By Meta Careers
Claire A., Executive Assistant
Claire, you’re an 8 year veteran at Facebook, tell us a little about your history in Facebook Dublin.
When I joined Facebook in March 2009, it was a real start-up environment. The Dublin office consisted of a team of 15 people, and you literally got given your laptop in a box, shown to a desk and given a link to our internal Wiki. That was orientation! Our challenges then were really different to what they are now – there were no processes and there was huge scope to build the office culture. Over the years, I have supported three different heads of site, each of them inheriting the Dublin office at a different stage and moving it forward. It’s been a privilege to be part of that little office of 15 people growing to over 1700 today, and having so much fun doing it.
How have you been able to have impact at Facebook?
Over the years, I have taken on different responsibilities and roles, though my job title and core responsibilities have stayed the same. An important part of the site lead role is to keep the culture of the site strong, I have had the opportunity to suggest events and initiatives, and see them through. Something I love about working here is the autonomy – if you have an idea about how to make something better, it’s really up to you to make it happen in whatever way you think is best. I am part of the small team that work on the overall strategy for the Dublin site, including planning the vision for the next three years. It’s really exciting to have input into that. In the last 18 months, I was successful in becoming the lead for the Executive Assistant (EA) team for our Global Marketing teams across EMEA. There are over 30 EAs around the region, and I am responsible for being a voice for them, building community, helping with hiring, and improving processes.
What’s different about you now eight years in?
Plenty has changed over the past eight years! Most importantly, I’ve had two children, and so two maternity leaves. The flexibility I got around that was amazing. My son was born with some medical issues, and so I extended my leave after having him, and was totally supported in doing that. When I came back to work, I really understood how you own your own time here. I come into the office earlier now, and leave earlier, so that I can have some family time in the evening. I can then log on later, when the children are asleep, to catch up on anything I have missed. It’s really up to you to make our flexible working suit your lifestyle.
We’re given a lot of opportunities around learning and development, and so over the years I have grown my skills in different areas. I had the opportunity to speak at our annual EMEA women’s event. Standing up on stage in front of 800 people was really daunting, but a brilliant experience which helped me have more confidence in presenting. I’m also heavily involved in our local Social Good efforts, where we run several initiatives throughout the year to benefit the local community – from a fun run for the children’s hospital to a mentoring programme for local primary schools.
Tell me a little about your favourite aspect about your role
I think it’s the autonomy we have. I have run lots of events for the office over the years, from Game Day to summer parties and Christmas parties for children of employees. You have complete creative freedom, and own the event end to end, from budget to agency selection to theme to internal communication. It’s a really nice part of the role, as it allows your creative side to come out.
3 highlights from your 8 years
- Having Mark Zuckerberg in Dublin in 2011, buying him a hurley and having a rooftop concert!
- Telling a personal story to a big audience at our EMEA-wide Women's event in December 2015.
- Recharge – after 5 years here you get a month off to recharge the batteries and spend quality time with the people you love. That was really special.
Natasha M., Lead Admin, Engineering in Facebook London
Tell us about your journey to Facebook
After graduating from university, I joined Microsoft and spent the next 9 years working in a number of operational, EA, and business assistant roles. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Microsoft and discovered that by working diligently, patiently and determinedly, I became a valued member of the team. What I remember most is working hard, but having great fun whilst doing so.
Having worked in various business areas I wanted to make a leap in my career and secure a role that allowed me to support a high level executive, mentor team members and manage large events.
In 2015 I applied for an admin role at Facebook supporting Philip the London Engineering Site lead at the time. Philip’s passion for the business was infectious and I knew instantly that I wanted to work and learn from him. He had a unique insight into the London Engineering vision and was truly an inspiring manager. I learned a lot of new skills about leadership, people management, resilience and determination just by managing his day-to-day schedule. A couple months into the job, an opportunity came up to apply for the lead admin role in Engineering.
How has your role evolved since you joined Facebook?
The role has evolved greatly over the last year. It’s definitely a senior role with great opportunities for advancement. The scope of the job includes admin leadership, event management, comms, operational support to influence and strategic management. When I accepted the Lead admin role my new manager Mike encouraged me to take on the necessary training and L&D courses to help me advance the skills I had learnt from Philip. The training really boosted confidence in my abilities, and I’m really excited by the new opportunities it has presented.
At Facebook, admins are valued team members and have greater responsibility. They’re at the heart of a team’s business operations and activities and the soul that keep teams moving forward. In a way, my role is a managerial position.
What would surprise people to learn about the Executive Assistant and Admin roles at Facebook?
Having the freedom to be creative really inspires and motivates me. In my current role, I’ve created and executed some really big ideas. I’ve organized a Tech Summit for 600 people; the first Take Your Kids To Work Day in our London office, directed a video to open a Summit, turned a meeting room into a dance studio for the Cheerleading Admin Offsite, and managed one of the most successful Summer Hacks at the O2 arena. Some of these projects were challenging to execute to a high standard but with a help of other admins we turned the ideas into reality which gave the whole team a huge sense of growth and achievement.
Three favourite things about Facebook London
- Diversity – there are over 45 nationalities in London Engineering
- Collaboration – everyone is encouraged to voice their ideas, observations and opinions. Information and best practices are openly shared among teams and communities. It’s truly inspiring to be included in a conversation with other admins whether they’re based in London, Seattle, Tel Aviv, New York or Menlo Park
- Impact – you’re encouraged to lead from the front and make impact on daily basis no matter how big or small
Outside of work, what are your passions/pursuits?
I love adventure travel and have been fortunate to visit all seven continents. You would catch me climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa, skydiving in New Zealand, kayaking in Antarctica, or doing yoga on a beautiful beach in Asia. The last few months I’ve enjoyed decorating the house with my boyfriend, going for long walks with our one-year old cocker spaniel as I’m embarking on my biggest adventure of becoming a mum.
Vanessa C., Executive Assistant, EMEA Policy and Communications
Vanessa your background is in the civil service, what brought you to Facebook?
I have always enjoyed roles where I can make a social impact, something that has been my major motivation in life to date. I joined the civil service straight from university where I was really involved with student and community groups, with a focus on social justice and equality. Joining the civil service therefore seemed natural. In government, I worked for health and education ministers, was assistant to the Head of the Government Equalities Office, managed an EU climate change project and worked on the Service Standards Assurance team at the Government Digital Service, making sure government delivered high quality services to citizens. It was in this role that I saw the amazing impact tech could have on people's lives and understood its potential to change the world for the better.
On a more personal level, I've always used social media to support my social justice and equalities work, as well as to support other people. I also noticed the way I used Facebook had changed over time. Facebook allows me to be more active in communities and, as my confidence in my values and beliefs grew, so did my confidence to voice them. Facebook let me share stories with my friends, challenge injustices and celebrate triumphs.
A role at Facebook, working with Richard who is VP of Public Policy for EMEA , where I could continue to make positive social change but this time on a global level felt like the right move (and it was!)
Take us through a day in the life as an Executive Assistant to the Head of Policy for EMEA?
There isn't a typical day in this role. I find that sometimes, despite my best planning, everything goes out the window and I have to work on something completely different! The pace is fast, things regularly change, and working across multiple timezones as part of a global team is challenging, though exciting.
Much of my role involves making sure things run smoothly for Richard and our team, which is spread across several offices in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Core activities range from setting agendas for meetings, communicating with leadership, managing budgets for the team, arranging meetings with governments (including government departments I used to work for!), the European Commission, NGOs and key stakeholders, as well as coordinating briefings and making sure Richard is in the right country at the right time speaking at the right event.
Another fun part of the role is my contribution in helping to shape and grow our team - working with hiring managers and recruitment to screen and interview other admins. I also get to meet inspiring people, including Facebook employees (everyone on my team has exciting stories to tell) and people visiting us. For instance, if we are hosting an event in London, I often mind our guests who could range from UN agencies to non profit organizations. Not only to do I ensure things go to plan but I also attend meetings and events and learn about interesting work happening across the region.
I also love being part of the internal Facebook community. I am on the steering group for our London Pride network and I am an active member of the London Women's network.
What project are you most proud of during your time at Facebook to date?
Earlier this year, we opened a school in Berlin, Digitales Lernzentrum, that provides NGOs free facilities to teach digital skills to vulnerable groups in the community, including children, young people and older people, but also Syrian refugees who want to continue with their education as well as learn how to code. This project was the result of months of hard work by teams across Europe and North America and I am proud to have helped support the teams in my role. Working with a passionate, determined group of people who shared the common goal of wanting to give back and make things better, working to help a cause particularly close to my heart, made me realise I was in the right company.
Outside of work, how do you spend your time?
I continue to be active in my community and fight for equality, something that often complements the policy team's work at Facebook. I have been an Information and Support Line Volunteer on the East London Rape Crisis Service since 2013. In this capacity, I acquired a qualification with Solace Women's Aid, have represented East London Rape Crisis at the London Feminist Film Festival and completed training in supporting women involved in or exiting prostitution with Nia and The Huggett Women's Centre. I was also a charity trustee of Henna South Asian Women's Group and am involved with other women's groups across London.
To relax, I spend time with my awesome friends (I don't know what I would do without them!), I love going to the theatre, travelling whenever and wherever I can (any opportunity to speak Spanish!) and am trying to learn Tamil. London is one of the best cities to live in for things to do and I'm never bored - there is always a festival, music gig, comedy night or new restaurant to try!
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