Sr. Administrative Assistant
(Female, Age 57) from San Leandro, CA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 57 who works as a Sr. Administrative Assistant in San Leandro, CA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Sr. Administrative Assistant |
|---|---|
| Salary | $55,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | San Leandro, CA |
| Years Experience | 13 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
Very large biotechnology company employyes over 44,000 people worldwide
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Assisant to the vice president of research and development, molecular diagnostics. All classical administrative duties supporting the VP and other department heads within the molecular organization.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
Medical, Dental, Life Insurance
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well compensated
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work with others and prefer the interaction.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
I work in an office suite, without windows, which is my biggest gripe. I also work on the laboratory floor, so surrounded my scientists in white lab coats carrying viles, can be intimidating. I like the office suite, but not the windowless environment.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 2
Hours: 2
Co-Workers: 1
Supervisors: 1
Job Title: 5
Level of Responsibility: 2
The Actual Work: 2
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Originally through a temp agency. It was a temp to perm position
What was the application process?
Paper application and resume
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
It was a half day interview with 3 department heads, and 2 other administrative assistants. The 2nd interview was with HR.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
My strengths and weaknesses. Where I saw myself in five years, ten years. What were my computer skills and experience.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
No, they really didn’t tell me how busy or how heavy the workload would be supported so many department heads.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, I took high school business coarses, and junior college business courses.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, but I learned a lot on the job as well.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
N/A
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Why anyone would want to be an administrative assistant in this day and age would be a mystery unto itself. But, I would say, become proficient in office procedures, organization, time management, computer skills, people skills.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
I just mentioned them all above.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, training would be helpful.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Be flexible, learn new procedures quickly, be fast and accurate, manage your time and your supervisor’s time well, be very organized.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I like what I’m doing, am very good at what I do and plan to do this until I retire in 10 years.
What are your current career goals?
Stay employed here until I retire.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
You can be administrative support in any industry as long as you have the desire and skill. It is not a glamorous job, but essential to a well functioning office.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Exec. Assistant | 4 years | 28000 | Administrative support to director of nursing. |
| Prior Job 2 | Admin Assistant | 2 years | 25000 | Administrative support to director of nursing |
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