JAKE W.
JAKE W.
Jake is a polite, well-spoken young man whose boyish looks belie his self-assured maturity. Easily mistaken as shy, Jake in fact is an extrovert who acts on both stage and for commercials. Originally from a gated suburb outside of Miami, Jake followed his childhood dream to live in New York by earning his BFA in Drama from NYU. He currently lives in Ridgewood.
Self-driven and motivated, Jake completed his degree in only three years by enrolling in summer courses. Every semester, Jake worked part-time while maintaining an A+ GPA. One position was as an Admissions Ambassador for NYU, essentially a tour guide and face for the university to prospective students. Jake’s phone skills developed in his job answering the university’s admissions hotline. During his final semester at NYU, Jake took on additional work as the Receptionist and Assistant to the Marketing Manager at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. There, he leveraged his charisma at the front desk to resolve issues between faculty, students, and parents. He was responsible for scheduling all faculty appointments, keeping a check register of incoming tuition payments, and tracking reservations for performances. As the Assistant to the Marketing Manager, Jake maintained contact lists for promotional mailings using Excel, and updated copy changes to the website using Wix, a platform comparable to WordPress.
During the summer of 2013, Jake interned at the Smith Street Stage Company, which produces outdoor Shakespeare performances in Brooklyn. Jake conducted fundraising for the company by asking local businesses to purchase advertising space in the program for Julius Caesar, in which Jake also performed. Beyond completing lower-order tasks like hanging promotional posters, Jake took initiative to design and build a new concession stand for the performance venue. Since his father owns a construction company, Jake knows his way around a toolbox.
In all his endeavors, Jake not only exceeds expectations but also demonstrates long-term commitment. For example, Jake has been active in the United Synagogue Youth (USY) since elementary school, and is now an International Board Member. In the summer of 2011, as a college freshman, Jake organized a five week road trip for a busload of USY eighth graders, selecting cities and events for the itinerary. Completely trustworthy, Jake chaperoned the trip.
In October of 2013, Jake was chosen by the president of Lambent Services to become the event planner for her son’s Bar Mitzvah. Retained in the final month of planning, Jake’s role included constantly dealing with and soothing Ms. Glist; ensuring the event ran smoothly; communicating with both easy and difficult guests with grace; keeping 80 eighth graders consistently amused; and last-minute troubleshooting and problem solving. Jake’s unflagging patience, calm demeanor, and supreme organizational capabilities made him a natural choice for this role. Throughout the planning, Jake was a key component of the event’s success. He coordinated the big picture and tracked the details. Jake was the point person for all vendors – the caterer, florist, and DJ – and did smaller tasks such as printing and distributing the place cards, purchasing the wine, and designing the souvenir sweatshirts under a very tight deadline. He attended both the luncheon and the evening party, where, in addition to overseeing the event, he diplomatically ensured all guests were happy. After the Bar Mitzvah, Jake made an Excel spreadsheet for Jill’s son listing the gifts he received to help him track thank you notes. Overall, Jake’s work was invaluable, and protected Jill from considerable amounts of stress.
Jake is currently working with a client who has a longstanding illness. He has accompanied him to medical conferences and taken notes. He is also helping him move to a new apartment. In addition, Jake is coordinating the downsizing and relocation for another client, and he regularly organizes the personal matters of a major business executive who has a very busy travel schedule.
Jake’s outstanding qualities as a personal assistant include his broad range of capabilities, including computer troubleshooting, his sincere work ethic and his enthusiasm. He is a great organizer who immediately sees what needs to be done in a variety of situations. Although Jake is attracted to part-time personal assisting for its flexibility, he ensures that his clients feel they are his first priority.
