I speak to so many administrative professionals who say they want more from their careers – more recognition, more challenge, more pay – but when I ask how, specifically they are intending to get there, there’s a long pause.
So here’s the problem.
If you can’t define how you’re going to get to the destination, you’re leaving your career in someone else’s hands. You’ll get pulled into whatever the business needs that day, that week, that year… and suddenly it’s five years later and nothing has changed.
The research backs this up:
• Only 28% of professionals have a written career plan (LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 2024).
• Those who do are 3x more likely to get promoted and 5x more likely to receive a salary increase.
• In the administrative profession specifically, fewer than 1 in 5 assistants say their organisation has a defined career pathway for their role (ASAP State of the Profession Report, 2025).
That lack of planning is holding you back.
Clarity changes everything.
• It makes it easier to say yes to the right opportunities and no to the wrong ones.
• It tells your executive and HR exactly what support you need.
• It turns vague ambition into a tangible plan that can be resourced, budgeted, and supported.
But clarity alone isn’t enough. You also need the tools to follow it through.
So ask yourself:
• What does my next role look like – in title, responsibilities, and scope?
• What skills and experiences do I need to get there?
• Who do I need in my corner to make it happen?
• How will I measure progress in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months?
If you love the idea of a bigger, bolder career, then you need to work out how are you going to do it.
You need a map – a written, detailed career plan with milestones.
And a compass – the skills, mentors, and self-awareness to stay on course.
Drifting is easy. But careers worth having are built with intent. And in a profession where job titles and scope are still catching up with the reality of your value, waiting for someone else to chart the path isn’t a strategy.
If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you ever get there?
