How do I get out of admin. work?

[IFeelSoLost]

Hi All,

I could really use any insight/advice you all might have regarding my situation.

I am about to go crazy. I am so sick of being an admin. I graduated in '02 with a BA is sociology. I was unsure of what I wanted to do career-wise then, but enjoyed my studies and figured I would be able to figure out more of a concrete career path once I graduated and got out into the work world. Fast foward- I still have no idea what I want to do. I do know that I don't ever want to do admin. work again.

Ok, so I know I have some transferable skills. I know I have intellect and drive, but it feels like that's being sucked away by having to do menial tasks a monkey could do. Don't get me wrong, I'm greatful to have a job, the I am about to turn 27 and I feel like I'm wasting my life. It's gotten to a point where I am becoming physically sick and going to work makes me ill. I'm not joking.

I know I want to try and help people or do something that has some sort of significance. I just don't know what or how.

At this point I realize I'm not going to figure my calling out overnight. I do know I want to get out of admin. work asap but I have no idea how to do this. I don't have experience in anything else and have difficulties trying to get interviews. Any advice on how I can make a jump? At this point I'm open to almost anything (no sales or financial type stuff). I feel like I've paid my dues and would like to try and get a position that is a bit higher than entry-level, but would be willing to take it if it gave me more responsibilites, oppurtunities to learn and grow, etc.

I just feel so stuck with admin work. PLEASE help.

Thank you so much for your thoughts.

[cheshrcarol]

I hate to state the obvious, but have you tried browsing job ads and applying?

[lonestar]

The problem is the want ads in newspapers list these figures about x amount of years of experience required, and if you have been stuck doing admin work how do you get past that barrier?

[Deeni]

I too got sucked into admin work after I graduated from school. It is the HARDEST thing to get out of. And the only people willing to train are those looking to fill sales positions (which I in NO way wanted to do)! I think the main ways to try to get out of this is to look for entry-level type jobs that are para-professional such as marketing assistant, accounts payable, program coordinator, leasing assistant. That way you can use your existing admin experience but will be gaining other skills that can help you move away from admin.

Either that or go back to school for a technical degree but that is not an option for a lot of people.

I got away from admining by sheer luck. I went on an interview for admin asst and after interviewing, the interviewer said he had something else that might be a better fit for me. So now I am doing financial aid planning for a local college. :googly:

[cameralady]

I got away from admining by sheer luck. I went on an interview for admin asst and after interviewing, the interviewer said he had something else that might be a better fit for me. So now I am doing financial aid planning for a local college. :googly:

Oooh...how I'd like to do that now!

[PenforPrez]

I was told by a job counselor that administrative work might be a good way to get in somewhere. Is that just wrong?

[biodork]

I was told by a job counselor that administrative work might be a good way to get in somewhere. Is that just wrong?
I don't think that's wrong, but I'm betting you'd have to be with a large company. I'm pretty sure that's how mishl got her current position!

[winneythepooh7]

If you are willing to start at the bottom again and work your way back up, you shouldn't have a lot of problems. I often get resumes from people with mostly Admin experience who want to switch over to human services work. As long as they are okay with starting at our lowest paying job (which is $9.00 an hour) until they can get more experience, I don't have a lot of issues in giving them an opportunity.

[NorthernAngel]

There seems to be a trend with new grads getting stuck in admin work. Been there - done that - for 4+ years.

In my case, I took advantage of the networking possibilities my admin job allowed me - built up a nice rolodex of contacts. When I was out of a job, I started calling my contacts and eventually one landed me a job as a marketing manager.

[Cole]

I went to massage school while working an admin job, and now I'm using the admin skills to run my own business. :)

But really what it came down to was just quitting and picking up a retail gig for the interim.

[mishl982]

I don't think that's wrong, but I'm betting you'd have to be with a large company. I'm pretty sure that's how mishl got her current position!
I think it's easier to move around in a large company but that doesn't mean that it's only exclusive to big companies.

I started with a few admin jobs at different places, then got a job as an admin at a large government contractor, and about 8 months later someone in my program decided to move onto another program, I took her position and I am now doing data management (contract related stuff). It's still somewhat admin-related, but I don't do all the annoying tasks like book conference rooms and take minutes for every meeting, etc, anymore. It is definitely a step up. My goal when I interviewed for the admin position was that I wanted to move my way upwards within a company and I knew that I had to start at the bottom.

What kind of company do you work for? Small or big? I say your best bet is to just apply to jobs (internally or externally) even if they ask for experience you don't quite have, because you'll never know. Plus networking helps a TON.

[Deeni]

I don't think it is impossible to move from admin to a "regular" job in most companies. But I have found that a lot of employers do not want to hire admins who want to leave or get promoted after a short while. On a lot of my interviews, I was told that they were looking for someone who would stay in that position for awhile. I guess good admins who are content in that job are hard to come by.

Financial Aid Planning has been just as frustrating as my admin work but thank god I don't have to do calendar maintenance or take minutes any longer. I hated those things so much. At least now I am somewhat more in control of my tasks.

[ya never know..]

I would LOVE to have a job in an office....be it answering phones, whatever...that's what I long to do..[call me crazy]

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm sort of an admin now, but I work in an organization that has a lot of turnover in the ranks right above me, so it's very possible that I could end up there after a while. The person who held this position before me, for example, was promoted in this way.

[TranquilSkye]

Don't give up yet, there's still a way out of admin work. One of the great things about being an admin is that you can take on a variety of tasks. Sure a lot of it is data entry, answering the phone, filing, and other boring menial tasks. However, you wouldn't be there if the company didn't need you. You simply need to take it upon yourself to branch out.

I worked in a variety of admin jobs throughout college and after college, but I soon realized if I didn't want to be an admin forever I had to learn other useable skills. So I headed down the hallway to human resources, accounting, and research and started asking for stuff to do. At first it was just type this, file that, or copy this, but then things picked up from there. I picked up enough basic skills that my resume became very diverse and I didn't have to continue in admin if I didn't want to. Now I run my own business and am glad I can do all the gruntwork myself.