Her Story
About Larissa
Larissa Cisz has spent about 6 years in the administrative professional field. Her last role was as an administrative coordinator in the innovation department of her company, a position she held for 3 years. In that role, she managed grant cycles with a private foundation, overseeing 4 cycles that dispersed $1.5 million across 65 grant projects on all continents and handling all related paperwork. Prior to that, she built experience through multiple administrative roles at the same company, progressing from event management into administration and grants work. She has also volunteered at various places working with children. Larissa has followed a non-traditional career path, supplementing official education with certifications in project management and admin-related functions.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Larissa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have been very blessed to have a lot of people pour into my life, and to have a lot of opportunities. I've been even with the non-traditional path, that is an opportunity in and of itself, to travel, to live in different states with different careers, and so I do believe that all of those opportunities have created who I am today and who I'm becoming.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I think a lot of the best career advice has been, you have time. And while I am younger, and people tend to tell me that as a younger, like, younger career professional, I've also seen that play out in, so many more experienced professionals' lives as well. Like, it's never too late to start over, like, that kind of idea. And so you can get started in something new, you can always learn something new, you can continue improving, to have the best career and the best fulfillment, that can come from that.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Young women in my industry are valued. Sometimes administrative professionals that tend to be young women aren't always valued within their companies, and so that we see what they are doing, that they are valued, that their work is really, really important, and that their work is really important to the work of the company. The company couldn't function without the work that they are doing. you have value, you have things to offer, and it isn't just making coffee, you know, like, you can also use your skills, and that is a leadership skill. Even the administrative work that you're doing is a leadership skill.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value helping others, and I also value receiving that help back. So having that mutually beneficial relationships, both in my career and in my personal life. I value my friends, I spend a lot of time with friends and family, and in my professional career, a lot of it has been built on helping other people, and then also being able to be fed into so that I can grow as well.
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