I am an executive assistant with over 30 years of experience.

29 Comments

1. Alexis GladstoneJanuary 18,2024 at 1:50PM UTC

   Hi. I can't speak to reverse recruiters but if you want to invest in some help, I would look into a individual, reputable, career coach (of which there are many on this site).

   As for your strategy, have you looked into signing up with a temp agency? They usually have a lot of EA roles and sometimes they turn are temp to perm. There also may be some EA roles on the various gig sites if you need some work to tide you over.

   Use your network. Who do you know that may need help or know someone who may need help.

   Look into virtual assistant roles. More and more people are using VAs and with 30 years of experience I'm sure you have a lot to offer.

   Good luck.

2. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 18,2024 at 5:32PM UTC

   Thanks, Alexis. I contacted at least 20 recruiters, and I don't hear from them for anything permanent or contract. My last job paid $56/hour. It seems that as a VA, the hourly pay maxes at about $28/hour. I can't afford the house mortgage on that. Unfortunately, I don't find my network very helpful either. I sound like a real downer, but I'm very concerned and discouraged.

3. Alexis GladstoneJanuary 18,2024 at 7:27PM UTC

   KathyAnn, I didn't suggest contacting recruiters, I'm suggesting temp/staffing agencies if there are any in your area. Places like Adecco.

4. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 19,2024 at 7:00PM UTC

   I contacted contract staffing firms also. I get submitted for things but never get an interview.

5. Alexis GladstoneJanuary 19,2024 at 8:35PM UTC

   Sorry that's happening. Wish I had other ideas for you!

6. AnonymousJanuary 18,2024 at 1:50PM UTC

   Im sorry to hear about the hardship that you’re been facing.

   Hang in there.

   I have one thought. Look at roles with large tech companies. Companies like google and Amazon have hundreds of executives with EAs. (Director and above). One you “meet the bar” for a company like this you may qualify for multiple roles. Vs a smaller company there may only be 1-5 executives with EAs. Have you considered tailoring your resume to that field? When I have struggled to find a job, I usually take a short course to skill up. Most recently I took a course in data & ai. I didn’t expect to understand it like a developed, but it helped me
   become familiar with the concepts and I landed a job in tech soon after.

   On the 10k, I wouldn’t spend that. If you know about the industry and can honestly assess your skills and how they are conveyed in your resume— no need. Also that’s expensive.

   Hang in there—you got this!

7. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 18,2024 at 5:23PM UTC

   I'm applying to any business area. I can look into courses to see what I can find. I'm desperate. I don't even get called for contract roles or part-time. I never had this problem before. I bought a house a year ago, and I'm really freaking out over this.

8. AnonymousJanuary 18,2024 at 8:09PM UTC

   I hear you. There is a heavy feeling of pressure. Might I suggest tailoring your resume by industry. Consider a short course to add to your resume for the group of companies that offer the greatest return. Amazon has 214 jobs open for EAs and AAs.

   Have you seen the job board on this site? There are several remote EA jobs. That’s encouraging!

9. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 19,2024 at 6:59PM UTC

   I applied to Amazon several times and always get turned down without an interview.

10. Karin MorrisJanuary 18,2024 at 1:58PM UTC

    That seems a bit high. I had a friend do something similar and it did not work out well. They created a website and did posts on LinkedIn but it did not bring the results she expected.

    In this crappy job market, sending resumes blindly won’t work. You need to use your network to help promote you. Leverage your network by reaching out for short calls, but not with the intent to ask for a job. Lead with service and ask for guidance. There are many career coaching programs that are far less $$.

    I haven’t used her but I follow Jessica Hernandez (https://greatresumesfast.com/schedule/) She has amazing content and offers a free initial call.

11. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 18,2024 at 5:19PM UTC

    Networking hasn't worked either. I had an amazing connection with a company and got nowhere. My connections on LinkedIn are a waste. I have all these connections, and no one responds when I reach out to them. I never had this kind of trouble before. I'll check into Jessica Hernandez. However, I paid money to have my resume reworked twice, and neither resume is working. Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe Jessica will be different.

12. AnonymousJanuary 18,2024 at 8:16PM UTC

    if you’re facing financial pressures and have a short window in your budget, perhaps it might help to have a plan A (pursue a role in your field) and a Plan B (pursue something to bring in the money to help alleviate the pressure.) perhaps these strategies run parallel. You can always pursue plan A while you are working the plan B job.

13. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 19,2024 at 2:58AM UTC

    I have been sending out a TON of resumes. I'm even considering contracting, but I'm getting nothing on that either. That's why I'm looking for something outside the box.

14. Sue Gordon- retired Career CoachJanuary 19,2024 at 1:31PM UTC

    Don’t pay!!! First try hiring a career counselor or coach who can help you with strategy— you may even be able to obtain services at a local work force development center. Either way it won’t cost 10K.

    Find an employment agency you like and definitely do temp work. The employer will pay the agency, not you. Many temporary jobs go permanent. The agency may advise on resume, as well.

    If your resume goes back 30 years, remove 15 of those. And any education dates if they date you. Could be age discrimination.

15. AnonymousJanuary 19,2024 at 5:49PM UTC

    The comment regarding a career coach is a great one. I signed up for BetterUp because they have a career coach option. They matched me with 3 people and I chose a woman named Chris who is FABULOUS. Our sessions are only 30 mins and I come prepared with a topic. She asks me laser focused questions and I get a lot of value for every convo. I highly recommend it.

    It’s important to have accurate expectations. My career coach doesn’t tell me what to write in my resume and stuff that specific, she deals in the limiting mindsets that are holding be back from forward momentum.

    I do not work for better up, nor do I receive any benefit from sharing this insight. Just a happy customer.

16. AnonymousJanuary 19,2024 at 5:56PM UTC

    I agree with all the comments thus far.

    The cost you mention seems a bit high. Many of these coaches will cover updating your documentation, networking, conversations, and the varying degrees of personality/motivation/psychology. In my experience, very few do the work for you or search for a job.

    (I am a bit biased and skeptical of high cost coaches so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. I've worked with 2 career coaches for about $2000 each and taken part in various resume/personal brand improvement services for $200-$500. Some were worth it, some were not). $10K needs a guarantee (job, money back, services for extra year, one-on-one coaching with the Executive Director, etc.). If you have the money/time, it's your choice.

    There are also current trends for removing Education dates/ 10+yo exp, address, etc. from your documentation to seem current.

    If you want to stay niche, their are recruiting firms that specialize in Executive Assistants. FWIW, Many recruiting firms or headhunters have a title/salary cap and if you're in it- use them.

    -Consider Virtual Assistant.

    -Consider Startups (yes, their can be risks of stability. Some startups want a lot of fresh folks. Some really want a handful with expertise--who are curious).

    -Consider local temp agencies. They typically represent companies that want temp, temp to perm or full time work. In my experience the successful full time candidates are ones with a lot of experience.

    -If you feel upskilling is needed, take a look at some training/certificate programs that are interesting (e.g. complimentary skills like HR generalist or Project Management---or ask the recruiters what their clients really want and start there).

    Best wishes.

17. AnonymousJanuary 19,2024 at 5:59PM UTC

    Whoa, never spend money to have someone help you find a job. Take the time to not only apply to things but also to reach out in the community and to those with whom you have experience working. Let them know that you are available and can work and where your strengths are. These days many companies have either automated their internal talent/recruiting teams or have none or have limited resources to filter through the piles of applicants. Don't just be an applicant, be a proactive person who reaches out to the CEO and says I admire your business and want to work in your company. I am referenceable and experienced (please remove the 30 years experience piece because though you have it you probably never saw a job description asking for that much) Show up at the local temp agency. Be professional and share how much experience you have and that you can drop in on a moments notice to any project they have, even if it is only a days work.

    Lastly, volunteer. Find a place where you can volunteer that might have some openings in the future that you could fill. Have them get to know you, a senior center, an animal shelter, a school. Be vocal and open and let those around you including regular updates to your linkedin and in meetups know you are available! Work your network.

18. AnonymousJanuary 19,2024 at 7:17PM UTC

    I found your resume thru a littleInternet sleuthing. :) I have a couple inputs. Take it or leave it.

    While it excels in task bullets, it lacks storytelling. Please consider a summary where you describe your super powers in a couple sentences or less. Maybe it’s something like: Seasoned professional with 15years of experience in X industry. Where your execs have achieved Y outcomes. And something about your collaborative approach. Use this space to tell the reader what is special and unique about you. :) these entries sort of leave us to guess what is special about you beyond what’s written. An obviously you are special! Use chatgpt to write it for you.

    Have you considered adding the software that you know to the top of your resume. Microsoft suite, Miro, budget software, calendaring apps, etc etc. show that tech side of you.

    Also, it’s one page and it reads likeyou have only been working since 2015. So you’re probably being bracketed into roles with other folks that have 8/9 years of experience or less.

19. Jaimie FelizJanuary 20,2024 at 1:37PM UTC

    The Human Reach is about 5k and they get great results.

20. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 20,2024 at 10:31PM UTC

    Thank you. I'll look into this.

21. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 20,2024 at 10:31PM UTC

    Thanks for the suggestion.

22. AnonymousJanuary 21,2024 at 2:06PM UTC

    There's a YouTube channel called Life after Layoff. The guy offers advice based on his experience as a recruiter and does consulting for a fee.

23. AnonymousJanuary 21,2024 at 3:53PM UTC

    First off, do NOT spend $10K on a job hunting strategy. You WILL get scammed, and, even if it helps you get a job (highly unlikely) you’ll be left in debt that you can’t afford.

    Unfortunately, because you have 30 years of work experience, employers may be thinking that you’re too old to work. They may think you won’t be able to learn the new software that they use are their company.

    Here are some ideas.

    Have you tried removing most of your work experience? As in, have you written a resume that makes it look like your first job was 2014 at the earliest or 2020 at the latest? That can help a lot, because then you look like a younger adult who’s in their 20s or 30s.

    Assuming you have a university degree, have you tried erasing your graduation date? If your graduation date was in the early 1990s, then that’s going to tell them “too old”. You’ll want to remove that from your resume.

    Additionally, have you tried using staffing agencies to get a job in the meantime? They often hire only for jobs that are temp to permanent, but that can also help you pay your bills for the time being.

    It’s outrageous how discriminatory employers have become as of late. It feels like you’ve gotta fool them into thinking you’re younger than you really are or that you have more work experience than you really do, or else they’ll assume you can’t do the job. It’s one thing to be discerning about job candidates to get the right hire. It’s another to keep candidates out of work because of your own personal biases.

    Whatever you do, just don’t blow $10K on a job hunting strategy. You’re trying to earn money, not lose money. It’ll just leave you in crippling debt.

    Good luck! ?

24. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 21,2024 at 7:12PM UTC

    Thank you for the suggestions. I only put over 30 years for this discussion. My resumes goes back to 2015, and I don't show dates for graduation. Unfortunately, some applications require the college dates.

25. AnonymousJanuary 21,2024 at 9:30PM UTC

    How’s it going OP? Any updates?

26. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 22,2024 at 3:13PM UTC

    What is OP?

27. AnonymousJanuary 22,2024 at 7:11PM UTC

    The person who created the post is the “orig poster”. So someone is asking you how things are going since receiving all this info.

28. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 22,2024 at 8:03PM UTC

    Thank you.

29. KathyAnn KrajcikJanuary 23,2024 at 7:00PM UTC

    Things haven't changed. I was excited because I got a call from a recruiter for a position I applied for. Unfortunately, after speaking with him, I found out I already applied directly to the company in the beginning of January. So he can't do anything for me. I'm feeling like I never get a break. It's frustrating, but I have to hang in there. Thanks for asking.