Message #38416

[lauragfoss]

I've gone from a "first-waver" to a "second-waver".  When I first started working in the real world, I was content to be an admin, to be "behind the scenes".  Then I started a job as an HR admin assistant...and really fell in love with that field.  I wanted to move up and do more than just the back end.

I moved up in HR, until I was laid off in August.  And had a really hard time finding something in HR again.  I applied for admin jobs, but found few opportunities that were up to my skill level and salary requirements.  I finally found a position unrelated to anything I had done before and love it as well.  Although it does have administrative duties, it is also autonomous and I have many responsibilities that I feel are not administrative-related.

I don't feel that it is so much a question of moving up into a company that separates first and second wavers; rather what type of work they want to focus on.  Many mid/upper level positions (project managers, sales support, to name a few that I've seen) are based on admin skills and duties, and yet encompass more power and/or responsibility.  I think an admin who applies him/herself can move up and still do the work that they love.