New Year, New Admin Job: 3 Ways To Find The Best Fit For You

As we move further into 2017, many admins may start to take stock of their career resolutions. Whether you wanted to pick up an intermediate Excel skill or expand your network, it can be discouraging if you haven’t stayed on track for accomplishing your goal. Regardless of how much (or how little) progress you’ve made, now is not the time to lose momentum! This is especially true if you are considering making the move to a new employer.

“Finding a new job is a common resolution that many administrative professionals have made this year,” says Jamie Wells, an Associate within The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support division. “However, this is something that is difficult to accomplish if you can’t identify the reasons why you want to make a change. While it can be easy to say you want more money, in most cases, that’s not the real— or necessarily the right—reason that most professionals are job searching. If you want to find an opportunity that’s the best fit for you, it’s important to dive a bit deeper.”

If you are still interested in finding a new administrative position this year, take some time to reflect on what you actually want in a new position. Before resuming your search, here are three questions that Jamie suggests you ask yourself:

Are you looking for more growth?

At some point in your career, you may hit a wall where you feel there is no longer room for growth at your current employer. Once that happens, you have a couple of options: you can ask your manager for more responsibilities, or you can start searching for a new job. In this circumstance, Jamie suggests evaluating the environment around you before taking any next steps.

“If you have put in an appropriate amount of time at the organization and would like to expand your role, reflect on other employees’ growth at the company,” she says. “If you have strictly been doing calendar management for the past two years and would like to move into more of an event planning or office management role, for example, inquire where your colleagues who currently fill these roles got their start.”

If they are typically promoted from within or hired externally, this can help inform your next steps. Then, if you ultimately decide to look for a new job, you’ll know what type of questions you can ask when inquiring about growth opportunities pertaining to your interests.

What type of company culture do you fit into?  

If you haven’t started to think about company culture as a major factor in your decision-making process when searching for jobs, it’s time to start. “While company culture is often seen as a big picture, intangible concept, it actually affects your day-to-day job satisfaction more than you may expect,” advises Jamie. “From how many hours you work per week to whether or not you find the work environment beneficial to your productivity, company culture is a factor.”

Do you thrive in fast-paced, competitive environments, or laid back collaborative ones? Do you prefer cubicles, offices, or open floor plans? What’s more important to you: a higher salary, or a more flexible work schedule? These are all factors to consider in any job search, and you can ensure your needs are met by targeting companies that foster the type of environment that suits you best.

Do you believe in the company’s mission?

Working for a company whose goals and ethics are not in line with your own can be extremely frustrating. In order to feel motivated about your work, you really need to believe that your company is making some type of difference, whether that means helping others or making industry strides.

“If you don’t believe in your current employer’s mission, there is no real desire to perform to the best of your ability,” says Jamie. “Since this may result in unproductive days and subpar work, it’s important to identify companies that are more aligned with your beliefs. Doing so will not only help you determine which jobs you should apply to, but also increase your chances of finding a company that is the best long term fit for you.”