It came as a surprise to Andrea (but not to anybody else) that she wanted to work as an executive assistant. She should have anticipated it; she did write her master’s thesis in rhetoric on how to lay the foundation for a great partnership between the rhetorical adviser and the director that needs assistance!
As in any great story, the goal wasn’t achieved from the beginning. Instead, Andrea spent four years as an external consultant in rhetoric, working her way through the Danish public and private sector. She travelled extensively, and learned how to write speeches, lead workshops, teach rhetoric, and sell consultancy services. It didn’t matter whether the client was top management, a union representative, or a specialised worker – everybody needs to be able to speak well and engage a crowd.
However, Andrea knew that working from the outside wasn’t what she desired. She wanted to be part of the organisation that she was helping, getting to know its members, its strategy, and its challenges and strength in depth. She also wanted to work closely with one or two members of management so that she could refine her ability to anticipate their needs and really be of assistance. This was a discussion that she often had with Stine, whenever the two of them and their partners met up to drink port and catch up. After two years of listening to this, Stine asked her if she wanted to try working with her and Dyalog Ltd. Andrea was sceptical at first as programming had never caught her interest, but her three-week internship passed very quickly. For a person interested in communication, behavioural design, and people, Dyalog Ltd was a wonderful source of learning and development. Advising on communication, helping with administration, and partaking in leadership discussions gave Andrea a new sense of fulfilment; here she got to stay and actually do the work instead of always leaving for the next client. After her internship she submitted a formal application and soon found herself thrown headfirst into a whole new world of programming and APL. Besides tackling administration and communicational tasks, Andrea is also trying to increase the number of memes being circulated in Dyalog Ltd!
When she is not at work, Andrea can be found in her garden, her kitchen, or in bed with the newspaper and a pot of coffee! If she must be honest, most of the time she will be found at her own computer, staying in touch with friends and planning the next gathering!
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