About two months ago, I found out from a candidate that her aunt wrote a book. Now the aunt, happened to have been my former candidate and what makes her unique is that she was the former assistant to John F. Kennedy Jr. And thirteen years after his untimely death, she shares her story about her journey with him for the last five years of his life. I read it in two days which may not seem so fast, but with two kids and a business to run, I had a lot of "stomachaches" that kept me in the bathroom for hours during that time.
It was a wonderful story that made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes. It was poignant; it was honest; it was inspiring; and sadly, it was tragic. It's a wonderful tribute to not only "the most famous man in the world," but to her boss.
I never had a thing for JFK Jr...not that I had something against him; but I never understood the allure. After reading her book, it all made sense. But what I really took away from the book was that as lucky as she was to land a job people would've killed for, he was even luckier to have found her. Her loyalty, compassion and true commitment to him were traits JFK Jr. searched for, but so rarely found. She was a true gatekeeper...assisting him with everything from who should be on the first cover of "George" to the intricate details of his wedding to Carolyn. She never let his status or fame allow her to stray from what was most important...being his right hand. She was his bad cop; his sounding board; his confidante and together they forged an unbelievable relationship that ended abruptly on July 16, 1999.
This story is true testament to the bond you can form with your boss. Being an assistant to someone can be one of the most rewarding jobs as you get to learn from someone at the top of their game, enjoy many of the same perks, all while remaining anonymous amongst the thousands that share your profession. I often complain about the crap that my candidates pull; or rant about the abuse some of them have taken (or some of my clients have given) but this blog is warm & fuzzy...and it's dedicated to someone who deserves all the success she's enjoying. An amazing story by an amazing woman...Fairytale Interrupted...a must read!
Good night and Happy Job Hunting,
The Job Yenta
After 10 years of recruiting, and thousands of candidates later, it's time to put my thoughts, rants, raves and stories on "paper." If you've ever applied for, recruited for, or worked at a job, then read away. I promise, you'll find a little bit of everything in here. Happy Job Hunting!
That's the type of relationship I has with my boss, just like that; unfortunately the business closed, we're still friends and even though I don't work for him anymore, if there's something he can't find he still calls me because I backed up everything and still keep it in case ... he needs something, a letter, document, I even know his passwords; he knows that I will never do anything wrong with them. When I worked for him, I wasn't just doing a job, I was doing the best I could for my boss, my friend. Even if we never work together again, one thing stands true, he has my loyalty and I'm almost sure that I'm one of the people he trusts 100%
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for good reads! I will be sure to pick this one up, thank you!
ReplyDeleteOne reason the book resonated with me is because I felt close to the author in more than one way. I'm a writer who worked in publishing in the 1990's as an associate editor, I lived in a small studio, and I remember the feeling of excitement within the publishing industry regarding the Internet. This was also pre-911 and Manhattan...and the world...was a different place.
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