Administrative Assistant's Update

JUNE 2016 4 A male-dominated occupation until the early 20th Century, administra- tive assistant roles are mostly filled by women today. In 2011, the latest available data, Statistics Canada reports that men rep- resented only 3.9 per cent of 432,375 office administrative assistants (including general, legal and medical AAs) in Canada. In this category, ac- cording to Statscan, men earn $3,000 less a year than the median (mid- point) annual employment income of $30,377. But in the category of "executive assistants," which includes corporate secretary, legislative assistant or com- mittee clerk, Statscan reports that men accounted for 10.3 per cent of 44,620 workers. Moreover, according to the agency, the median annual income for men was $54,919 in 2011, slightly above $49,941 for women. Fighting gender stereotypes comes with the job, says Brickwood. "There is still that perception of 'why would you want to be an assistant when you could be the boss?'" In interviews with AAU, Brickwood and McLaren each described their path to a career as an admin profes - sional. Here are their stories: Jonathan Brickwood: If there is a gene for administrative assistant, Brick- wood has it. His grandmother was a secretary and his mother, Gabriele Hardt, worked as an administrative as- sistant at York University for 44 years. "Everyone knew who she was," says Brickwood, learning from her that the work of successful admin is about "making sure everything is running smoothly." Brickwood shares her philosophy. "My job is to make sure that the person I work for is able to accomplish their job the best they can without having to worry about the little things that could interfere with that," he says. Put the job above personality That approach applies no matter the relationship with the boss, he says. "You have to put the job above the personality and make sure you are supporting the position, not necessar - ily the person." In the late 1990s, while still in high school, he worked in the school office tabulating attendance and carrying out other administrative duties. That experience helped him land his first job out of high school with a temp agency in support roles to C-suite executives, a corporate secretary and general counsel for a series of private sector firms. In 2008, he applied for his current position. In addition to answering emails and other correspondence for his boss, Brickwood has assisted in de - veloping databases to streamline the work of committees that support the legislature. A history buff, Brickwood says what he most likes about his job is that "I'm never quite sure what will happen on a given day…I don't find the days boring." He urges employers to consider hiring qualified male admins. "What they [employers] are missing out on is a different perspective on the posi- tion," says Brickwood. He thinks men can bring the perspective of an "office friend" who says to the boss "I will support you and help you through this so you can be the best you can be." In 2003, Brickwood joined the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), earned his certification in 2007 and now expects to re-certify at some point. Currently, he is studying for a bachelor's degree in public administration and political science at Ryerson University, and in his spare time, is working on a novel set at Queen's Park. Vern McLaren: After 15 years in retail, including managing an auto parts store in Ed - monton, McLaren says he "lucked into" a career as an admin assistant at the age of 30. In 2000, knowing McLaren wanted a career change, a friend urged him to apply for an admin position at a small engineering firm. He had no formal training as an ad- min, but used his previous experience in retail to demonstrate his skills in organization, task and time manage- ment and computers. Women's work? Not for male admins Continued from page 1 Jonathan Brickwood Vern McLaren Continued on page 5

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