Mistaken For The Administrative Assistant (When You’re Not One)

Let me start off by mentioning two things with this post: 

• We love admins and are SO incredibly thankful for the work they do. This vital role in all companies is one that we don’t take for granted as admins make our lives easier!
• 60% of At Her Desk followers have been mistaken for an admin - not as high as we expected (which is a good thing!). This sticky situation disproportionately happens to me more frequently as I often greet clients when they come for meetings. 

So, what do you do when you meet someone and they are under the impression that you are the admin? 

1. Introduce yourself right away with your name and title. “Hi! You must be Jim. Thanks so much for coming. I’m Natasha, one of the associates on our team.” If you have it handy, you could offer your business card. 

2. Get off your high horse and offer help - be it directions to conference room/bathroom or a cup of water/coffee. This one may sound counterintuitive but remember you are representing the firm, and this looks good when you are at a junior level and you don’t think anything is “beneath” you.

3. Make small talk and slide in something you’ve been working on that reveals non-admin work. This tactic works well when you have that awkward period of waiting for your colleagues to join the meeting room and you’re alone with the guest. After asking the classic questions on how their trip was of getting to your office or how gorgeous/horrid the weather is, introduce a project/an initiative you’ve been working on at a high level that may relate to why the client/guest is there visiting your team in the first place.