Key Strategies For Admins Preparing For Their Next Career Step

Whilst you may be enjoying your present admin career position, it’s always wise to contemplate your future career aspirations. Ask yourself this:

• What’s the next step on my career path?
• Which kind of organisations align with my values?
• Who are the industry leaders I aspire to collaborate with?

The key to achieving these goals is being proactive and relationship-building. Here’s some tips on how:

Pursue Opportunities

Your dream role won’t come knocking. If you’re lucky, it might come in a job-alert email if you’ve signed up to one HERE on Admin Avenues. We suggest you also do the legwork. Identify companies that resonate with your values and passions. Look for any open roles that take your fancy and apply. Connect with one of the admins at that company and see if they would be open to a conversation or a coffee to ask about working at the company if you have questions. Don’t wait for opportunities to find you. Get out there and chase them.

Make Your Mark – Don’t Blend In

Gone are the days hoping to be noticed. I think we’ve all learnt by now, if you don’t stand out, nobody is going to notice all that hard-work you put into your role. Actively pursue opportunities and chances to enhance your visibility within your organisation. Make your mark in your department and don’t just blend in. Show them all what admins are capable of, and why we’re now seen as business partners, not secretaries anymore. Share these successes with your network. We are here to cheer your accomplishments with you.

Be Consistent In Updating Your LinkedIn Profile

A LinkedIn profile that hasn’t been active never looks good. We suggest you maintain consistent activity to keep up to date with what’s happening in the admin profession and to be seen interacting with the community. Try things like reposting or sharing insights, contribute to discussions, and post relevant articles related to our profession. Be sure to answer any comments or questions in the feed.

Use a professional profile picture. LinkedIn isn’t the platform to have a pic of you with a wine in your hand. This picture is showing prospective employers that you take this professional networking platform seriously.

Proactively connect with hiring managers from companies you’re interested in working with. When reaching out,be sure to personalise your message – it will make all the difference.

Engage in Networking Events

I can’t say this enough – join admin communities! Both in person and online. If you’re in Australia, Admin Avenues offers an invaluable network of admin communities from all over the country. You can access this list HERE. You can also join our global admin network – The Admin Collective HERE.

Stay active in online admin groups. These community groups often post about opportunities that are often not seen on other platforms. Attend events and conferences. These are fantastic opportunities to expand your network. Be sure to pursue training and professional growth opportunities. Advocate for your employer to support these endeavours financially by making sure you use your Learning & Development (L&D) budget. This can also be used to cover membership costs for Premium Memberships where you gain access to masterclasses, training and more like The Admin Collective. We have a business case template HERE.

Invest In You And Your Career

Committing just a few hours a week to implementing these strategies will yield results. It’s a worthy investment in your time and career future. Embarking on these strategies today, will pave the way for a fulfilling admin career journey tomorrow.

To all our admin community members reading this, remember, every interaction is an opportunity. Let’s make the most of them!