Resilience, Growth and Advocacy: My Journey into the EA Profession by Daniel Reid

A quick note before you start: this is a longer read, about 2,500 words but I wanted to share my story in full. If you’re reading this with a coffee, you’re in for a proper sit-down piece that charts my journey from apprenticeship to EA.

The Beginning –

My journey into the EA and PA profession was not straightforward. I actually began in a classic car apprenticeship because of my interest in supercars and restoration. When the company restructured, I suddenly found myself out of work. It was a stressful period, not knowing what direction my future would take, but I’ve since learned that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it is the less obvious decisions, the ones that feel like a detour at the time, that make the biggest difference later on.

One afternoon, while searching online, I came across a Level 2 Business Administration apprenticeship in Banbury, working in Special Educational Needs department at Oxfordshire County Council. I applied, was successful, and started in November 2019, just a few months before Covid changed everything. Overnight, I found myself working from home full time and having to learn quickly. At first, I wasn’t sure about remote working, but I came to see the benefits when it’s implemented properly.

I was fortunate to have a great line manager, Richard Merritt, who became a real ally and remains a friend today. With his guidance I completed my Level 2 apprenticeship and began building the foundations of my skills. I was introduced to tools such as Microsoft Planner and started to understand how organisation and strategy could support bigger goals. Richard also saw things in me that I didn’t see myself, such as my shyness and lack of confidence. At the time I wasn’t showing my full character, but with his support I grew, and today I am far more confident and social. By the time I completed my Level 2, I felt a real sense of momentum. Feedback from my line manager, Richard Merritt, was positive, and I began to feel that Oxfordshire County Council was the right place to build a career. That gave me the confidence to progress onto a Level 3 apprenticeship, where the challenges, and the opportunities became greater. That early progress gave me the confidence to push forward, and I knew that if I wanted to grow, I had to test myself in a more demanding environment.

Level 3 Apprenticeship –

From there, I progressed onto a Level 3 Business Administration apprenticeship in the Director of Children’s Services’ office. This was my first real exposure to working in a director’s environment and beginning to understand what it meant to be a PA. I learned the core skills, built confidence in a high-profile setting, and started to see a career path take shape.

Progressing from my Level 2 apprenticeship into a Level 3 was a turning point. At that stage I was still deciding what path to take, whether to pursue finance or to step more fully into the PA and EA career route. Over time I realised the potential of the PA profession and how much it excited me, and I knew that was the direction I wanted to follow. By the time I was finishing my Level 3, I knew I wanted to put my skills into practice in a permanent role. The apprenticeship had given me confidence, but it also made me hungry to test myself outside the safety of a learning environment. That mindset prepared me to step into my first post-qualified position in the Adult Social Care Director’s Office, where the challenges, and opportunities quickly became much bigger.

My first Qualified role as PA –

Completing my Level 3 led to my first post-qualified role as a Business Support Officer in the Adult Social Care Director’s Office. In reality it was a PA role, supporting departmental managers. This was where I began to develop the core skills that now underpin my work today.

I was quickly exposed to situations I had never faced before as an apprentice. One example was having to manage the inbox of someone who was away for an extended period. It was daunting at first, especially with different views on how things should be handled. Those disagreements became opportunities to learn, to explain my thinking, and to adapt. Looking back, that role gave me my first real wave of confidence, because it proved I could handle responsibility and adapt under pressure. Those early lessons became the foundation for later opportunities, including leadership roles and wider recognition.

Of course, stepping into my first PA position also came with tough feedback. Supporting someone I had only met once, who was absent for a long time, was a real test. I did not always have the judgment or skills at that point, and I made mistakes. But those mistakes taught me lessons I still carry. It is like learning to drive a car: you do not really learn by knowing where the clutch is, you learn by understanding what to do when things go wrong.

That experience showed me that most challenges are survivable in a professional setting, and that it is not only acceptable but essential to learn through failure. Without failure, you do not grow. Those early lessons shaped me into a very different person from the apprentice who first walked through the door back in 2019. This experience gave me the resilience and confidence to take the next step. It showed me I was ready for greater responsibility, and when the opportunity came, I stepped into it.

That foundation gave me the confidence to take the next step, and just 10 months later I was promoted –

After about ten months, I was promoted into a Business Programme Support Officer role, which had a stronger EA focus and involved working with ADASS and NHS partners across multiple local authorities. That step up helped me develop further judgment, strategic skills, and confidence in operating at a higher level. It was also the point at which I thought: okay, this might really be something good.

Winning Oxfordshire County Council’s Apprentice of the Year award in 2023 was another proud milestone. It showed that the standards I set for myself and the consistency with which I tried to deliver value were being noticed, even up to chief executive level. It was also a chance to celebrate apprentices more broadly, something I feel strongly about continuing as my career develops.

These experiences shaped the EA I am today. My style is adaptable, fluid, and rooted in being present and emotionally aware. Some EAs thrive with very traditional structures and approaches, which is exactly what certain executives need. For me, my strength lies in handling the less predictable, building relationships, and bringing a fresh perspective as a younger professional. That will continue to evolve as I gain more experience, but at its core, my approach will always be about being present and making a positive impact.

Taking on further leadership responsibilities –

Stepping into the role of co-chair of the Young Persons Network, Oxygen, was an important moment for me. Leadership opportunities can be hard to come by early in your career, and this was a chance to make a mark while giving something back. Having come through the apprenticeship system without a network like this in place, I understood first-hand the difference it could make. That perspective, along with my experience at Oxfordshire County Council, helped me bring a different view to the table.

I went through two interviews before being offered the role, and I remember feeling genuinely excited about the opportunity. My first goals were simple: to grow our membership and to put on more events. But behind that was a bigger ambition, to give young people a platform, and to create spaces where voices could be heard that might otherwise go unnoticed.

One of the proudest moments of being the co-chair so far was organising a fully booked trip to the Houses of Parliament for 50 people. It was not without challenges, right up until the day before, we did not know if we would have a room available. But with the main driver of our events lead Max Button and the rest of the committee, the day came together brilliantly. We heard from an MP, visited the LGA offices, and ended with a workshop where people imagined “running the world.” The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and it reminded me of the real impact these kinds of opportunities can have.

We are continuing to grow. There are plans to collaborate with the Neurodiversity Network and explore events such as scavenger hunts and charity projects. What has struck me most is how much I have learned about patience, delegation, and strategy through this role. Leading a voluntary network is very different from line management: you cannot rely on hierarchy, you rely on collaboration and trust. That has made me more empathetic and more thoughtful about how I work with others.

The network has also shaped me as an EA. It gave me examples of organising large events, working with diverse audiences, and understanding how to adapt my communication for different contexts, whether with apprentices or with senior executives. Those are lessons I now apply daily in my board-level role.

Most of all, the Oxygen Network has reminded me of why advocacy matters. I remember what it felt like at 17, unsure of my future and without a platform. I do not want others to feel that way. Everyone deserves opportunities to be heard, and I believe we live in a world where everyone can succeed in their own way. Silencing underrepresented voices is not a sign of strength, but of fear. True strength is creating space for different perspectives, because that is where progress happens.

Recognition has followed too, with public praise on LinkedIn from senior leaders. At first, I found it uncomfortable to highlight achievements, perhaps a very British tendency but I’ve come to see the value of advocating for myself and others. There is a difference between being known and being recognised for impact. For me, recognition is not about personal spotlight, it is about showing that consistent standards matters. That visibility through the young person’s network (Oxygen), combined with the confidence I had built through ADASS and my earlier PA experience, meant I was ready to take the next step. That’s what led me into my current role in the Chief Executive’s Office, a natural continuation of the skills and reputation I had been building.

The present day and the role I’m in now –

The confidence I had built through my earlier PA and ADASS experience, as well as the visibility I gained through the Oxygen Network, gave me the resilience to step into my current role in the Chief Executive’s Office as Executive Assistant to the Director of Economy and Place. Moving into the Chief Executive’s Office was not only a new role but also my first step into a board-level environment, where the pace and expectations were noticeably different. It came through an internal promotion, building on the connections and reputation I had developed in earlier roles. Working alongside colleagues such as Evie Simmons, who I had collaborated with before, made the transition smoother and helped me settle quickly into the new setting.

What helped me stand out was not one single achievement, but the combination of experiences I had built: working at scale through ADASS, taking leadership responsibility as co-chair of the Oxygen Network, and demonstrating that I could adapt to different environments. In interviews I drew heavily on these examples, showing I could manage large groups, advocate for others, and build strong relationships across levels of seniority.

Stepping up to board level brought with it new challenges. The steepest learning curve has been around judgment, knowing what to prioritise, when to act, and when to hold back. At this level, the volume of work is smaller, but the quality of decisions matters more. I’ve had to learn to tolerate uncertainty, to manage in chaos, and to trust my instincts. It’s a little like learning to drive: the real lessons come not from being shown the basics, but from dealing with what happens when something goes wrong.

Day-to-day, the role is a step up from my earlier PA positions, moving from departmental support into a board-level environment. There is less busywork, but far greater responsibility. I now lead on projects with a higher level of confidentiality, which means I cannot always talk openly about what I am working on, but what I can share is that I have been given more freedom, more trust, and more space to deliver on my own terms. That trust gives me confidence that I am seen as capable and dependable.

Without doubt, my visibility through the Oxygen Network played a part in securing this position. Leading a network of more than 100 young professionals, organising major events like the Houses of Parliament trip, and showing that I could work across different personality types and seniority levels, all of this fed into my credibility as a board-level EA.

Being recognised now as a pivotal team member is something I am proud of. If I could go back and speak to the 17-year-old version of myself, who was uncertain about his future, I would tell him to be proud too. Of course, I know there is still a long way to go. I haven’t reached my full goals yet, and that’s part of the journey. But what I hope to leave behind is a simple message: if you persevere, if you show grit, and if you put your mind to it, almost anything is possible.

The future –

Having reached this stage, it feels natural to consider what comes next, I see myself in the next five years as an EA to a CEO, building on what I have already achieved while continuing to grow my network and skills. Awards matter to me, not for the spotlight but as markers of impact and recognition of the profession. Most of all, I want people to remember how I made them feel, not just what I did.

Looking back, what stands out is not only the milestones but also the journey itself, the moments of uncertainty, the lessons learned through failure, and the opportunities that came from taking chances. Each step, from my apprenticeships to my current board-level EA role, has shaped me into the professional I am today.

My career is still in its early chapters, but my focus remains clear: to keep growing, to keep advocating for others, and to keep showing that with resilience and commitment, almost anything is possible. I hope my story demonstrates that there is no single pathway to success, and that the EA and PA profession offers incredible scope for development, influence, and impact.

As I look ahead, my aim is to build on the foundations I have laid, continuing to support senior leaders effectively, contributing to positive organisational culture, and using my platform to create space for others, especially underrepresented voices. Recognition and awards are welcome milestones, but the true measure of success will always be the difference I make for the people I work with and the communities I serve. That is the standard I aim to uphold as my career continues.

If my journey so far shows anything, it is that resilience and curiosity open doors. That’s the message I want to carry forward, for myself, my profession, and the people I hope to inspire.