“Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity”.

I have always considered that I have been incredibly lucky with my career progression and the CEO’s that have opened doors for me along the way, but if any of the amazing women I manage and mentor today said that to me I would scold them for not owning their success and taking full credit for the opportunities that they have created for themselves, so I will try and take a dose of my own advice when writing this.

Everyone’s career journey is unique, and more and more often we see these more fluid and lattice like trajectories, but I have always been a firm believer that the role of the PA is the best springboard into the corporate world.

When I think about the most successful PA’s I’ve worked with, they are always incredibly organised and able to multi-task like no other, have great interpersonal skills, able to manage difficult situations and conversations, keep calm in a crisis, excellent communicators, decisive, problem solvers, and some of the most trusted colleagues and advisors I know.

Today, I am a board member and chief officer at a tech firm and like to believe I’m still miles away from whatever the pinnacle of my career looks like, but my starting position was a secretary for a high wealth individual.

I was fresh out of college having done law, accountancy and business studies (sexy, I know) but with no desire to follow those career paths, and fundamentally I’m not a studious person so university was my idea of hell. I knew however, from previous part time jobs, that what I enjoyed, at its absolute core, was admin and being super organised. So, I completed a PA diploma – think, shorthand, speed typing, and a lot of Microsoft office – and got a job as a secretary.

I stayed less than a year. The job was slow, the culture was dusty, and one of the bosses was a complete creep who repeatedly asked me to ‘work late’. So that was that. ‘Luckily’ a friend of a friend made me aware that there was a PA role going at a local publisher. I was 18, and inexperienced, but the recruiter liked my style so put me forward – prepping me that I was the underdog. Anyway, long story short, I got offered the job in the interview and started the following week – boom. The ‘local publishers’ turned out to be a global publisher that was headquartered in Bath and had just been sold to a Scottish media firm so were experiencing rapid growth.  

I quickly realised that they had no HR or health and safety, so took the opportunity to get things in order and that was the start of it. I went from PA to Office Manager and then HR Manager, and by the time I left 6 years later I was the Head of HR for the umbrella companies ‘book’ division and had gathered an unbelievable wealth of experience and knowledge during that tenure.

Instrumental in this career defining leap was my skills as a PA, and our unique ability to identify and pro-actively fix a problem – what CEO wouldn’t want someone to say ‘hey, you know this thing over here, we’re not doing it and that could cause a risk to the business, do you want me to fix it’?

From there my career jump across various HR leadership and consultancy roles, expanding my experience across difficult sectors, industries, and sized organisation, eventually landing with my current employer and developing from a consultant to Head Of, to Director, to Chief Officer. And as I climbed the corporate ladder, taking on roles with increasing responsibility, the foundation laid during my time as a PA remained crucial.

Each new position required a deeper level of strategic thinking, broader organisational insight, and enhanced leadership capabilities. And my success and transition were possible because of the trust and relationships I had built, and the comprehensive understanding of the business I had gained.

I was able to take the skills I had learned as a PA (which when you write them down are much more reflective of the reality of that position) including:

• Operational efficiency: the ability to streamline processes and improve operational efficiency, a skill honed as a PA, became invaluable in management.
• Leadership: leading by example, I used my experiences to mentor others, fostering a collaborative and motivated team environment.
• Strategic planning: understanding the intricacies of the executive’s goals helped me contribute to and eventually lead strategic planning sessions.

*feel free to copy and paste onto your CV or as part of your next performance review!

Looking back to when I was at the start of my career there is no way I thought that I would be a Board member by the time I was 35, but I feel strongly that the skills and experiences gained as a PA were fundamental to my success. The role provided a unique vantage point, allowing me to understand the intricacies of the business, build strong relationships, and develop essential leadership qualities.

For anyone starting their career as a PA, remember that this role is not just a stepping stone but a foundational experience that can pave the way for your future leadership opportunities. Whether you stay in a pure PA role, which can be highly influential and highly paid, or deviate and take those stills and apply them to another ‘trade’, it really is up to you.

The key takeaway? Never underestimate the value of the PA role. Embrace it, learn from it, and use it as a launchpad for your corporate journey. The skills you acquire will be the bedrock of your future success.