Lindsey Layland

After starting work as a florist, Lindsey began a successful administrative career with Taylor Young architects and eventually became PA to the Managing Director and Admin Team Leader. She is now a full time wife and mother; her son, James, was born in November 2011.

What is your career history?

2003 - 2012 Taylor Young: PA to the Managing Director, Admin Team Leader and Administrator
1998 - 2003 Cooperative Insurance Service: Various Admin and HR roles
1995 - 1998 JD Williams Ltd: Customer Services Adviser
1990 - 1995 Buttercups and Daisies: Florist

When you supported the MD, what was your main challenge?

Hands down, diary management! Every day appointments could change numerous times and it was a constant challenge to stay on top of things and make sure I relayed the changes to colleagues also involved.

It takes a great deal of patience not to take it personally after a lot of hard work, and sometimes weeks of correspondence, to set up meetings for someone to casually cancel them.

And what was the best part of the role?

The variety of work and as I'm quite a methodical person I like to start a job and finish it...properly. Plus the satisfaction of seeing an empty tray and inbox.

When did you have sessions with Heather and what were they?

2003 - Bespoke PA training
2008 - Administrators' two day workshop

How do you feel these sessions helped your development?

The sessions were crucial to my development. In 2003 I had just started the job at Taylor Young and, even though I had worked in admin for quite a while at that point, I had never been a PA, so the training and tips I received from Heather were invaluable. The sessions in 2008 also helped me as I had just been made Admin Team Leader and the workshops focussed on team work as well as the individual.

What would be your top tip to people hoping to pursue a successful PA career?

Treat the job as a partnership between you and your boss. They need you as much as you need them and you need to manage them so that you can do the best job possible.
Never assume anything, ask questions; even if you think it's a bit daft, your boss could (and probably will) be thinking something completely different to you.
Be organised, listen and write things down. Modern technology is all well and good but you can't beat pen and paper in my opinion.

Thank you, Lindsey