make a great impression. 1) Make my life easier. Business happens at an ungodly fast and slow rate. Decisions needed to be made 2 weeks ago and I'm scrambling for an answer, a decision, approval, and the money. There is also never just 1 plan, there are at least three or five. It's hard for vendors to make exceptions and to hang in there, but when they do, I love them. It's not uncommon for you to get a deposit, then the full amount at the event or even after the event. Or maybe you go the extra step. For example, maybe if I needed car service, but my boss needs his morning coffee, you'll have the drive get the coffee at Starbucks for us first before pick up and charge us for it so my boss doesn't have to go in and wait in line. Sure, you're a travel company, but helping out in little ways makes all the difference. 2) Personalize the experience. Realize anyone that uses your services is a connection to more business. Or anytime you are out and about a party, everyone there is a potential client. I once went to a new restaurant and got such impeccable service it was almost weird. The host greeted us by name and asked for everyone else's first names too. The GM of the place was summoned and shook hands with each individual. They took my coat and folded it neatly. They came to check on us a lot. The strange part is, I was not there for a business mtg at all, but they did that with all of their customers. And as an event planner and EA myself, I will remember that venue. It was obvious they wanted to give that "Cheers" feeling where everyone knows your name. You can offer to take out potential clients to lunch so you can give your sales pitch then or offer to come in for a mtg to their office. 3) Offer an introductory free samples or a great discount. A lot of the times when we don't choose a vendor it's for outer lying reasons like the vendor is too far, it's not the right theme, we have too many people or too few people. Price does matter too, but for us to even consider a vendor we usually want to find someone that serves our immediate needs. We also keep a list of vendors we always want to use or consider for the right party, event, or meeting. This is why you should give free samples or a great discount and keep in touch with clients at least once a year via a personal email. For a travel and event company, perhaps you can offer the highest priced service or menu at the 2nd highest pricing level instead. Or drop off an assortment of desserts that you would serve at a party that would feed 10 people so all the decision makers could try it. This will help you get your foot in the door and be on people's minds once the right event comes along. 4) Make your company searchable. 9 times out of 10, whenever I need to take care of task, the first thing I do is Google it, look for it on Yelp, or look on LinkedIn. Then I call and email every vendor. The first who gets back to me and who is the nicest, most timely, reliable, and reasonable will be my first choice. It's very shocking when I reach out to a company and NEVER hear back, even if I try again. Other times I will get a response 2 weeks later when my event is already over. Timing is everything. 5) Don't just seek out EAs. Travel and event planning is handled by admin assistants, dept assistants, coordinators, project managers, production assistants, producers, production coordinators, wives, estate managers, nannies, personal assistants, husbands, managers, directors, executive producers, and associate producers. At every company, there are probably a few people you could reach out to. Cast a wider net! "Like" my answers, especially if you submitted the question so I know you read it! :D My own blog can be found at musingsofahighlevelexecutiveassistant.blogspot.com/
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An executive assistant role is a great spring board to get your feet wet in the industry. However, you also have to know where you want to end up and work your way backwards. Any smart assistant will know within a few years how much potential they have to climb the ladder at a company. The shorter the amount of time you are an executive assistant, the faster you will rise as they will realize your smarts and talents are wasted being an assistant. How you network, how you brand and sell yourself, and how amazing you are as an assistant all play a factor. Very often, the job description will say up front if they want a career executive assistant. Or they will say they want people to be in the training program or how previous assistants have gotten promoted after a couple of years if they were the right fit. If you are an outstanding worker they will come to you with bigger projects, a better title, and discussions about your future. This is how you'll know. There will always be an amount of paying your dues and the corporate ladder environment. Your best bet is to start at a smaller company where you can wear a lot of hats or a new company that is just starting out. Be willing to do anything and learn a lot of different skill sets and software programs so you are indispensable. If you want to be a director, producer, or writer, being an EA won't help very much - unless you start out as a writer's assistant, producer's assistant, or a PA, etc, which are totally different avenues and only one way to break into the industry. As with anything in life, know where you want to end up so you know how to get there. If you don't know, try everything and learn what you DON'T like so you can make better decisions.
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Wills and Estates Lawyer
Can I leave everything to my pets?
Movie Theater Employee
Why is movie theater food so overpriced?
Antiques Dealer
How easy is it to forge a rare piece, and are fakes a big problem in the antiquing world?
Most often, EA jobs in Hollywood are 24/7. The reason is because production and executive's lives are non stop or they just work really insane and long hours. They also travel a lot all over the world. You will find the odd executive assistant role where your boss is lower level or is a really great family man so you will luck out. The best case scenario is they will tell you up front how long the hours are and/or expect to pay your dues the first few years of your career. 40-hour work weeks are rare, typically it's at least 45-50 hours. Anything above that up to 80-100hrs is not unusual. Being in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart, but it's also unlike any other industry!
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My war stories in this department are so boring it's almost pathetic. The worst blow-up I've ever witnessed is someone yelling and even that has only happened twice. To top it off, it wasn't even the same person. It was two different bosses and they were yelling at other people that I so happened to be present or they were so loud I could hear them from another room. This is how lucky I've been in my career. Now, other assistants, I'm sure they would have a tale or two...
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Borclans asked a related question on 5/9/12 so you may want to see that one as well. The answer really depends on what kind of executive you want to be. While some do start out on the assistant track or in the mailroom, you have to be superb to make it thru the ranks. You can pay your dues by starting out as an assistant, but the surest way to your dream career is to do exactly what you want now, on your own dime and on your own time. The best ones create their own luck WHILE holding down a full time job. The most successful of the Hollywood elite - whether CEOs, Network Executives, Film Directors, or Executive Producers - carved their territory early on, made their mark while relatively young, and/or went rogue and truly did their own thing and started their own projects because that's what they do for fun. It is ingrained in them. And where they end up is really just a natural trajectory of where they began. If you ever read Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers you'll see the concept of 10,000 hours reflected everywhere and Hollywood is no exception. 10,000 hours of precise, goal-oriented practice equals about ten years of working at one's craft whether it be business strategy and vision, visual and creative storytelling, or finding a great team of people to work with that compensate your weaknesses. You have to really really want it and breathe it and you can't imagine yourself doing anything else. You will die trying. You will be extremely committed to your career. You will not accept no for an answer. You will be constantly learning and growing within your craft and always feel thisclose to succeeding. That's when you know you are doing something right. Hollywood is filled with a million others wanting the same dream you have, it's filled with rejection and patience and people just as smart and creative as you. It's filled with people who are trust fund babies or who have great connections. Hollywood has no safe routes or guaranteed ladders to climb. It's true, a lot of agents start out in the mailroom. If you want to be an agent become great at meeting people and connecting groups of people to projects. Know how to network and be helpful. The best become partners in their own firm or the CEO. SOME studio executives or filmmakers have the assistant background. But the most successful studio executives went to great schools, had brilliant mentors, and amazing internships. They often come from a business/mergers background or in writing/publishing and probably got a graduate degree/MBA and joined a company on the lower rungs of management or mid-level of their craft right out of the gate. That all counts toward their 10,000 hours of preparation. Great filmmakers had buzz while in college, entered contests and garnered attention locally, perhaps even online. Again, they took the time to master their craft to satisfy their own curiosity and passion. The reality is, anyone with enough drive will just be happy CREATING along the way and the icing on the cake is the Oscar, becoming Chairmen/CEO, or signing a great deal. Many successful people come from humble beginnings and this is why the overnight success and being discovered is so coveted, unbelievable, YET believable. Whether you are 20, 30, or 40, if you start on your 10,000 hours today, you'll be further ahead than a great majority. Like Nike says, JUST DO IT.
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