I know I talk a lot about how hard it is to be an admin, but there are many benefits of being a solo administrative support professional. In this post, we’re going to talk all about the pros of working on your own.
Those benefits include setting your own rhythm. You can work at your own pace, take breaks when you need them, and work the hours that best fit your lifestyle.
You also get to set your own administrative system. This means that you can create the processes that work best for you and your clients. Everything goes through you, which gives you a lot of control over the flow of information.
And finally, when the company succeeds, your contributions are clear. You played an important role in making it happen! Working by yourself also saves time since there is less collaboration needed.
Let’s jump right in!
Benefit 1: Set Your Rhythm
Being a solo administrative support professional definitely has its benefits. For starters, you have complete control over your work planning. If you have trouble focusing or like to take breaks frequently, this can be a game changer.
You can also decide how to approach tasks throughout the day, which can help you stay organized and on track. In addition, you don’t have to worry about keeping pace with another person, which can be a tremendous relief.
As someone who values independence and control, I can say that setting my rhythm is definitely a luxury. It’s one thing that I love most about my job.
Benefit 2: Create Your Own Administrative System
When you are the only administrative support professional in an organization, you get to create your own administrative system. This means that you get to choose how to complete tasks and what processes to put in place. You get to streamline things so that they work best for you, your colleagues, and your clients.
Having everything funnel through you also gives you a lot of control over the flow of information and helps to get the temperature of your organization.
You get to pick what you want to do and what needs your attention every time. With this option, you will have a lot of control, but it can also be overwhelming and exhausting. With that much responsibility granted to you, it can sometimes feel like work never ends!
Benefit 3: Contributions are Clearer
One of the best things about being a solo administrative support professional is that when the company succeeds, your contributions are clear. You played an important role in making it happen! This can be a great motivator and help you feel more invested in your work.
It can also lead to opportunities for career growth and advancement.
Being the only administrative support professional also means that you don’t have to share the credit for your successes. You can take all the glory! This can be a great ego boost and help you feel more confident in your abilities.
Especially because the sign of our success is often invisible, it’s hard to find times where we can celebrate our contributions. So when those opportunities are more apparent, it’s nice to know that you’ve made a difference.
Benefit 4: Less Time to Plan
Working by yourself also saves time since there is less collaboration needed. This can be an enormous benefit for those who prefer to work independently or who find team projects to be stressful. It can also be helpful if you’re working on a tight deadline and need to focus all of your attention on the task at hand.
Of course, sometimes it would be helpful to have someone to bounce ideas off of or ask for help. But, in general, working by yourself can help you be more efficient and get things done faster.
Benefit 5: Grow Your Skills
Last but not least, working by yourself can be a great way to focus on your own professional development. Without the distraction of other people, you can really take the time to focus on honing your skills and improving your craft.
In previous posts, I’ve talked in great detail about ways to improve in our administrative roles. I took advantage of this opportunity. For example, when I began using Trello, I was a solo admin. It was so much easier to test new software when the only eyes on it were only mine.
Another example, I created Access databases to help me manage and store all the information I needed to monitor. Working by myself made it possible to spend time to developing an entirely custom program to help me with my work.
You can also use this time to work on developing other aspects of your professional brand, such as your online presence or networking skills. When you’re the only administrative support professional, you have the freedom to focus on your own career growth.
Conclusion
Overall, there are many benefits of being a solo administrative support professional. These benefits include setting your own rhythm, setting your own system, having everything funnel through you, and saving time. If you are considering a career in administration, working by yourself may be an enticing option for you!
Featured Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash
