Many administrative professionals want more—more recognition, challenge, and pay—but lack a clear plan to get there. Without a defined roadmap, your career can be shaped by chance rather than intention. A written plan, aligned with skills, milestones, and support, is the key to turning ambition into measurable progress.
ambition
The Motherhood Penalty and the Assistant Profession
UK campaigner Joeli Brearley revealed this week that mothers earn 33% less than fathers — and in a profession that is 98% women, that matters. Too often, assistants are dismissed as “unambitious,” but what if that perception is simply bias in disguise? When society undervalues mothers, it undervalues women’s work — and that bias bleeds into how assistants are judged. Assistants are ambitious. They run portfolios, align leaders, and manage complexity daily. The real question isn’t why assistants don’t want to progress — it’s why ambition is still defined through a male lens.