There comes a time in everyone?s life when they have to make a decision to change careers for their own good. For Katie McEwan that moment came unexpectedly, but she has never looked back. Katie studied music and drama at university and left with a desire to work in film and television production. She used every connection she had and eventually got a one-day job (which was subsequently extended) on the set of BBC drama Waking the Dead. ?I was extremely lucky to be a part of the show,? Katie says. ?I had such ambition to work in production and I dedicated myself to it.?
Katie moved from job to job, taking work wherever she could get it. Her passion for the industry enabled her to climb the ranks, from runner to assistant and finally to production secretary. She was very fortunate, working on big projects such as the film Run, Fatboy, Run starring Simon Pegg and directed by Friends alumnus David Schwimmer.
However, it wasn?t always smooth sailing for Katie. ?It was exhausting,? she admits. ?I never had a break and the work wasn?t steady. I could be employed one day and then out of a contract the next.?
That was when she received a call from a recruiter looking for a candidate to be the personal assistant to influential businesswoman Jacqueline Gold, CEO of lingerie retailer Ann Summers. While she hadn?t applied for the job, Katie knew she couldn?t pass up the opportunity. ?I respected Jacqueline immensely and I knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance,? she comments. ?It wasn?t what I had set out to do, but I felt it would satisfy my ambition. Looking back, I think I probably would?ve ended up as a PA anyway, although maybe not quite as early on as I did.?
Seven years later, Katie says she couldn?t be happier with her decision. The structure of working for a company has allowed her to settle into her role in a way she never could before. ?Television isn?t chaotic, but it has peaks and troughs and I couldn?t maintain that. The corporate environment is much more familiar. I like that there?s a protocol of respect and an open-door policy at Ann Summers,? she explains.
As a person who tends to seize opportunities, Katie has taken advantage of every moment at the firm. She was the first PA to be named a rising star within the organisation, which gave her the chance to work on a business project as part of a development programme. The bra fit solution she designed is used today as a way to help women across the UK find their perfect size. ?I?m incredibly proud to see people commenting on the expert fit on social media. It?s a great feeling to know that something I did is so widely used,? she says.
The nature of supporting such a powerful business woman means Katie gets to watch the ideal role model in action every day. She says Jacqueline is always trying to improve every aspect of herself and her company and doesn?t let barriers stand in her way ? and she encourages Katie to do the same.
?We have a fantastic relationship and work amazingly together,? Katie enthuses. ?She has several roles; she?s involved in charity and government and she?s a working mother. Things crop up suddenly, so we have to be in tune.?
Katie has become something of an inspiration in her own right, speaking at networking events for the management assistant community and ending 2014 with the SecsintheCity award for Social Networking PA of the Year. She also leads Ann Summers? internal admin group, a position she claims she fell into by accident after coming back from an event and wanting to unify her fellow assistants to work as a team. ?I want to change the perception of the role within the company and in general. We?re not just secretaries.?
Her recommendation for other PAs is to understand exactly what they want out of their career, even if they?re satisfied with what they have. ?Don?t allow yourself to get side-tracked. Make sure your goal is truly right for you and take serious steps to achieve it. And always remember that your relationship with your boss is a two-way street. Don?t be afraid to ask for what you want.?
Sound advice from someone who has become a role model in the PA community.
A day in the life
7am I leave home for the drive to the office. Living in Essex and working 50 miles away in Surrey means I have a long commute, but it?s a great time for me to prepare mentally for the day ahead.
8.30am I arrive at my office and fire up my computer. I pull out my meeting file to look over any paperwork and review my workload, as well as adding anything new that has dropped in overnight. I then take the next 30-40 minutes to manage my inbox before Jacqueline arrives, when we go over her diary and find out what support she needs from me.
10am This is usually when my first meeting starts. A typical meeting might be to understand the detail behind the new marketing campaign, including the different phases throughout and what they mean to our customer.
1pm Time to grab some lunch.
3pm I dip back into my inbox, pick up and deal with anything urgent and make progress with meatier projects. It?s usually around this time I check back in with Jacqueline to see how her day is going, find out what she needs me to do, or discuss anything that?s come up. Things change so quickly in our environment that I always need to be one step ahead.
5.30pm Officially the end of the day. I tend to leave around 6pm most evenings, as I love the calm that descends on the office and I?m so productive in those blissful 30 minutes. I?ll tie up any loose ends that can?t wait, plan the next day and review my schedule for the rest of the week.
