Her Story
About Rita
Rita Bassett is an executive assistant and office manager for a local company in Jemison, Alabama, where she manages employee time cards, handles shipping for products, maintains customer files, assists with accounting, and supports the executives, owner, and plant manager with a wide range of tasks. She entered customer service in her 20s and moved into administrative roles in the 1990s after taking a computer course through a local community college, advancing her career solely through on-the-job experience without additional formal education. Bassett attributes her success to consistent attendance and diligence in her duties, values honesty and trust above all, and advises others to give full effort regardless of assigned tasks while recognizing their own capabilities despite challenges in a male-dominated field.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rita
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to going to work regularly and not laying out or taking time off, being there to take care of what needs to be taken care of, and being diligent in my duties.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't let anyone ever put you down because you know what you're capable of.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Give it everything you've got and don't worry about whether this is your job or not. Do whatever it takes to make yourself a success.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There are always opportunities for growth and to move up to become more than just an office manager or executive assistant, maybe even the executive someday. The challenges are that sometimes it's still a man's world and we just have to be patient and take our place in it.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and trust are most important. If you have honesty and trust, you can do anything. You can't make it in life if you're not honest, and if you don't trust the people that you work with and that you work for, you're not going anywhere.
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