In celebration of Administrative Professionals Day, we are shining a spotlight on Knowland’s very own Senior Administrative Coordinator, Laura Needham! For three years, Laura has supported Knowland in so many ways, such as maintaining headquarters, assisting recruitment and onboarding efforts, organizing company events, and much, much more. We simply could not function as smoothly as we do without her.
So, we wanted to gather her perspective on what it’s like to work at Knowland – especially now that she has been promoted as Knowland’s new Marketing Associate, leaving big shoes to fill in the ever-critical Administrative Coordinator role!
What is it like being the Administrative Coordinator at Knowland?
Challenging for sure! I can plan out my day or the week ahead, and things still never quite go the way I expect. I can really feel how much I’ve grown – things that would have frazzled me three years ago are just a day in the life to me now.
What do you like most about working at Knowland?
Easily my colleagues. People often tell me, “I know you have such a thankless job!” and that is absolutely not the case. I feel very appreciated by both our senior team and my peers, plus I think I have genuinely good relationships with everyone.
What has been the greatest challenge in this role?
This role has been a real test to my organization and prioritization skills. I often have to stop what I’m doing to put out a fire, or figure out how to make time for an important new project on top of my zillion day-to-day tasks. I think most administrative professionals would say the same thing, so I would add that I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have an understanding and supportive manager when times get hectic.
Now that you’re transitioning to our Marketing team, what advice do you have for the new Administrative Coordinator?
Ask questions! When you’re working with so many different people on so many moving parts, there are a lot of opportunities for mistakes, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask them again. On the same token, mistakes inevitably do happen, so learn from them and focus on what you can do to make them right. Finally, I would advise that you look for projects that interest you – for me, I looked for any excuse to help Marketing because those projects excited me. We’ve had quite a few people move around here – my favorite example is someone who started in Customer Success and landed in Product Management, which are so wildly different (hi, Dhvani!!) – so I believe Knowland really cares about your professional growth and making sure you’re exploring the right opportunities for you.
Many thanks again, Laura! If you’re interested in filling the challenging, but rewarding role of Knowland’s Administrative Coordinator, submit your application here.
