Introduce yourself and your role?
Hello, Im Julie and I have worked for the Justice and Community Safety (JACS) directorate in the ACT Government for nearly two years. It’s my first EA gig! My job title is a Branch Support Officer (BSO). I am EA to a very busy Executive and provide finance and admin support to a team of ten which has several different portfolios to administer. It’s a great role – I love the variety.
Do you remember the first day you became an EA?
The first couple of weeks were a bit of a blur! The BSO I was replacing had already moved into her new role as EA to a higher ranked Exec – thankfully on the same floor. We spent a lot of time at each other’s desks! The other EAs on the floor were fantastic too – I was made very welcome.
What would you consider to be the most rewarding part of your position as an EA?
I read or heard the phrase “effective point of intersection” somewhere this year and it resonated. I support my Exec and my team by being a reliable first point of contact. When people reach out to me, I like being able to make things click. I interact with staff, external stakeholders, Government suppliers and occasionally members of the public. I always feel happy to know I have helped solve a problem, answer a question, or connect parties who need to collaborate.
What was a role that you have owned or an experience you have had, that helped shaped your success in your current position?
Some years ago, I worked in a warehouse for a distributor of craft supplies – best job ever for a scrapbooker! I started as an order picker and ended up almost solely responsible for receiving. I felt like I was moving mountains some days! Over time I learned to stay calm, breathe and focus on one thing at a time during intensely busy periods. It’s a skill I’m very glad I possess and it’s definitely an asset in my current role.
What are three items you can’t work without?
Pen and paper – I write lots of lists, espeically when I was working from home where no one could see me, I use real paper and pretty coloured pens to prioritise tasks…… can I count pen and paper as one item? Because I really can’t work without a computer mouse either. Or snacks.