I spent 2 hours watching this movie, and it was worth every second. I learned so much from Andy (Miranda’s assistant) and from Miranda (the Chief Editor of Runway). Here are the key lessons I learned from this movie as an Executive Assistant:

The Power Of An Elevator Pitch and First Impression

At the start of the movie, we watch Andrea getting interviewed by Miranda for the second personal assistant job. Even if Andrea had an impressive resume and education background, she went to the interview unprepared. She didn’t create a perfect first impression in front of Miranda.

Andy: I came to New York looking for a job as a journalist ….

Miranda: so, you don’t read Runway?

Andy: No!

Miranda: And before today you’ve never heard of me?

Andy: No!

Miranda: You have no style or sense of fashion!

Miranda stopped interviewing and used gestures to tell her to go after that short conversation. Andy created a bad first impression by showing Miranda that she doesn’t have interests in the fashion industry, Miranda’s work or the company she was going to work for (Runway).

Andy tried to come back by using a good elevator pitch which helped her land a job.

Andy: Okay, you’re right, I don’t fit in here. I’m not skinny or glamorous. I don’t know that much about fashion, but I’m smart, I learn fast, and I will work very hard.

At the end of the movie, we learn why Miranda hired Andrea. All her former assistants were glamorous and liked fashion, but many turn out to be disappointing and incompetent. She wanted to take a risk and see if a different girl can deliver results. If Miranda wasn’t a risk taker, she wouldn’t have hired Andrea. This shows how important it is to make a good first impression and to always be prepared to impress people you meet. If Andrea would have come to the interview prepared, showing a sense of fashion, showing interest in Runway and Miranda’s work, she would have landed her job much easier.

When Things Get Hard, Whining Gets You Nowhere. Identify The Problem and Solve It!

Andrea was struggling in her first days of her job. It’s understandable as it was her first job as an assistant, she wasn’t experienced. When she approached her workmate Nigel to whine about her struggles, Nigel gave her an advice that changed her performance.

Andy: She hates me Nigel! I don’t know else I can do. If I do something right, it’s unacknowledged. She doesn’t even say “thank you”. But If I do something wrong, she’s vicious.

Nigel: So, quit, I can get another girl to take your job in 5 min. One that really needs it.

Andy: That’s not fair. I just would like a little credit that I’m killing myself trying.

Nigel: oh Andy! Be Serious, you’re not trying. You are whining. You don’t care about this company and your role, the role that other people would kill for. You have no interest in it.

Andy then saw that the problem was that she had no interest in fashion, and wasn’t doing anything about it. She decided to work on it by using Nigel’s help to shop glamorous clothes, and start behaving like a person who works in fashion. This changed her performance, she started impressing her boss and all workmates. It’s like, no matter how hard you push at a wall with your own strength, it’s not going to come down. But don’t complain — just work around the challenge to figure out a new way to get that wall down.

Show Initiative by Anticipating What Needs Done, And Helping Out.

Miranda: One copy. What are my twins going to do with that? Share?

Andy: No no. I made two copies, and had them covered, reset and bound so that they wouldn’t look like manuscripts. This is an extra copy to have on file. You know, just in case.

Miranda: Well where are these fabulous copies? I don’t see them anywhere.

Andy: They’re with the twins, now on the train on their way to grandma’s. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Miranda: (Speechless). That’s all.

Andy really impressed Miranda on this. It showed me that if you’re supposed to be two to three steps ahead of your boss, there’s nothing better than being way ahead of your boss so that no matter what they throw at you, you’ve already done it.

Build A Good Relationship With Your Workmates

Building a good relationship with her workmates helped Andy. Nigel helped Andy become more stylish and to develop an interest in her job, and Emily helped Andy become a better assistant.

Don’t Make Your Boss Have to Find You.

There’s nothing worse than when your boss needs you for something, and you’re nowhere to be found. Being late or missing in action is something an assistant shouldn’t ever do. Sure, Miranda Priestly was terrifyingly demanding, but that’s what Andy signed up for, and she’s expected to deliver (both results and coffee).

Study Your Boss, Know What They Like And What They Hate – Be Who They Want You To Be

Andy learned that her boss wanted her to be like her. Work hard, be fashionable, and get all tasks done without asking too many questions. She used Nigel’s help to become more glamorous, used Emily’s help to learn how to be a better assistant, and changed her lifestyle to meet her boss’s demands. This changed her performance (made it better). She started impressing everyone. Hadn’t she learned what needed to change in order to keep her job, she would have lost it.

When You Are New, Always Do Your Research. Be Prepared, Informed and Up to Date with What’s Going on In Your Field. 

Andy: (On the phone) Could you please spell “Gaaabaanah”?

Andy demonstrated incompetence when she asked the person on the phone how to spell Gabbana. For someone who was working in the fashion industry, she’s supposed to know all the key people, key partners, and all basic info on the industry. It’s important to remember though that these people are busy, and they don’t have the excess time or energy to answer questions you can easily look up on your own. Use your own research skills to learn what you need to know. You’ll impress everyone with how smart you are, and you can impress your boss, business partner, or client with how resourceful you can be. It’s not good to ask questions or info whose answers you’re supposed to know or ask for help for a problem you’re supposed to solve by yourself.

After working improving her performance, she learned all of the above and started to always come to meetings and events prepared. There is a time when Miranda, Emily, and Andy were in an event and someone waved at them. Miranda looked at Emily hoping that Emily knew who that person was, but she had forgotten. Andy stepped up and told Miranda that it’s the ambassador and that the woman he’s with is the woman he left his wife for called Rebecca. This marked the beginning of the fall of Emily and the rise of Andy. Andy later became a more valuable assistant than Emily, and it all started with always being prepared, doing the necessary research, and proving to be useful to her boss.  

GET IT DONE, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY

I capitalized all letters of this title because it was the biggest lesson I learned from this movie. No excuse is enough to make your boss forget that you didn’t deliver the expected results. Just get it done by any means! When Andy failed to get Miranda on a flight from Miami to New York, she had really tried everything possible. She had a strong reason to not get this task done, but Miranda didn’t care about the excuse. She still told her that she was disappointed in Andy’s performance.

Accomplishing the impossible makes you invaluable. If something seems too hard, figure out how to get it done anyway. Successful people are usually no smarter or more talented than their less successful counterparts; they just don’t give up easily. Andy proved that she’s invaluable when she got the Harry Potter manuscript for the twins. The other thing that seemed impossible to her. Had she given up on finding it because she thought it’d be too hard, she would have lost her job. Take that same approach in your career or your business. Get it done, by any means necessary, as if your job depends on it.

If You Work Well for Your Boss, He/She Will Put A Good Recommendation in Your Next Job Application

The New York Mirror Interviewer: I called over there (Runway) for reference. I got a text from Miranda herself, saying that in all assistants she has ever had, you’re by far her biggest disappointment, and if I don’t hire you, I’m an idiot. You must have done something right.

At the end of the movie, Andrea quits her job and apply to be a reporter at the New York Mirror. In her interview, the interviewer tells her that he called at Runway and talked to Miranda and that Miranda recommended her for that job. She ended up getting that job because of the positive recommendation from her former boss.

This showed me that if I work hard and well for my boss, He might help me land a better job in the future by putting in a good recommendation for me. This surely motivated me to impress so that I will leave a good reputation, which will lead to getting a good recommendation if I ever decide to leave for another job. 

That’s all for now, see you in my next blog post.