Escaping the Female Ghetto that is Administrative Work

As mentioned in a previous post I too am tired of doing administrative work. I've been an admin. for sixteen years and I am fed up with the high volume of work and responsibility for low pay. I'm tired of being expected to know it all but not be allowed to advance in position or pay.

You are pretty much looked down on, talked down to, treated like an office maid, and expected to handlde more and more responsibilites as if you are a robot. People don't respect you or your space and just rattle around on your desk when they need things instead of asking for it. One day my boss asked for some staples. I gave him a strip of staple to put in his staples, he throws it at me and tell me to put the staples in it.

I've noticed in other threads from women in my same position that the commonality among most of us is the lack of a degree. I also notice that once they do get a degree, it is in something that will steer them back into office servant positions.

I've thought about getting business degree but I know that with my background I will still end up in this same trap. So I decided to take extreme measures and go in a way opposite direction that will get me out of this female ghetto position.

I am thinking of going back to school to be either an engineer or a pharmacist.

Have any other admins here considered going this kind of route?

One day my boss asked for some staples. I gave him a strip of staple to put in his staples, he throws it at me and tell me to put the staples in it. - I can sympathize with you on this one. I've had bosses that have mistreated me also.

I've considered the route you have mentioned. Believe me, I have considered it. Best of luck to you!

I've had papers thrown in my face and been treated basically as a waitress. And I'm supposed to be supporting so-called executives? Please...
A friend of mine who was an Admin for a long time completed her undergrad degree and received 2 promotions in the following year and has now freed herself from being an admin. If you can go to school I say go for it!

That is a good title - The Female Ghetto

After working in this field for years and being especially a great typist - I now have Carpal,Fibro,IBS w/Const,Cervical muscle spasms, numerous disc problems - Osteoa, etc.
An aging female is constantly being thrown out by the punks of today's work society and ethic - there is no respect - being denied disability, and pushed out of a sweet 30 hr a wk receptionist job that began with a hostible work environment -the punks are out there - to secure their beginning life style too bad they all have trust funds and I don't!

After working in this field for years and being especially a great typist - I now have Carpal,Fibro,IBS w/Const,Cervical muscle spasms, numerous disc problems - Osteoa, etc.
An aging female is constantly being thrown out by the punks of today's work society and ethic - there is no respect - being denied disability, and pushed out of a sweet 30 hr a wk receptionist job that began with a hostible work environment -the punks are out there - to secure their beginning life style too bad they all have trust funds and I don't!

Its like we are all on the Titanic. What a happy thought!

28 yrs of that stuff - a great title! said: After working in this field for years and being especially a great typist - I now have Carpal,Fibro,IBS w/Const,Cervical muscle spasms, numerous disc problems - Osteoa, etc.
An aging female is constantly being thrown out by the punks of today's work society and ethic - there is no respect - being denied disability, and pushed out of a sweet 30 hr a wk receptionist job that began with a hostible work environment -the punks are out there - to secure their beginning life style too bad they all have trust funds and I don't!

Its like we are all on the Titanic. What a happy thought!

LindaM in Barrington, Illinois said: Its like we are all on the Titanic. What a happy thought!

I keep forgetting to hit the reply button. LOL

Admin. in GA in Decatur, Georgia said: As mentioned in a previous post I too am tired of doing administrative work. I've been an admin. for sixteen years and I am fed up with the high volume of work and responsibility for low pay. I'm tired of being expected to know it all but not be allowed to advance in position or pay.

You are pretty much looked down on, talked down to, treated like an office maid, and expected to handlde more and more responsibilites as if you are a robot. People don't respect you or your space and just rattle around on your desk when they need things instead of asking for it. One day my boss asked for some staples. I gave him a strip of staple to put in his staples, he throws it at me and tell me to put the staples in it.

I've noticed in other threads from women in my same position that the commonality among most of us is the lack of a degree. I also notice that once they do get a degree, it is in something that will steer them back into office servant positions.

I've thought about getting business degree but I know that with my background I will still end up in this same trap. So I decided to take extreme measures and go in a way opposite direction that will get me out of this female ghetto position.

I am thinking of going back to school to be either an engineer or a pharmacist.

Have any other admins here considered going this kind of route?

Have you ever thought about making money in other areas than admin.? I was in admin many years ago and decided I was done with that and have never looked back! It is very easy to get back into that even though that's not what you want. Let's chat at boneycooks@aol.com

Ha ha ha that's too funny, female ghetto job.
I understand perfectly where you are coming from. Lots of responsibility with low pay and no authority, crappy workspaces and environments. I believe all admins should have their own office where they can shut their doors to get some work done.

I received an A.A. degree in Business Administration about 10 years ago and all it got me was a load of debt to pay back--a better position or salary increase never happened. I have been pondering a career change for quite a while but it seems like it's a brick wall and I can't seem to figure it out. I am not in a situation to rack up college debt, but I believe an engineering degree or pharmaceutical degree would get you better opportunities and a higher salary. You are on the right track if you have figured out what you would enjoy doing and pursue it.

I'm working a job even worse then my past admin position due to a relocation and poor employment opportunities...I'm now in a call center. I'm working on looking into RN schools at this time, and strongly endorse education if you are looking for a career change. If you have the discipline, the means and the desire to learn Medical Terminology and want to work from home eventually by typing - CareerStep is a highly recommended online course for Medical Transcription. It is TOUGH material, but you have plenty of time to complete it. I've started it and I've called SEVERAL companies who will AUTOMATICALLY HIRE you to work from home once you've established certification. Sallie Mae gives loans for this, but will stop soon due to education budget cuts, but it's another option. Hope this helps!

I feel the same way. I am drastically underpaid for this hellish admin to exec job and don't see any way out. I am overeducated with a masters, and here it comes, in the Fine Arts, which haunts me now for over 10 years. I started out teaching college art, part time, and needed benefits so "fell into admin work temporarily". Now with this depressing economy, I have no idea what to do to get out, I hate this work, it's the complete opposite of where my talents lie, and I still do it well. I get zero respect, stupid snobs snub me every day, and this job will kill me. It's caused anxiety attacks and my high blood pressure. No one will hire me for anything other than more admin clerical crap, I've been trying for years, growing more unhappy, old, (I'm 41) and disgruntled and JADED.

saraf3m in Los Angeles, California said: I'm working a job even worse then my past admin position due to a relocation and poor employment opportunities...I'm now in a call center. I'm working on looking into RN schools at this time, and strongly endorse education if you are looking for a career change. If you have the discipline, the means and the desire to learn Medical Terminology and want to work from home eventually by typing - CareerStep is a highly recommended online course for Medical Transcription. It is TOUGH material, but you have plenty of time to complete it. I've started it and I've called SEVERAL companies who will AUTOMATICALLY HIRE you to work from home once you've established certification. Sallie Mae gives loans for this, but will stop soon due to education budget cuts, but it's another option. Hope this helps!

What companies are willing to automatically hire you to work from home? Can you provide a list? Thanks!

Well, I am a very organized/detailed and professional person, and i am LONGING for an office/administrative job. I have had a job that was titled, "Office Support", but I have never been an admin assistant, and for someone like me, this I think is the EASIEST job to do WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A DEGREE. I have been stuck in a call center job since January, and I promised myself I would never go back to a call center. BUT EVERY DERN TIME I SEE AN AD FOR AN ADMIN ASST JOB, THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE A DEGREE, OR HAVE 2,000 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS ONE ( or better yet, bilingual)!! why do some of these positions require a degree ? they most likely won't even look at my resume/app without one

PimpSkirt in Longwood, Florida said: Well, I am a very organized/detailed and professional person, and i am LONGING for an office/administrative job. I have had a job that was titled, "Office Support", but I have never been an admin assistant, and for someone like me, this I think is the EASIEST job to do WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A DEGREE. I have been stuck in a call center job since January, and I promised myself I would never go back to a call center. BUT EVERY DERN TIME I SEE AN AD FOR AN ADMIN ASST JOB, THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE A DEGREE, OR HAVE 2,000 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS ONE ( or better yet, bilingual)!! why do some of these positions require a degree ? they most likely won't even look at my resume/app without one

If you don't have a degree already, the best solution would be to earn a professional degree in something like engineering, law, medicine (to be a doctor or dentist),pharmacy (to be a pharmacist, not a pharmacy tech), nursing, dental hygiene or physicians assistant, science and research, accounting, finance, human resource management, or information technology. Basically, you’d want to get a degree in something technical and/or specialized that will pay you good money when you coming out of school and does not leave room for you to be parlayed in to administrative work.
You could get a good-paying job as an executive admin with a banking or investment institution if you get a degree in business or finance but you are typically on call 24/7 or won’t have a life. It all depends on your idea of a good quality of life. My suggestion to you would be to get a degree in one of the above professions and avoid that administrative assistant trap all together. You will most likely be sucked into demanding, low-paying jobs with lots of responsibility where you are not appreciated and often demeaned, insulted and degraded.

PimpSkirt in Longwood, Florida said: Well, I am a very organized/detailed and professional person, and i am LONGING for an office/administrative job. I have had a job that was titled, "Office Support", but I have never been an admin assistant, and for someone like me, this I think is the EASIEST job to do WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A DEGREE. I have been stuck in a call center job since January, and I promised myself I would never go back to a call center. BUT EVERY DERN TIME I SEE AN AD FOR AN ADMIN ASST JOB, THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE A DEGREE, OR HAVE 2,000 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS ONE ( or better yet, bilingual)!! why do some of these positions require a degree ? they most likely won't even look at my resume/app without one

If you had a job as "office support" in the past, put administrative assistant on your resume anyway. Even if you don't have the title and you still do that kind of work, you are still an admin. Unless you can get into a big, private company, you will not make good money as an admin.
The Feds, mid-size business and major corporations pay more for admins, particularly if you can get an executive admin position with a big company, but you have to have a degree for that. Private universities pay a little more as well. Speaking as an admin with experience, I will tell you that if you want to earn a half-way decent salary as an admin, stay away from city, county and state government admin jobs; and stay away from small businesses and non-profit organizations, as those areas pay the least.

Girl, I have been doing administrative and clerical support work for over 20 years. I worked in a call center for nearly 10. Just go to pharmacy school and make the money. You can get a pharmacy tech job in a hospital part time and once you finish your prereqs in college,the hospital may help pay for the rest of your education. If not, you will come out of school with a great salary and could pay back your loans fairly quickly if you want to work that hard. Like others in admin work, I have cervical radiculopathy. Not trying to type that much anymore. Tired of knowing more than everybody and making nothing salary wise. The part about the degree is B.S. If you want a management job you better get a degree in management take that kind of job. Forget about being promoted. It won't happen because you are good at your job and your boss won't want to lose you. Start taking classes now and get moving. Just take one class at at time if you have. You will feel so much better about yourself.

Believe me, the pharmacy thing is the way to go. A lot of women are coming into the field now. I'm single and guess what? You do not know how long you are going to live. therefore, you had better get a good paying job to support yourself as soon as you can. You might live to 90 years old. What are you gonna live on with a retirement from an admin. asst job? Girl, please. Nothing.

You can do this. Get out and get some new training!!!! Just do it, like Nike. You'll only have yourself to blame if your career stays stalled.

Think it over.

I feel your pain tremendously. Adminstrative work can be very strenuous and at time degrading. I'm thinking about changing my career too.

If it were not for the support staff, nothing would get done. You would think since we do the grunt work, we would at least be thrown a bone. Not so.

If men had this job we all know it would pay more. Am I right or what?

Not only would they get paid more but they wouldn't be talked down to, degraded or verbally abused like female admins.

Admin. in GA in Decatur, Georgia said: As mentioned in a previous post I too am tired of doing administrative work. I've been an admin. for sixteen years and I am fed up with the high volume of work and responsibility for low pay. I'm tired of being expected to know it all but not be allowed to advance in position or pay.

You are pretty much looked down on, talked down to, treated like an office maid, and expected to handlde more and more responsibilites as if you are a robot. People don't respect you or your space and just rattle around on your desk when they need things instead of asking for it. One day my boss asked for some staples. I gave him a strip of staple to put in his staples, he throws it at me and tell me to put the staples in it.

I've noticed in other threads from women in my same position that the commonality among most of us is the lack of a degree. I also notice that once they do get a degree, it is in something that will steer them back into office servant positions.

I've thought about getting business degree but I know that with my background I will still end up in this same trap. So I decided to take extreme measures and go in a way opposite direction that will get me out of this female ghetto position.

I am thinking of going back to school to be either an engineer or a pharmacist.

Have any other admins here considered going this kind of route?

Go for it! You're never too old to go back to school and change your career. Find out what other fields interest you and go check them out. But don't quit your job until you find another one. If you do decide to go back to school, try to find something to work around your schedule, or even check out some online courses.

Well anyway, I know what you're going through. Back in the early 80's, I got sick and tired of being a nursing home food service worker, and I decided to change my career. I took some courses in general office procedures, travel agency work, typing, bookkeeping, Italian, and psychology. I worked them all around my schedule so that I couldn't continue to work and further my education as well.

In 1994, I found it very hard to get a job because I didn't have any computer skills. Therefore, I took a PC Specialist course through ICS (now Penn Foster), while I continued to work as a telephone market research interviewer. I took it because I wanted to get a better-paying job. Even at that time, they were just screaming for computer skills.

Four years ago, I took up freelance writing. I am thinking about taking a writing course from the Long Ridge Writers Group up in Connecticut, but right now, I am still out of work; and I can't do anything until I find me another part-time job.

My computer skills have paid off in a way, because I have been able to use them in a few of my jobs.

I would love very much to write full time, but I can't. I need that steady second income to supplement my Social Security Disability, and I cannot make a whole lot of money. I just cannot do the other fields were the jobs are at such as high-tech, healthcare, finance, insurance, hospitality, and retail. As much as I hated some of my call center jobs; this is the best that I can do.

I would love very much to write full time, but I can't. I need that steady second income to supplement my Social Security Disability, and I cannot make a whole lot of money. I just cannot do the other fields were the jobs are at such as high-tech, healthcare, finance, insurance, hospitality, and retail. As much as I hated some of my call center jobs; this is the best that I can do.

I admire your decision, Decatur. Each year that goes by doing this admin work, I have less hope, less confidence that ANYONE will ever look beyond the title. Meanwhile, like most of you, being an admin, we truly have a ridiculous amount of talent, intelligence, and USEFUL EXPERIENCE for a higher paying field. The big trap is that I'm single, middle aged, and have to support myself, and I have zero money, ZERO to pay for schooling. With recent paycut, it's worse than ever. I tried everything to get a job before the disastrous economy fall last year, with the best resume I could prepare highlighting my transferable skills. They all see "ADMIN" equaling no value.

I can't tell you how much being an Admin is one of the most thankless job there is. When your boss needs you, you than become the greatest thing with all the answers for the moment of a weak and fast “Thank you”. But two seconds later you go back to being treated like yesterday's trash when they don't need you anymore. Most of the time they forget your name until you’re needed again.
Plus, when raise time comes around that’s another time you’re forgotten. That’s when your boss starts to ask themselves “WHAT DO YOU REALLY DO”!!! How soon they forget!!!
Not to mention the fact that being an Admin your job is so easily replaceable. So if you start to make any noise about not being treated fairly or wanting more money, you may find you butt suddenly out the door.
There is no really promotion from this position because everyone needs you to be their phone operator, caterer, house keeper, record keeper, dispatch, announcer, errand girl, therapist, travel planner and problem solver. Also you have to take abuse for the other office employees. I won’t even go into all the other office crappy duties they put on you, like doing work for the bosses pets and other lazy employees without complaining.
So for all this when the Maddoff scandal happened, I got laid off. Now, I’m looking into a high demand medical field. But if you could get a Degree, Please DO! And make a serious career change ASAP!

Girl, do not let that deter you from educating yourself at all. That's what they want. They want you to be so desperate that you will put up with anything. You getting laid off might be a blessing as you may have never left any other way. Trying to go to school and working is hard as hell. The classes you need are never offered when you can take them. As far as online training, there is only so much you can do unless your entire degree is online. I was in the secretarial/administrative field for years. It sucked to high heaven. Especially when you see co-workers who do nothing and are basically stupid make more money for doing less.

As far as the medical field, be aware that depending on what you choose to specialize in that a lot of the classes are offered during daylight only which may make program completion rather difficult. So try to find a job that may let your days be free so you can complete your degree or program. Maybe work some evenings and weekends so you can graduate. I have been working in healthcare in different capacities for nearly 20 years. If you are going to school for something medical be aware that a lot of jobs need you to work weekends, evenings, and holidays. Be on the lookout for that.

As far as administrative asst. work, it will always be there. If you need to go back to have a paycheck while you are in school, take a simpler job so you won't be stressed out and pissed off. Trust me, it makes a difference on your grades in school. Medical field is very competitive so your GPA has to be stellar.

I wish you luck. By the way, I'm going back to school yet again so wish me luck too.

Hopefully, you will be saying GOOD RIDDINGS to office work and hello to something that makes you happy.

See ya!

If you're being treated that way, it's the boss and Company environment, not the job/job title. You should look elsewhere. I am an Admin. Assistant for a mid sized company and love my job. The difference is that the folks where I work respect the person and the position. That makes all the difference in the world.

Have you thought of working for yourself, being your own boss, making money for you,your family and your business. Look at Ameriplan it offers great administrative skills, people skills, in making money in a high sarly range but it is at your own pace. great positions as healthcare specialist,need access to computor,and telephome...If you are interested please give me call stallingsy@sbcglobal.net and I will provide you information into these career opportiunities