What Does Karina Murtagh Do as Khan Academy’s Office Manager?

TL;DR

Karina Murtagh keeps Khan Academy’s office functioning by stocking food and supplies, supporting new hires, answering requests, maintaining technology, and helping with major events. Her days begin with checking the office before she tackles an expanding task list and prepares company meetings. She says success in tech office management requires openness, quick thinking, adaptability, and interaction with different groups. Read on for details about her responsibilities, career path, and advice.

Transcript

i'm here with karina what do you do here at khan academy i'm khan academy's office manager so that means i do a little bit of everything in the office i keep everybody happy i keep our office stocked and filled with food and snacks and our technology working and i help our new hires and i help people in need and basically anything and everything th... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍💼 Office managers at tech companies like Khan Academy have diverse responsibilities that go beyond traditional administrative tasks.
• 🧑‍💼 A typical day for an office manager includes checking for any office issues, managing a long to-do list, and preparing for company meetings and events.
• 🧑‍💼 Experience in managing offices across different locations can provide valuable skills and insight.
• 🖐️ Office managers play a crucial role in supporting the overall functioning and success of a company.
• 🤔 The tech industry requires office managers to be dynamic, agile, and quick-thinking in handling a variety of tasks.
• 🧑‍💼 Office management can be personally fulfilling when it aligns with one's values and contributes to making a positive impact on the world.
• 🧑‍💼 Khan Academy values the role of office managers and recognizes their contribution to the company's success.

Questions & Answers

Q: What does Karina Murtagh do at Khan Academy?

Karina Murtagh is Khan Academy’s office manager and handles a little bit of everything around the office. She stocks food and supplies, helps keep technology working, supports new hires, assists people in need, and responds to whatever arises during the day.

Q: What is a typical day like for Khan Academy’s office manager?

Karina says there usually is no typical day. She starts by checking the office for problems, then works through questions received overnight and a growing list of tasks while preparing for meetings and events.

Q: How does Karina support Khan Academy’s meetings and events?

Karina helps run audiovisual technology for the company update, the developer stand-up, and the Devs Speak Now series. She also says she has a hand in essentially every major event happening at Khan Academy.

Q: What unusual office problems has Karina handled?

Karina once arrived to find five million speckles of rice on a new table after a team member tried to visualize that quantity. She also dealt with a gummy bear burned on an outdoor table, which caused anxiety among people passing by.

Q: What did Karina do before joining Khan Academy?

Karina worked in operations for the startup TradeShift in San Francisco. She helped manage offices in San Francisco, London, and Copenhagen, gaining experience with office culture across different locations.

Q: Why did Karina want to work at Khan Academy?

Karina was looking for work closer to her home in San Jose after commuting to San Francisco. As a sociology major who wanted personally fulfilling work, she was drawn to a company where her job could make an impact on the world.

Q: What skills does Karina recommend for aspiring tech office managers?

Karina recommends being open-minded, quick-thinking, dynamic, and agile. She says office managers must be willing to handle many different tasks, interact with different groups, and stay open to growth.

Q: How is tech office management different from traditional office work?

Karina says the role is not limited to filing papers and stocking pencils. It can involve unexpected, urgent requests, such as finding a hundred party poppers within twenty minutes for a launch celebration, so office managers must think on their feet.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Karina, the office manager at Khan Academy, handles a variety of tasks, including ensuring office supplies are stocked, helping new hires, responding to inquiries, and planning company events.

• Her typical day involves checking the office for any issues, managing a long to-do list, and preparing for company meetings and events.

• Before joining Khan Academy, Karina had a similar role at a startup and gained experience managing offices across different locations.