Administrative Assistant's Update

5 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE Credit: Aleutie/Shutterstock Tips for surviving a layoff By Jennifer Lewington Rosemary Hughes, a veteran admin- istrative professional in Lethbridge, Alberta, knows first-hand the sting of losing a job through no fault of her own. "I was angry when it happened," she says, when her then-employer, a national accounting firm in Calgary, announced a round of staff cuts. "My initial thought was 'how dare you?'" That setback also taught her some valuable career lessons: the impor- tance of investing in professional de- velopment, keeping a positive attitude and looking for future employment that fits one's personal strengths and interest. Her advice resonates today as some administrative assistants in Alberta find themselves casualties of the province's economic downturn from low global oil prices. It's hard to be positive "It is difficult when you are in the moment to say things will get better," says Hughes, recalling the pain and shock of being laid off. "The very hard thing is to be positive and surround yourself with positive people and family and friends and colleagues who support you." In 2002, she was an administra - tive assistant for a managing tax partner at Arthur Anderson when the firm broke up after the Enron financial scandal. Some employees, Hughes included, were swept up in a merger with Deloitte and Touche. Two years later, she was among those shed in a buy-out by Deloitte. "They don't call it packaging out; they say 'here is your big cheque,'" says Hughes. "But they essentially fired me and I had never been fired before." Having stayed in touch with former colleagues, she quickly landed a job in the Calgary office of Ernst and Young, another accounting firm. "Keep in touch with your peers and colleagues," she recommends, given the potential to hear about job open - ings before they are posted. She stayed at Ernst and Young until 2008 when she tired of the traffic commute in Calgary and moved to Lethbridge to improve her work-life balance. Take the initiative There she worked for a private engi- neering company for a couple of years. But after the company was taken over by a global firm, she decided to look for another job rather than wait for looming staff cuts. "I had experienced a merger once before," she says. "I didn't want to be told I was being let go again." By leaving on her terms, she wanted to take charge of her career. "You are being pro-active with your career and life instead of being reac - tive," says Hughes. "That empowers you." She urges administrative profes- sionals to manage their own career development. In 2010, she earned her certified administrative professional (CAP) designation through the Interna- tional Association of Administrative Professionals and recently joined the association's 13-member Certification Advisory Board for 2015-2018. "You need to be pro-active through your career," advises Hughes, with an up-to-date resume and a commitment to professional development. "If you need training or learning, there are lots of ways to get it without paying for it." Finally, part of a team In 2010, she joined the city of Leth - bridge in the office of the city manag- er, which oversees day-to-day bu- reaucratic operations and responds to political direction from the mayor and council. She and her team members have to respond to multiple internal and external requests, including emer- gencies that demand a quick response. "I really enjoy the people I work with here," says Hughes. "It is the first group of people that actually treat me, an administrative assistant, like a team member." At 57, an administrative profes- sional since 1979, Hughes has a final word of advice on finding the upside of a downturn. "You have to try and get out of that frame of mind that this is being done to me and reverse it and say 'what can I do for myself?'" Rosemary Hughes

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