2 totally different jobs - which would you take???

[Anonymous]

Hi - OP here - thank you all for your comments. Yes, I probably am romaticizing the EA job a bit. The interview and the workplace were so relaxed and personal. I'm not saying that I didn't find my former fed atty job collegial, it's just that it was so - I don't know. I guess I'm trying to say that it felt like I was just churning out actions and opinions. In the attorney job I would still be beholden to a boss and his/her personality. I feel like the actions would be rote and the workplace would be charmless.

However, I do pause because I don't hate being an attorney. Granted, I'm not the type of attorney I set out to be upon leaving law school (who didn't want to be the big-time prosecutor right out of law school?! unfortunately, i did it for a little while before the schedule became too demanding for my family), but it's not bad work (i.e. not BigLaw which I wouldn't do no matter the paycheck). I really did have the belief that the EA would be a better springboard but it is very administrative (not that fed attorneys don't do their share of admin B.S.). This is anonymous so I can admit that, although I might like the day to day of the EA position, I don't know if my pride and pocketbook can handle such a drop. Although, on the other hand, the atty position isn't paying what I've made in the past either. The EA position came to me from a former mentor, who agrees that it isn't at my previous level, but his argument is that it puts me in a different arena of people who have different connections that could lead to different types of jobs that I've never considered (or even knew about).

As for the PP who asked if I'd looked in other areas, I have to say that the competition out there is fierce right now. There are people applying to some positions that would never have considered that position previously. That's why I was ultimately offered the lower-graded fed position. The positions I applied to, that were at my former grade, went to very qualified, highly sought after folks who are jumping from a current FT position -- not just returning from SAH. Unfortunately, my resume is very specific in terms of the type of law I've done -- and it's not procurement, contracts, or labor -- which everyone is after right now.

I appreciate having this forum as a sounding board. I'm still undecided but it helps to type it all out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: The EA position came to me from a former mentor, who agrees that it isn't at my previous level, but his argument is that it puts me in a different arena of people who have different connections that could lead to different types of jobs that I've never considered (or even knew about).

OP, I am another one who thinks it would be a mistake to take an EA position. I'm just wondering why your former mentor thinks that you could use the EA position to meet different people with different connections, etc.

I find it a little hard to believe, based on all the EA positions I know. They pretty much have zero networking opportunties through their work.

But perhaps this particular EA position is different. Can you find out more about what previous EAs in that position/at that company did and where they have gone from there? Can you reach out to any of them to ask them about the position? Without some concrete evidence that you can in fact use the EA position as a springboard to better opportunities, I just don't think it is worth it from any angle...

[Anonymous]

I think posters dismissing option 2 so quickly may be reading executive assistant as "secretary". In many industries the EA is a critical role but they are not directly interacting with people at their bosses level. They are providing administrative support and connecting with the other EAs. They do get to hear alot and have access to information that they can use to grow and learn, almost more than senior managers..but it is unlikely that an EA would make a jump to senior or even mid-level manager or contributor/lead type position.

[Anonymous]

Hi - it's OP. The person who had the EA job before me was transferred due to spouse relocation. That's all I know. I do think my former mentor believes that this EA position is atypical. After all, I'm an atypical candidate to send to interview for such a position. He knows that the boss of of prominence in this city and I think he thinks that those networking opportunities could pan out into something bigger. I have to be discrete, so that's about all I can say. Although the pay is lower for me, it's definitely not low for an EA position, so I my understanding is that there's more to it. Still, you all are right, there's no guarantee that it's not just a glorified secretary role. The more I think about it, the more I believe it's akin to Joan's role in MadMen! Not at all sure that's what I'm going for but I do know that I'm interested in something different. Even just the thought of something new and different is exciting (there goes that romanticism thing again). I guess it's grass is greener syndrome. The best decisions of my life all arose out of doing something that didn't look good on paper. However, I'm older now and I have my family to consider, so I don't know that I should risk finances and freedom for guaranteed job (even if it is boring).

[Anonymous]

IT's a bit hard to say, since we don't know the industry for the EA. In my industry (Aerospace & Defense), you'd never end up with a job other than EA. The EAs are highly valued and connected (I work for a very large company), but they're even in a different pay category than other positions. You really don't transition from one to another.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and I forgot to add that your boss is unlikely to help you move out/forward/up, since he's then losing a good EA and needs another.

[Anonymous]

Definitely Job 1. & yes, you are romanticizing the EA position. I was an EA with a great boss and great company - not a whole lot of room for advancement unless you're young.

[Anonymous]

Job Number one. Who in the world wants to be an Exec. Ass't. after going to law school? You could have done that job pre-college.

[Anonymous]

Lawyer job of course. Duh. More room for advancement, more respect, more money.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine is an EA at a company where her bosses are incredibly connected. One boss's job was basically to act as a liaison for the company to powerful people in DC; mostly politicians, but also business people, writers, academics, government high-ups, etc. The other, the President of the company, is just a big player in DC and knows everyone, and is also very well liked. My friend went to both the Dem and Republican conventions for her company as well.

As far as I know, none of he EAs, including her, have really done much beyond EA jobs, other than moving into event planning work. All of the EAs have college degrees and seem pretty intelligent. My friend is moving to a different area of the company, and perhaps she's just not capitalizing on it, but I'm pretty shocked at how she doesn't really feel like she has that many contacts to utilize in her job search. I honestly think that part of that is because even though she's met a lot of people, she doesn't really make a strong connection with them because they don't really think of her is a colleague.

[Anonymous]

#1 and don't look back.

[Anonymous]

Once an EA, always an EA. Yes, you meet cool people. Yes, it's exciting to be at the center of things. But, every EA I've ever known has been stuck in the job and frustrated beyond belief that no one takes them seriously on anything other than how the boss likes his/her coffee.

Also know plenty of EAs who were certain (going in) that their situation would be different and they could work their way out of it because they were exceptional/clever/etc. They weren't. And they set their careers and their pay back by light years. It's not impossible to recover from it, but why make life harder? As a (part-time) college professor who is also a high achiever in my professional field, I've mentored a lot of young women and the ones who have taken my advice on this (e.g., *never* take an admin job) have never regretted it.

Why don't you take the government job and look for ways to add value to other parts of the organization once you're there? You can ask for a detail to another office at your agency that you find interesting (e.g., marketing) or volunteer for team projects that challenge you in new ways. Lots of ways to build your resume and keep your brain engaged without sacrificing pay or title.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While I am a federal attorney and would choose it over the second position, I would have several reservations.

First and most timportantly, I just do not think it is true anymore that federal jobs necessarily have better flexibility, security and benefits. I work in an office that does not allow AWS or telework, my pay has been frozen, it looks like we might take 5% take-home hit due to retirement contributions, and if plans to reduce the workforce by attrition happen, we will all do more work for no more pay.

I am NOT complaining about it and again, I said I would choose the fed job. But the reasons are not security, pay or flexibility. It could very well be that the private company is better on those fronts.

I agree, with bolded statement. I have a fed job (not attorney) and have very little flexibility with long hours. There is job security and benefits but the no flexibility is tough with young children. My job in the private sector has a lot more flexibility. it's a myth that fed jobs automatically means flexibility and less work.

in your situation, I would go with Job 1.

[Anonymous]

If you really want to consider the second job, can you insist on negotiating the title? For goodness sake, you are a trained lawyer and the position is unique, right? Make them call you "Chief of Staff" or something. Then you wont drag the "EA" baggage with you when you look to move on.

[Anonymous]

What does C-level mean?