My name is Kristen Nelson and I am the Senior Executive Assistant for a City Manager in Southern California. I have about 12 years of experience in the administrative management field but this is my first position with local government.

 

 

I decided to apply and test for the CAP certification because I wanted to find a way to set myself apart from my peers in a way that was justifiable and recognized by a well-known organization, such as IAAP. My hiring caused a bit of a stir because, until I was brought on, all "hires" were more like "internal promotions." I am constantly trying to find ways to prove myself to my peers and to my City Manager and after reviewing everything about the CAP, I knew that this was a great step in that direction.

 

I want to prove that I am committed to excellence and that I have a skillset that meets and/or exceeds the industry standard. It will be a personal feather in my bonnet, so to speak, but it will be great come performance evaluation time, too.

 

I am looking forward to sitting for the March 2017 exam!

 

Kristen

Hello Kristen!

A very inspiring message! Good for you for taking control of your own career! I agree that CAP will set you apart. In today's very competitive marketplace, I feel it's very important to do things that will give you the edge. And continuous learning is a big part of that!

Congratulations Kristen! And go get 'em!!

Love your post! That's one of the reasons I went for my CAP and now I'm getting my OM. Find ways to differentiate yourself from other assistants and give your employer more bang for their buck.