A Day In the Life of Julie Ferguson, Executive Support Manager

My Role at Energy Assets
I am the Executive Support Manager within Energy Assets Limited based in Livingston. I work primarily to support our CEO and CFO. My role is to make sure that their days go without a hitch – looking after their diaries and organising meetings and conferences. As Company Executives, the CEO and CFO used to travel considerably before COVID-19 requiring me to take care of all their travel arrangements detailing their itineraries. However, with lockdown the focus has been on Zoom or TEAMS meetings, I also provide assistance to the other Executives in supporting their meeting and travel arrangements. Recently I also took on the role of managing Business Support and look after the general operations of the business.

In my role, you need to be pretty resilient as things can change at a fast pace. I love the challenge this brings! There are things that often pop up that need to be dealt with straight away so my organisational skills need to be very sharp and honed. My core deliverables change regularly however knowing that the CEO and CFO’s lives run without a hitch is how I measure my success. Every day is different which makes the job both interesting and diverse. I love the fact there is always something to do, whether it be organising a conference for 50 people to franking the mail in the office.

Life during a Global Pandemic
Throughout the lockdown period I remained employed and fully working. Energy Assets has approached the pandemic in a very professional and caring manner with employees needs at the heart of every decision.

During COVID-19 I set myself daily tasks which I had to adhere to. It helped to keep some sort of structure to my daily routine. I really had to be quite strict with myself with regards to working at home. To help I had the same set lunchtime (give or take) to ensure I had a break and got away from my computer. I also had a list of tasks that, for me, were required to be completed that day which is very satisfying.

Smooth Operation
Taking pride in my work is important to me. I work with a great team of people and believe that we all motivate each other in one way or another.

I have certain duties that have to be done independently due to confidentiality reasons working with the Executive Team, however I also work as part of the Business Support Team. I believe I am very approachable and find this helps to ensure a good working relationship. I am also very hands on – I’m not afraid to roll my sleeves up – when help is needed. That is what makes a great team.

Just like in every job there are challenges. I guess mine would be managing the expectations of everyone I work with. Often this can be a juggle. Ultimately I like to get the job done correctly and efficiently and with the help of others I find this very achievable.

Reflecting back
Thinking back to when I first joined Energy Assets is quite daunting. Just over 2 years ago I was searching online for a new opportunity when I came across a brand new role at Energy Assets as Executive Assistant. I had the experience having worked in a reception role before as well as a Personal Assistant and Office Manager. The biggest appeal of the position was the fact that the role was newly created, so I knew I could make this role my own. I applied for the job and had my first interview with the CEO in the Starbucks coffee shop in Kings Cross station. I relocated from London only the week before I started at Energy Assets. Everything, down to my house and car, was new to me. I felt that I fitted in with the Energy Assets office nicely and within the first week I knew I had made the right move. There was no looking back!

One of my most memorable moments so far has been taking over the function called ‘Business Support’. This was a big challenge for me and one that I relished. Business Support is an important part of any business and with my previous experience in reception management, I could see clearly that there were some improvements required within our offices. There was an opportunity to improve and support the team and the business.

Looking Forward
My main goal going forward is to have an overall Business Support Team spanning across all our office locations around Great Britain which caters to the whole company. My advice for anyone seeking this line of work is to just be the best version of yourself you can be. Don’t have any doubts about your capabilities, everything is achievable.

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