Escaping the Female Ghetto that is Administrative Work

@Destined4More ~ I am right there with you. I have a bachelor's, I make a very nice salary, and I've been doing this for 13 years now. I have always worked in the finance sector and currently support the president, but half the time I feel more like her PA as she has me book her personal vacations, etc. I've caught her shopping Saks online and at least 1-3x per week, she gets her Saks shipments coming in to the office.

She also has a mini-me who worships her and kisses her ass and treats me like crap, which I have very little control over other than pretending not to care. I just realized this week that, between the two of them, it's like I work in Satan's Lair for she-devils. I know I produce quality work, I'm attentive and proactive, I'm efficient and problem solve, and I do all that I can to stay one step ahead and anticipate what's coming down the pike. But no matter how much I try to stay on top of things, I am tripped up with constant changes and blamed if anything goes wrong. I hit the wall this week. I finally realized I will never please my boss (or her dumb minion), I will never be as perfect as she expects me to be, and I've never felt so insecure about my every little step - as if at any moment I will be called out on something so damn trivial. It just erodes one's confidence. I don't need this. It's exhausting! I realized they cannot pay me enough to sit there and take the daily mental manipulations. I know her last EA left for the same reasons!

I know people are still out of work in this recession. I feel torn about how to get OUT of the administrative field (which is how I found this board) and still be able to pay my mortgage. Nobody supports me - I'm on my own and I'm mid-30s and cannot fathom doing this another 30 years with more narcissistic crazymakers! I will not just quit - I'm not stupid. But reading these posts/rants brings me a little comfort.

trappedadmin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: 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.

I'm just reading this a little over two years of your posting.

Since we're the same age, I feel your pain!

Hoping you've been able to 'escape' this profession and find something you love!

As for me, I'm on that path now, looking for something that's more befitting for me.

The thought of being an admin of any shape or form makes my stomach turn.

However, I've got a ton of debt, an now unemployed, and while I would love to finish out my BA, I don't see how it is possible to do so and survive? College financial aid has been cut, and I need to survive.

I don't blame the economy for my (previous) 'emotional spending' habits.

At 43 (44 in a couple of weeks), I'm feeling super depressed and stuck.

Trying to stay positive, I'm now looking up resources I can utilize in order to get myself out of this hole I dug for myself.

Reading that others detest being an administrative person, has helped me realize I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings about it at least.

Hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season!

I just discovered the 'Escaping the Female Ghetto that is Administrative Work" while researching an article I want to write on my blog, something along the lines of "If This Place Will Fall Apart Without Me, Why Am I the Lowest Paid and Least Respected Employee in the Office?"

I have worked administrative jobs for about 20 years, have a bachelor's degree in Journalism, and thought I'd finally worked my way out of it, or was going to, at my previous position when I was 'promoted' three years ago, in recognition for the fact that not only did I manage the office, pay the bills, monitor the budget, etc etc.. I also created brochures, organized events and served on community partnerships with professionals of dozens of other agencies and organizations (as a peer, not their 'helper'). So I got a new title, and a pay raise, but was asked to continue to do the office work, as they didn't have the money to hire a new office manager.

About 8 months ago, the organization hired a consultant to evaluate job titles, duties and salaries, and as a result of that, my position was put back to Administrative Assistant II, requiring no more than two years' post high school experience. Though my boss protested and tried to get my additional work recognized, the management said no. But, I was told my pay would stay the same, and I should keep doing the same work. It's just an internal title.

However, it put me clearing in the Support Track and not in the "Professional" Category of employees, and was told it would be very difficult to jump tracks.

In December 2012 I was laid off along with about 29 other employees across the country.

I am now searching for a new job, marketing myself as a marketing coordinator for the outreach, event planning and design work I've done, but it's slow going, and I fear I'll cave to the fear of not finding work and go back to the low pay of admin work.

I am quitting my job of 13+ years next week. I actually love being an AA, however, in the the last year I have been given the job responsibilities of another full-time job in addition to my own full-time job duties. I have been struggling for last year because I cannot get everything done, get in trouble when I don't, my boss won't let me work OT, and my boss is not a very nice person anyway.

My mother passed away recently from a brief illness and it has been very traumatic for me and my family. But it has opened my eyes and I have decided to take a leap of faith and quit. I am looking for the same type of work but think I have found a job to get me through the interim. I'm lucky in the sense that I'm not up to my eyeballs in debt although like anyone, I do have bills.

I don't believe, like someone else who posted, that it's the job - it's the company we work for and the people. I am 52 years old but that's okay.

Wish me luck!!

I wish I had your strength. I do wish you luck and I'm confident that you will come out on top.

Thank you. It is scary and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I think I'm more scared to continue on the way I have been.

I empathise and sympathise with each poster on this discussion. I work too work in admin and feel that it is slowly eroding my soul. Currently I am doing my full time position as well as the responsibilities of my senior who is on maternity leave and my supervisor who was asked to leave. So not only do I feel underpaid and undervalued, but now I am expected to do the work of 2 other full time staff members for the same pay (€29.5k). I have a degree and a postgrad. I am fluent in Italian and I have professional level Spanish and French. English is my Marie language. Yet I am treated as if I have only half a brain! I see little in the way of progression in my current position; it truly is a ghetto!

I struggle to motivate myself out of bed each morning and spend Sundays dreading the week ahead. I get non of the credit for the work I must produce for others. Work is dumped on me when I am already up to my proverbial eyes. The fact that the effects of my job is leaking into my personal life is more than irritating me! I am almost always too tired for hobbies when I get home from work. I have worked in healthcare before but I had to leave after almost 10yrs due to a back injury. Nothing will ever prepare your mind for the mind numbing effect of admin. I can feel my brain cells deadening.

Rant over, but I feel relieved to have vented. I have a goal to save and leave to train as a teacher by the end of this year.

BTW in Europe a degree is now seen as a minimum requirement for admin positions....something that makes no sense, a team of trained monkeys could do my job - but at least they'd be praised for it!

I empathise and sympathise with each poster on this discussion. I work too work in admin and feel that it is slowly eroding my soul. Currently I am doing my full time position as well as the responsibilities of my senior who is on maternity leave and my supervisor who was asked to leave. So not only do I feel underpaid and undervalued, but now I am expected to do the work of 2 other full time staff members for the same pay (€29.5k). I have a degree and a postgrad. I am fluent in Italian and I have professional level Spanish and French. English is my Marie language. Yet I am treated as if I have only half a brain! I see little in the way of progression in my current position; it truly is a ghetto!

I struggle to motivate myself out of bed each morning and spend Sundays dreading the week ahead. I get non of the credit for the work I must produce for others. Work is dumped on me when I am already up to my proverbial eyes. The fact that the effects of my job is leaking into my personal life is more than irritating me! I am almost always too tired for hobbies when I get home from work. I have worked in healthcare before but I had to leave after almost 10yrs due to a back injury. Nothing will ever prepare your mind for the mind numbing effect of admin. I can feel my brain cells deadening.

Rant over, but I feel relieved to have vented. I have a goal to save and leave to train as a teacher by the end of this year.

BTW in Europe a degree is now seen as a minimum requirement for admin positions....something that makes no sense, a team of trained monkeys could do my job - but at least they'd be praised for it!

Sorry for posting twice - the joys of an intermittent iPhone connection!

I am glad to find this thread..I have been going to therapy trying to deal with this job i hate..(can't even say the job title..makes me sick) I wish i was never born mostly because of this job i hate
(can't even say the job title makes me sick)

BUT PLEASE TO SOMEONE YOUNGER GET OUT OF THESE TYPE OF JOBS..THEY WILL SLOWLY CAUSE YOU CLINICAL DEPRESSION, ANXIETY..WILL TO NOT WANT TO LIVE

I come from a different field. I was once hired as a secretary positon, and i was treated like crap as well. I was fired 2 days later for no reason. I am glad they did so! i refuse to be anyones maid!

I have held positions from flunky to Corporate Executive Assistant, and I have found that people treat you as you teach them to treat you--unreasonable supervisor or not. Where is your spine? I definitely have sympathy and empathy for administrative staff who are treated badly, believe me, I've been there! However, after the venting is over, get on with solving the problem. We all need jobs, but taking a stand for yourself and your self-respect will get you further in your career than any time spent complaining about it. Almost every office has one of "those" people, but I have always thought of them as insecure bullies and have treated them as such by standing up for myself. Bullies don't like that and in time, they usually back away because you're no fun. If your job it that bad, go somewhere else--yes, even in today's market. The jobs are out there. I know. I've had a few and found one that gave me respect, a challenging career, and a great salary. We're all better than that kind of treatment, so the sooner we stand up for ourselves, the fewer blogs we'll get that complain about it. Before you say I don't understand, I was a single mother with two young children, in debt, and desperate for a job. But over the years I found that recognizing my value and maintaining my dignity served me well until I found a company that agreed with me.

I really do not recommend these jobs..but if you must have one..YOU MUST STAND UP FOR YOURSELF ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER...Do so, and then get out of them as fast as you can...

At first when I realized how much i detested these jobs, I just assumed i was imagining something that wasn't there

I come to realize today's woman or man minds are just too advanced for such demeaning jobs..to continue in them will cause your soul to slowly deplete..

As i sit here thinking, just what type of person would really be happy in these type of jobs?

I am 31 years old and have been working as an AA for the past 10 years. At first I was ok with the position b/c it help pay my way through college. But after college I just knew I would find somthing in my field of Biology. But I find that entry-level research assistants doesn't pay that much, so I stayed as an AA. then I land a job in a hospital working under individuals that help run the hospital. So I decided to get a master's in healthcare administration. I graduated and just knew that the organization will see the potential in me and my willing to stay that I would move away from the slave desk. WRONG!!! In my pursuit to get another job I am now faced with the "you have the education requirements but no experience, get experience first." I can't get out the "female ghetto" b/c no one will give me a chance to gain leadership expereience. I'm so glad I found ths forum to vent.

I you cannot find a better position, please move on...

I you cannot get a better position, PLEASE move on

Monique in Livingston, Alabama said: I you cannot get a better position, PLEASE move on

I meant If you cannot find a better position, please move on