How to Navigate the Job Search

On the hunt for your next role? EA and ASAP Advisory Board member Katie Hendrickson provides her job search and application do’s and don’ts.

Recorded at EA Ignite Spring 2024 and produced by the American Society of Administrative Professionals - ASAP. Learn more and submit a listener question at asaporg.com/podcast.

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Leah Warwick: Hi, everyone. I'm Leah Warwick, and you're listening to "The Admin Edge." We're back with another episode recorded at the American Society of Administrative Professionals (or ASAP) event called EA Ignite, held this spring 2024 in Nashville, with Peyton Ticknor, ASAP Advisory Board Member, interviewing another ASAP Advisory Board Member, Katie Hendrickson. Katie and Peyton's conversation is about looking for a job and continuing to grow as an administrative professional today.

00:00:40                     

Peyton Ticknor: Hi, I'm Peyton Ticknor, Administrative Officer for ASAP's Advisory Board, and my guest today is Katie Hendrickson, who is also an ASAP Advisory Board Member, and serves as the Executive Assistant to the President and COO at AIT Worldwide Logistics. Welcome to the podcast, Katie.

Katie Hendrickson: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Peyton Ticknor: So we're going to dive into navigating the job search for administrative assistants. I know this is something that you recently did, so you have a lot of tips about that. We'll jump right in. What are the key skills and attributes that you believe are essential for success in an administrative role today, and how can candidates best demonstrate these in their applications?

00:01:22                     

Katie Hendrickson: That's an excellent question. There's quite a few different key skills and attributes that you have to look at, but I'm going to kind of blaze through a few of 'em and say, real quickly, "Here's how you can apply them."

I think, first and foremost, organizational skills. I think that's really key for any admin, to be able to manage multiple tasks and projects and prioritize effectively and maintain systems of organization.

00:01:47

You can really demonstrate this by detailing the specifics systems or tools that you've used to keep organized, or by describing a real complex project that you've managed and putting that right in your résumé. 

Next, I would say is communication skills, making sure that there's effective written and verbal communication. That's really key to the administrative role. In order to showcase this, you should ensure that both your résumé and your cover letter are immaculately written and really should be prepared to go into an interview and share examples about overcoming some difficult situations with your communication skills. Those are my top two. 

The next I think is really the big one right now: technological proficiency. There is, of course, the familiarity with the basic office software, Microsoft and Google. A lot of us are having these virtual communication tools, like Zoom or Slack, but it's also increasingly important to be able to utilize a variety of AI tools. 

00:02:48

On your résumé, you should really list all of the relevant software that you are proficient in right in your skills section, and then be prepared in your interview to discuss how you utilize them in your role. 

Part of that goes into the next one, which is problem-solving skills – really the ability to anticipate problems and devise effective solutions. You really can demonstrate this skill by ensuring that your application materials are error-free and by describing the tasks or projects where attention to detail was essential. I made that mistake. I applied to quite a few organizations without realizing that the dates on my work history were incorrect. And guess what? I got zero interviews. 

Peyton Ticknor: Wow.

Katie Hendrickson: Yeah. I have made the mistake of reusing a cover letter where, in the cover letter, I was applying to a certain company, and I didn't even remove that company when I sent the cover letter. I just went to my documents, I saw "cover letter," and I thought: “Oh, it's a cover letter for an executive assistant role. I'll submit it.” And it was tailored to that company. Did I hear back? Absolutely not. But you need to double-check those things.

00:03:56

As an administrative assistant, we are supposed to make sure that our work is error-free, and attention to detail is very important. 

Peyton Ticknor: Absolutely. Could you share some effective strategies for networking within the field of administrative work? And how has networking impacted your own career?

Katie Hendrickson: Yes, absolutely. I would say, first and foremost, social media is going to be your best friend when it comes to networking. Obviously, we have LinkedIn. It's a great place to interact with people and connect with other administrative professionals either in your current industry or in other industries. There's various Facebook groups that you can join. I personally like State of the Executive Assistant. I enjoy all of the back and forth you can get and the different perspectives there.

Also, a lot of people don't know this, but ASAP has a social media site called The ASAP Circle that you can access through ASAPorg.com. That's a great place to connect with the individuals that are actively seeking out the mentorship and the learning opportunities, professional development, that we have here. 

00:05:02

I would also say, request to join mentorship groups and have mentorship meetings, both inside and outside your organization. If there's somebody in your organization that you look up to and want to be the next them, tell them that and say, "Hey, I'd love to meet with you for lunch once a month and learn from you." 

And also, of course, join professional organizations like ASAP. There's a lot of opportunities to learn and grow through the webinars that are presented online. 

I would also say it's really important to attend in-person development offerings. 

Peyton Ticknor: That was where I was going to go with that. I think some of my most genuine connections have been the in-person interactions. Being here this week at EA Ignite, just bumping into someone at breakfast and sitting down and looking at their badge and saying, "Oh, you live in the Southeast, too?" You just hit it off, and then immediately you go to LinkedIn and you connect.

00:05:54

I think those are some of the most – the organic networking moments are so critical now that we've kind of passed that COVID-scared barrier here. 

Katie Hendrickson: I agree. And, actually, speaking about breakfast, that goes into kind of a way that networking has really impacted me and my career. It was at EA Ignite in 2022, which was hosted in Dana Point, California, and I got to connect with a lovely individual named Melissa Peoples. I sat in on her session that was talking about executive workflow optimization.

I really wanted to get to know more from her, so I took it upon myself. I was brave, I had courage, and I approached her at the mixer that night and asked if she would be open to having a one-on-one conversation with me. Then we agreed to have breakfast together the next morning, so I shared with her my insights about how my executive and I work together, about the new role that my executive was stepping into, and shared with some of the questions that I had. 

00:06:51

Because she is an expert in executive operations, she was able to really not only give me some personal tips and tricks, but also encouraged me on some exercises I could do with my executive to ensure we were streamlining out our work. I then was able to bring that information back with me. When me and my executive implemented it, it completely revolutionized the way that we were operating together. 

Because of that opportunity to connect with her one-on-one and networking with her, I'm now part of her coaching group. I've stepped up my game professionally, and now I've joined the ASAP Advisory Board. I recently just launched my own website and really can see how I'm advancing in my professional goals. 

Peyton Ticknor: Wow, you've really come a long way. And you're pretty new in the admin field, right? How long have you been in the admin field?

Katie Hendrickson: Eight years now. But I will say I am a very proud, third-generation administrative professional, following in the footsteps of my mother and my grandmother. My grandmother was a school secretary in the 1960s, and my mother was an administrative professional for the California Bar Association back in the 1980s, so I'm very proud to continue on with their legacy.

00:08:02                     

Peyton Ticknor: Awesome. So, what are some common mistakes that you see candidates make in their job application or interviews or positions, administrative positions, and how can they avoid these pitfalls?

Katie Hendrickson: Yes. There are a lot of mistakes, including not having the correct dates, like the mistake I made. The first mistake that I see quite a bit is people including their photos in their résumé when it is not required for that type of role. Obviously, there are some industries where it is required. Maybe it's modeling. But typically, as an administrative professional, that's not what we need to see. And actually, when you do that, you are taking away the hiring manager's ability to remain unbiased and not make a judgment on you based on how you look. So, I would always recommend: do not include that photo. You want your résumé to speak for itself.

00:08:48

Second, not updating your résumé or cover letter to match each role. You want to make sure you create a baseline résumé and a baseline cover letter, so when you throw it into an AI program, such as ChatGPT or EABuddy.com, and then add the job description in there, it will actually tailor your résumé and your cover letter to match what is being asked for.

So while you may say in your résumé "managed," what they're looking for is "operated as." It'll switch those words for you to ensure that your résumé and cover letter are getting through those AI filters. 

Those AI filters, they are really looking down at words. Another mistake that I made was my first résumé was created in Canva and downloaded as a PDF. What I did not know was that as it downloads as a PDF, it's not as a document; it's as an image. So, it's trying to read it as an image and it couldn't actually read the information on there, which is probably why I was overlooked for quite a few different roles. 

00:09:59

Ultimately, one of the largest mistakes that is made with job applications (specifically for administrative professionals) is not applying to roles where the administrative role may meet 60% or more of the qualifications. 

It's a fact that the administrative profession is predominantly female. The Harvard Business Review reported back in 2014 that women tend to only apply for jobs that they meet 100% of the requirements, while men tend to apply if they only meet 60%.

I would encourage you, even if you don't meet every single requirement, [to] still apply. Something my mom always says is: "The answer can't be any more 'no' than it already is, so you might as well try." 

Peyton Ticknor: Absolutely. I love that advice. I have had that problem myself. I'll read a job description and I'll say, "Ooh! Well, I haven't actually managed a team of admins," but until I try for it and actually am given the opportunity, I'm never going to have managed a team of admins.

00:11:00

You might as well. I'm an administrative officer on the board, so that could be – I don't manage the board, but it's a leadership role, so you could sell that as: "I haven't managed my own team, but here's what I have done." So, yeah, absolutely. Apply for those. You have to grow. 

Katie Hendrickson: Exactly.

Peyton Ticknor: Can you provide any advice on how to effectively research and choose the right organizations to apply to as an administrative professional?

Katie Hendrickson: Yes. So, first and foremost, you found a job posting. Maybe it's LinkedIn. Maybe it's Indeed. The first question you should always ask is: Is this legitimate? We live in a world full of scammers. I have recently seen a huge uptick in fake jobs that are targeting administrative professionals.

00:11:54

There's really a few different ways that you can know whether or not that job posting is legitimate. First, I would actually look at the company's website. Check out their reviews on Google, Yelp, Glassdoor. Do they actually exist? And does it actually look legitimate? Look them up on LinkedIn and see who lists them as an employer. If the website claims they have multiple office locations or a bunch of different employees and only two people are claiming them on LinkedIn, that should give you some cause for concern. Check their social media presence. Does it look like their social media was created one day and everything uploaded in one day? That's a huge red flag. 

If you've applied and an organization automatically says, "You're hired!" without an interview, or if they're only going to interview you via text, it's a scam. 

Peyton Ticknor: Absolutely.

Peyton Ticknor: I have actually had that happen to me in the past, where I applied for a position and it was posted on LinkedIn. I actually did look into the company, looked into all the people that I could find on LinkedIn that worked for the company, sent in my résumé. Within hours, I got an email back saying that I was being offered the position and that they would like me to start in one week.

00:13:03

It was a huge red flag for me because they never interviewed me. I had just applied. You never hear back within hours. I was like, this is a little bit strange. So, I just ignored it and deleted it and moved on. But somebody who might be unemployed and who might be desperate for a job could fall into that pitfall and get scammed. 

Katie Hendrickson: Yes. And that's why it's so important to have really a network of individuals where, if you get something and you're questioning it, it looks too good to be true, get another pair of eyes on it. Post it in that Facebook group and say, "Hey, everybody. I just got this. I feel like it's a scam. What do you think?" And you're going to get more eyes on it and more people to speak into it.

00:13:44                     

Peyton Ticknor: Absolutely. Well, let's go into our listener question here. We received a question from an anonymous executive assistant who is currently job seeking, but having limited success. She says, "In the past and currently, I'm searching and applying for positions, mainly on LinkedIn, Indeed, ZIPPIA, and Glassdoor. Are there any other job boards that would be helpful for admins, specifically executive assistants, to pursue?"

Katie Hendrickson: Yes. That's where the great gold is. I would mainly focus on LinkedIn and Indeed, but there are some great resources out there. One is Robert Half. They're really great. You can do a Google search as well. What you can put in is your hopeful job title, the word "recruiter" and then the city or area that you live in. So, for me, that would be "executive assistant + recruiter + Los Angeles." When you do this, you will actually find local companies that specialize in recruiting in your field in your area.

00:14:47

Additionally, another way that you can really attract those recruiters that are looking for you and for your job function is using the "Open To" function on LinkedIn. When you open up your LinkedIn profile page, look under your profile photo. There's an "Open To" button there. 

00:15:06

When you select that you're open to finding a new job, you can add what kind of job you're looking for, fill out all the additional information. Then, if you're conducting a confidential job search, if you're currently employed and don't want anybody to know, you can select "recruiters only" so that only recruiters that are outside of your current organization can see it. 

When you set this up, be prepared to get inundated with messages and offers from recruiters. 

Peyton Ticknor: And some scams.

Katie Hendrickson: And some scams. You're going to have to work through that, but you'll have a recruiter that'll reach out and say, "Hey, I see your background. I see you're open to work. Here's an opportunity. Are you open to a discussion?" The first question you should always ask is: What is the pay scale? If they're not willing to share that, then you should not be willing to discuss. Know your worth.

Peyton Ticknor: Absolutely. That is great advice. I would love for all job postings in the future to list the salary, because why waste their time and your time if it's not going to meet your needs? You could have already gone and done three rounds of interviews and spent hours, and then, come to find out, it wasn't going to meet your salary requirement.

00:16:14                     

Katie Hendrickson: Exactly. And that's why I'm really grateful that the state of California, where I live, has recently made it a law that they are required to post a salary range if your company has a certain number of employees. Although some organizations are really utilizing that and posting a salary range of $50,000 to $600,000. [laughter]

Peyton Ticknor: Yeah, that's not very helpful.

Katie Hendrickson: Not at all.

Peyton Ticknor: Well, Katie, I have really appreciated your insight on the job search, and I think other admins will appreciate it as well, so thank you for joining us on "The Admin Edge." Where can listeners find you online?

00:16:46                     

Katie Hendrickson: Yeah, so first and foremost, I'm on LinkedIn. You can search for me [at] "Katie Hendrickson, PACE," because I do have my PACE certification, or you can check out my brand-new website, which is theadminadvocate.space.

Peyton Ticknor: Awesome. Well, thank you so much.

Katie Hendrickson: Thank you.

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Leah Warwick: Thank you for listening to "The Admin Edge," produced by the American Society of Administrative Professionals. Original music and audio editing by Warwick Productions, with audio and video production at EA Ignite by 5Tool Productions. If you liked this podcast, please leave us a nice review and five stars wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe. If you'd like to submit a listener question, you can do so on our website at asaporg.com/podcast.