Member Spotlight – Sara Brown

The Officials Member Spotlight Sara Brown

Each month we highlight one of our members, not only because they are fabulous people but also because we fully believe that shared experience and knowledge is important and makes everyone better people.

The Officials Member Spotlight - Sara Brown

What is your name?
Sara Brown

Where are you at in the world?
Munich, Germany

What is your job title and place of work?
Management Assistant at the European Patent Office

How long have you been an admin or assistant?
Around 25 years. I started as a temp when I was at university and it lit the fire under my admin career.

What are your favorite admin tools?
As well as an old school notebook and pen to take my day to day notes, I use OneNote all the time for preparing meetings and documents for my manager, and for storing useful information that I need to find again quickly. I travel every now and again for work so Office 365 and the flexibility it offers, being accessible from all my devices, has proven very useful.

How do you stay on top of your to do list?
Eat the frog! I always try to start with the task I want to do least and just get it done.

I have started using Microsoft Planner to track tasks for myself and my manager. I am always open to new approaches and feel like I am searching for the holy grail on this one!

What is your favorite part of the job?
Rising to the challenge and getting stuff done!

Tell us something you are proud of professionally?
I have had the opportunity to travel with our management team to places I may never have been to otherwise such as Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and the US. Despite popular opinion, business travel is never a holiday but it is an interesting aspect of the job.

Eat the frog! I always try to start with the task I want to do least and just get it done.

What is some of the best advice you’ve been given that relates to your job?
Build your network. As well as being a member of The Officials, I am also a member of IMA Germany and have met some great assistants and made a lot of friends this way. You never know when you might need some support and it’s good to know you are never alone.

What website do you visit the most?
Aside from social media, probably Google!

Currently watching/reading/listening to:
I haven’t been watching much TV, despite the current social distancing and quarantine. I love a good comedy and really enjoyed the National Theatre’s “One Man, Two Guvnors” recently broadcast online. I try to keep up with webinars too to update my skills.

I read a lot, particularly on my commute to the office, and love to escape in fiction. Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, starting with My Brilliant Friend, were great and kept me busy last summer.

Radio and music are a must for me. Every day starts with the news and then it’s music all the way! My Spotify feel good list is full of disco, pop and house music, but when that one track comes on that makes me smile, my day is made.

If you were handed a plane ticket to go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?
It has always been my dream to go to a desert island, so a trip to the Maldives would be fabulous! Relaxing in a beach hut with cocktails, seafood and fresh fruit, a good book, and the waves lapping at the shore sounds like heaven.

Why are you a member of The Officials?
I love to network and this is such a friendly group! Lauren’s openness is a boon. The bite-sized training options are great and you can dip in and out when you have time.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
It sounds obvious but being nice pays dividends! The human touch is sometimes vastly underrated.

Thank you, Sara! You are such a wonderful member of The Officials. You always show such a commitment to learning new skills but also to the importance of human connection. Your advice about networking is so important. Finding your people makes everything a bit easier.

If you would like to connect with Sara and our many other incredibly supportive members then join The Officials HQ. We are waiting to welcome you with open arms.

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