Category: Assistant Life

What does a Hollywood assistant need to do to earn a promotion?

10/26/2018

So you’ve been on a desk for three years and are confident that you’re a rockstar assistant. Your boss never yells at you anymore, and you’re even getting regular praise from him. Is it time for a promotion? Maybe. But being a great assistant isn’t going to be enough to get you there. Good assistants are a dime a dozen -- after all, there are plenty of career assistants who have been doing this way longer than you have. If you really want that promotion to coordinator, you’re going to have to stand out in a bigger way.

The first thing to remember as you’re striving for a promotion is that you need to figure out how to get noticed for higher level skills -- phones and calendar management are no longer relevant once you've moved up. Look at the job responsibilities of the person one level above you and start taking some of them on (this could work out very nicely if that person is also trying to get promoted -- she may be willing to hand off some of her duties to make room for her own higher level assignments). Find things that are outside the realm of administrative duties and learn to do them well. Maybe you’ve never been asked for your thoughts on a script or project, but that doesn’t mean you can’t share your opinion. At the very least, you could read/watch the content and have your notes ready to go in case someone asks for them. But if you have a really strong point of view and have cultivated your taste by reading and watching a lot of content, you may be able to impress a higher-up by offering your feedback in a humble way, even if you haven't been asked. Just keep in mind that you shouldn't offer unsolicited feedback until you have established a very solid rapport with your supervisor.

Secondly, you should find ways to take initiative. If you see a problem with the way things are run on your team, fix it. This could range from implementing some type of new organizational process that improves efficiency to generating a competitive report that will allow your department to develop content that will stand out in the marketplace. You could even find new projects or talent to bring in -- no one is going to stop you from getting coffee with potential writers or directors that could help make your team’s product stronger. If you can come up with a list of concrete accomplishments that are the result of you taking the initiative to get something done on your own without being asked, it will be hard for your boss to argue against a promotion.

As you develop yourself professionally, remember: You CANNOT let your current responsibilities slip. Your work as an assistant is essential to the daily functioning of your department, so administrative errors will be more noticeable than any achievements you may be making outside of your pre-defined role. Wait until your assistant duties have become second nature before trying to take on extra work. Your boss will recognize that you’ve put in your time and that you’re capable of handling a heavier workload, and only then will you get your promotion. And if there's no room for growth at your company, you can always position yourself to level up at a different company with your newly cultivated skills.

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The secret to becoming an indispensable Hollywood assistant

5/10/2018

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One of the most challenging aspects of assistant life is that your boss will never know how much work you actually do. Since you're there to make his life easier, you should make it your goal never to let him in on what happens behind the scenes — if you can keep something off his plate, do it. Your boss may never know that scheduling his lunch with an important contact took hours and hours of back and forth emails and calendar juggling, and that's a good thing, even though it's frustrating to do good work for little or no recognition. So how do you impress your boss if he's completely unaware of all the hard work you're doing to keep his life running smoothly? By becoming the go-to person for information. There's no better way to showcase your long-term viability as an employee than to be the person your boss can rely on to tell him anything he wants to know at the drop of a hat.

If you can stay on top of the calendar, phone sheet, and contacts, you’ll probably be able to relay a lot of information off the top of your head, which is great. But if there's too much to remember, have a system for finding the answers to simple questions very quickly (for example, you could bring your phone or laptop into a meeting so you have easy access to the calendar). But that's only half the battle. You've also got to have a solid strategy for finding information that isn't as readily available.

Sometimes you'll be asked for information that requires a little digging. This is when you’ve got to be resourceful. When asked a question you don’t know the answer to, respond with “let me check,” or “I will find out," and then check, find out, and report back promptly. Make it seem effortless. Never admit that you don't know the answer, or worse, that you don't know how to find the answer. Do whatever you can to figure out the information on your own, without asking others. If you simply don’t have knowledge of a company process and there's no written material you can comb through to learn it, ask another friendly assistant for help. Try to avoid asking others on your team, especially if it's outside of their purview. If you’re constantly pushing work onto your superiors, it will get back to your boss, and you won’t be able to maintain your image as a person who can magically produce information out of thin air (aka a rockstar assistant).

Strive to be the person that can come up with the correct information the most efficiently — it will set you apart from others and show your boss that you're indispensable. If your boss thinks you know everything, he’ll begin to trust you with higher level tasks relatively quickly, which is how you’ll eventually earn that promotion.

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How to make a good impression on the first day of a new job

3/22/2018

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You’ve landed a new role at a company you're excited about -- congrats! The stress of the job search is over, but don’t sit back and relax just yet. If you can make a good impression early on, you'll set yourself up for praise and promotions down the line and all the privileges that come with being known as reliable. Here are a few key tips for making a great first impression:

1. Show up on time. Usually, a supervisor or current employee will set a specific start time for your first day. Obviously, you shouldn’t be late, but it’s not a good idea to come in early either. Training and accommodating a new employee takes a big chunk out of a supervisor’s day, so you want to give her the time to respond to emails or whatever she does in the morning before you interrupt her workflow. After day one, show up on time -- and if you’re an assistant, try to get there 15 minutes early for a few months. It will demonstrate dedication and earn you a promotion much more quickly.

2. Dress up. Treat your first day like you’re going in for a job interview. You clearly made a good impression with the outfit you wore to your interview, so if you dress similarly, you’ll maintain that image in your supervisor’s mind. After the first couple of days, you can dress more casually (if it’s in line with the company dress code).

3. Take notes. Always carry around a notebook with you and write everything down. Supervisors do not like to repeat themselves, and you’ll be able to avoid this problem entirely if you’ve taken good notes. Plus, you’ll come across as prepared, organized, and driven -- if your new boss notices you scribbling down every word she says, she’ll think that you really care about your new position and want to do great work.

4. Meet other employees. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible on your first day -- it will help you make friends in the office and will ensure that people know who to approach when looking for information from your department. Your boss or another team member will likely introduce you to some other key employees, but go beyond that and talk to everyone you come across in the elevator, kitchen, or other informal settings. Sometimes your biggest allies are the people you meet on your first day.

These guidelines are all about setting up an image of a person that’s organized, responsible, polished, motivated, and friendly. If you follow the rules, you’re sure to have a great first day. And if you want to further solidify that impression, bring in donuts or cookies for your fellow employees at the end of your first week.

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What to do when you make a mistake at work

3/16/2018

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It sucks to make a mistake at work. And it’s also inevitable. For one, there’s a learning curve you’ll have to contend with at every new job, and with the many personalities and situations you’ll be juggling each day, something is bound to slip through the cracks at some point. You may feel totally horrible about yourself on one of those days and go home and eat a whole pizza, but there are a few things you can do to minimize the damage.

First, you need to own your mistake. Don’t get defensive or try to play the blame game. Acknowledge that something is wrong and show that you’re going to put your energy toward fixing the problem. Then, when the dust has settled, go back to your boss and apologize, explaining that everything is okay now, but that you recognize your mistake and won’t let it happen again.

Sometimes you will notice a mistake before your boss has. If you can fix it before he ever finds out about it, great, no harm done. But if it’s something that’s going to affect him, alert him to the problem yourself and have a solution ready to go. This will show that you’re being proactive and will help minimize anger.

The solution-oriented approach is always the best way to handle mistakes. This tactic also works when the mistake is not your fault. If you can come up with solutions to someone else’s mistake instead of blaming him and letting him deal with it, you’ll help that person save face, something he will remember and appreciate for a long time.

Always be the problem-solver in a bad situation. Don’t freak out, place blame, or give up and do nothing. By remaining calm and poised yet determined to fix a mistake, you’ll impress your colleagues and establish yourself as a reliable, trustworthy person.

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