What did you do before joining Costello Medical?
Before joining Costello Medical, I worked as an Operations Manager where I was primarily responsible for overseeing the office building and maintaining relationships with clients. I also supported the General Manager with various administrative tasks. This role taught me a number of core skills, such as communication and organisation, which I have been able to utilise and develop in my role as Personal Assistant.
What do you like best about your role as Personal Assistant at Costello Medical?
Here at Costello Medical I truly feel that I am part of a close-knit and collaborative team. This, as well as the supportive company culture in which all contributions are recognised, means that I always feel really valued. It is a great role and I can see lots of future opportunities ahead for me at Costello Medical.
In my role, I support multiple people and work on a wide range of tasks and projects, meaning I am a true partner to our senior management team. No two days are the same and I truly feel that I contribute to my colleagues’ success, as well as the success of the business.
How would you describe a typical day in the life of a Personal Assistant at Costello Medical?
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I often arrive in the office early as I am naturally an early-bird and I find it beneficial to use this time to check everything is in order for the colleagues I support. A quick review of their day provides a helpful insight regarding their workload and allows me to pre-empt some tasks that they might reach out to me with. For example, I can see that one of our Consultants has a client meeting at 11am today, so I will try to keep their morning free so they can prepare for this without distraction.
Next, I review my inbox and resolve any tasks that have a quick solution or need urgent action. I flag other tasks and return to these later in the day.
I then head to the kitchen to make a coffee and take a few moments to catch up with my colleagues. It is impossible to go to the kitchen and not bump into someone you want to chat to!
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Back at my desk I check my diary and to-do list, which I updated the previous day. I then prioritise this according to the emails I flagged earlier. It is important to make sure my time is well organised, and I am prioritising my tasks effectively. If my own time is well organised, it is easier to support the senior team efficiently.
I now get started on the most pressing tasks. This can include arranging internal or external client meetings, processing expenses, managing diaries, running project analyses, organising our attendance at different events and then making the necessary travel arrangements for these.
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Today, I also need to finish writing the minutes from a recent meeting held by our Health Economics and Statistics team, who I support closely. Once these are complete, there are a few action points from the meeting that I can proactively complete to support the team further. This includes researching some different topics online and I compile my notes within the minutes. I always enjoy researching different scientific topics and learning more about our industry.
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Now it is time for lunch so I head to the communal kitchen to catch up with colleagues – it is such a boost to my day as I love having the chance to speak to members of the team I might not work with on a daily basis.
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In the afternoon, when I return to my desk, I follow up on any emails that need my attention and make amendments to my colleagues' diaries for the rest of the day.
A few weeks ago, I compiled and distributed a survey on behalf of one of our Consultants and, today, I need to analyse the results. To make the results quick and easy to review and interpret, I will put these into a PowerPoint presentation with simple graphs and tables to highlight interesting findings.
During the afternoon, essential desk snacks can include, but are not limited to: fruit, coffee and biscuits. Our communal kitchen thankfully stocks all of these!
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My afternoons often include catch-up meetings with those I support to see if there is anything else I can do to help them out. These catch-ups are a good opportunity to review the way we are working together to make sure my support is as useful and effective as possible.
It is common throughout the day to deal with last minute requests and diary management tasks. Therefore, it is important that I am able to react to these and can be flexible with my time when needed.
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At the end of each day, and particularly at the end of each week, I write down an updated to-do list with the tasks that still require my attention. Having a fresh list in the morning helps me start the day with a clear mind and feel well organised. I love ticking tasks off as I finish them!