The Sandspur

Issue date: 3/24/06 Section: Holt News

Dear Marian,

I work full time as an administrative assistant. Do you have any ideas on ways that I can transition to an exempt role within my company?

Holt Junior

Dear Holt Junior,

Transitioning from an administrative to an exempt position often requires a person to be strategic, focused and patient. Since a picture can be "worth a thousand words", I have highlighted one example of an individual who successfully accomplished this within the same company.

Liz initially accepted the administrative position within her organization to "get her foot in the door." After almost two years in an administrative role, she was becoming restless and anxious to move towards her ultimate goal of an HR generalist role.

She knew she needed to create a plan of action and timeline. In her timeline, she allowed herself 12 months to make an internal move before she took her job search outside of the organization. First, she made sure she continued to excel in her current role. Next, she watched for internal postings that would increase her level of responsibility or exposure to HR.

When an internal posting for an administrative assistant in the HR department was distributed, Liz responded. She posted for the position and got the job. Although the move was not a promotion, she saw it as a positive step since she was now a member of the HR team. Immediately she focused on mastering the new skills needed for her HR support position. In addition, she took the following steps:

She began to update her wardrobe to "match" the generalists in the department. Because of a limited budget, she shopped for suits and business dresses in consignment stores. She paid her own membership to join the local SHRM chapter and attended the meetings when she could.

Although she often felt a little uncomfortable at meetings, she knew that was something she "needed to do." She asked team members to recommend "best practice" books and regularly read the SHRM website. She took note of current issues within the department and gained knowledge by reading and researching issues on her own time. She asked questions and listened.

Next, she talked to her manager about the possibility of observing the interview process. Once she gained experience with this, she volunteered to help one of the recruiters with initial phone screens. Her manager allowed her to do this as long as she was current on the responsibilities of her position.

By assisting with the phone screens, she noticed that there was a need for a candidate tracking process and developed one using Excel. Six months later, when an entry-level generalist position opened up in the department Liz was the "logical choice".

While Liz certainly had a bit of "luck and timing" on her side, she positioned herself for success by:

She dressed for the position she wanted...not the position she had.

She was curious and took the initiative. She wanted to learn as much as she could while maintaining the responsibilities of her current role.

She learned from mentors and the professionals around her.

She looked for ways to add value to the department efforts.

Sound easy? While it may not be "easy," it is definitely attainable! Schedule an appointment with Career Services today to discuss ways to map your own career transition strategy!

Do you have a question for Marian? E-mail her at mcacciatore@rollins.edu. She guarantees that all questions will be responded to individually or in this column.

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