NEWS
CAREER Professional development tips for executive-level PAs
INDUSTRY EXPERT
ALEX JONES
Time to take stock of your integrity , EAs
Integrity is the foundation of an EA ’ s ethical standards and the reason you develop a reputation at work as reliable , trustworthy and honest .
Employers often include integrity as a prerequisite for high-level assistants . So , if you plan to change jobs or advance your career , take stock of your integrity and know how to demonstrate it at work and in job interviews .
Developing integrity Start by considering how consistently you : w Follow through with commitments w Share information w Keep yourself accountable w Act responsibly w Respect the ideas of others w Give credit where it ’ s due .
Taking stock of this will allow you to take a measure of your own levels of integrity . Ask yourself , too , when do you demonstrate integrity ? Always or only when someone will notice ?
Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses in this area , set self-improvement goals and introduce new habits to develop . For example , if you find punctuality challenging , your first goal could be just ensuring you are two minutes early for every meeting this week .
Once you ’ ve identified goals , plan how you will meet them . Remember to evaluate your progress regularly and celebrate when you hit goals you ’ ve set yourself .
How to answer integrity job interview questions Common integrity interview questions include : w Tell me about a time you made a mistake … w If a white lie would diffuse a tense situation , would you tell it ? w What would you do if you were privy to information that wasn ’ t widely known within the organisation ?
To answer these questions , use the STAR method ( Situation , Task , Action and Result ) to show how you ’ ve demonstrated integrity in the past . Here ’ s how it works : w Situation : Describe the situation you were in . For example : “ In my last role I worked for a busy executive who needed a lot of support . At first , I tried to handle everything by myself but after months of long hours I found myself feeling overwhelmed and I missed a key deadline .” w Task : Explain what you decided to do . For example : “ I realised I had been so focused on making a good impression as a hard worker who could handle a heavy workload that I hadn ’ t delegated effectively to other support staff . I brought the mistake to my executive ’ s attention and rectified it immediately .” w Action : Describe what you did . For example : “ From then on , I delegated certain tasks . w Result : Explain what happened following your actions . For example : “ Work is now completed efficiently within standard business hours .”
Good luck ! S
Alex Jones is Senior Regional Director at Hays Office Support
66 Executive PA | Winter Issue 2022