“ Every morning , without fail , I would review potential roles and out of the thousands advertised there were only three or four I was able to apply for .”
NEWS
CAREER Professional development tips for executive-level PAs
THE FINAL WORD FROM A CHIEF OF STAFF
JO JONES My bus finally came !
Earlier in the year I shared my redundancy story on the Executive PA website . I spoke about the seven stages of grief and at the time of writing I was at ‘ reconstruction and reflection ’. I also quoted my dear old mum who used to say : ‘ Jo , if this is your bus , you won ’ t miss it ’.
I ’ m not an anxious person at all but I became one , especially on Monday mornings . I felt lost and couldn ’ t have a leisurely start to the week . I felt guilty if I wasn ’ t constantly job searching , and it didn ’ t matter how much understanding and validation came my way . I just couldn ’ t relax . Every morning , without fail , I would review potential roles and out of the thousands advertised there were only three or four I was able to apply for .
“ Every morning , without fail , I would review potential roles and out of the thousands advertised there were only three or four I was able to apply for .”
My main motivation has always been to feel I ’ m contributing to the greater good of my organisation so the industry I work in is super-important to me . This will have narrowed my search but I was also catapulted into a very dry recruitment market , and this added to my anxiety .
Recruiters I managed to speak to said it wasn ’ t a good time to be looking and that narrative made it hard to keep going . I also had varying levels of service from recruitment agencies . Most didn ’ t reply and those who did sent an automated
messaging saying I would only be contacted if my experience was suitable .
This told me the agencies were busy , albeit in a baron recruitment market . But being the job hunter , I think its forgotten that an actual human is at the heart of it all . My experience left me feeling that many recruiters have lost that allimportant customer service element . And all of this contributed to how I felt , which was lost .
Fast-forward three months and I ’ m pleased to report that I ’ m about to begin a new role ! Very early on in my rollercoaster ride I met Rychelle Ryan , director at C & C Search , and from the moment we started talking about what might be next for me , I knew I was in good hands . Not only did Rychelle understand my requirements ; she kept in touch .
Later , she introduced me to her colleague Jodi Findell who was looking for a true right hand for her client ’ s CEO . Jodi ‘ sold ’ me the role and client instantly , and I was excited . I dared to dream that this could be my bus . A few days later I heard the company would like to interview me . Two more interviews and 10 days later , I signed my contract – my bus finally came and I jumped aboard !
The last few months have been a learning experience , for sure . If you ever find yourself in my situation I ’ d offer you the following advice :
w Take care of you and be kind to yourself . w Have that second cuppa in bed on a Monday morning and enjoy it ! w Be realistic about your finances and work to a budget . w Equally it is OK to treat yourself to a posh coffee from your favourite coffee shop . w Don ’ t be shy in telling people what ’ s happened because it ’ s not your fault . And the more people that know , the more support will come your way . S
Jo Jones is EA to CEO at TM Forum
58 Executive PA | Summer Issue 2025