The Right Role. The Right Place. The Right Time.
As I approach close to the six-month mark in my current role, I've found myself reflecting on a question that was presented to me during the recruitment process for this position, supporting a Principal.
Someone said something in an interview that has really resonated with me ever since. There were three things to consider for alignment with this job: the right role, the right place, and the right time. They asked me to answer the questions - and I must have answered well, because I got the job!
And, as time has passed, these questions still really resonate with me. I find them genuinely powerful - and I wanted to pass them on, as they might be helpful if you're currently navigating the recruitment process. I know many EAs are quietly asking themselves these same questions, whether they're job-searching, settling into a new role, or wondering if it's time for a change.
The more I have reflected on them since that time, the more I realised the three don't always line up, and how much of a difference it makes when they do.
🔹The right role - one that matches your skills, but also provides purpose, growth and excites you.
🔹 The right place - a culture and community where you feel you belong, not just employed.
🔹 The right time - where your experience and life stage meet the opportunity in front of you.
As an Executive Assistant, and as Founder of EAs in Education, I speak with so many EAs navigating exactly this, wondering whether it's the role, the school, or simply not yet the right moment.
In fact you have already answered these three questions before you even apply for a role, and at times, they may not be in alignment, but you apply anyway.
Sometimes it's not the school or the role at all, it's simply not the right time in your life for the move. A great role in the wrong culture will wear you down, and the right culture with the wrong timing will still feel like a compromise. And if a role isn't right just yet, it doesn't mean it's wrong, sometimes it's just early.
When the role, the place and the time come together, it really does becomes purposeful and meaningful. This has happened for me right where I am. So if you are currently searching for that fit, know this: it's out there, it may take some time, you'll need patience - but when you find it, you'll know.
