‘Leap of Faith’ Career Pivot Pays Off for ERM Executive Assistant Nicole Shughart

Three years into a job she never expected to have, Nicole Shughart is flourishing as the executive assistant for the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) departments at Carnegie Mellon University.

"When you've found something that makes you happy and you really like what you're doing, you don't want to leave," she said.

It's a testament to someone who helps keep CMU safe, organized and, most importantly, happy.

Before joining CMU, Shughart worked at several restaurants in the South Hills for 22 years. When the COVID-19 pandemic upended the restaurant industry, Shughart chose to make a midlife career pivot. 

“I didn’t want to work seven days a week in restaurants anymore,” she said. “It was a wake-up call. I was in my 40s and needed something new, a new beginning.”

Working in food service, Shughart developed a knack for juggling numerous tasks at once, adapting on the fly and mastering the art of back management — handling everything from accounting and scheduling to inventory and event planning. Those skills remain vital in her role at CMU.

“All the things I've done in my life kind of coagulated and have made this job a lot easier for me,” Shughart said. 

Shughart joined CMU for what was supposed to be just a two-week gig with University Health Services. That led to a supervisor role with the Tartan Testing program. When the executive assistant job opened in ERM and EHS, she took a leap of faith and applied. “I’m very fortunate,” Shughart said. “I leaped and I won.”

EHS Director Andrew Lawson was struck by Shughart’s presence during her job interview. “She's got this great, bubbly, friendly personality that comes across easily,” he said. “It’s warm, it’s real and it just makes you smile.”

The transition was challenging. Shughart sometimes felt overwhelmed by the slew of new faces, procedures and unfamiliar acronyms. “I did have tears in my eyes,” she said, adding that CMU’s supportive community made the process easier. 

Shughart is the connective tissue for two departments that work largely behind the scenes. The ERM team handles everything from disaster recovery and business continuity to system analysis, while EHS oversees a range of safety and training programs. Shughart noticed that while both offices shared a common mission, they often operated differently.

“One of the main goals we have is to try to keep everything unified,” she said. 

Shughart splits time between both offices, with her desks deliberately facing the door. “I get to welcome everyone who's coming in, which is important,” Shughart said.

Even away from her desk, Shughart’s presence is unmistakable. Her workspace is festooned with seasonal decor, a bottomless candy dish and a playful sign that reads, “Wizards Welcome, Muggles Tolerated.” The Harry Potter reference is a nod to the “wizards” of science and technology who pass through the offices and the staff members who are there to help.

Colleagues describe Shughart as someone who always knows who to call — she’s on a first-name basis with people everywhere, from Chartwells Carved and Crafted Catering Services to Tartan Ink — and how to get things done. 

Her wide-ranging responsibilities include scheduling, event planning for undergraduate and graduate student training, office management, and financial reconciliation. She handles all the logistics for training sessions, from ordering lunches to stocking supplies.

"She's got a calming demeanor and she makes sure everybody's happy,” Lawson said.

“Nicole is like our office mom,” said Miguel Delgado, ERM’s associate vice president and chief risk officer. “She feels like her work isn't done until she knows that everyone is taken care of.”

Lawson added that Shughart is “the glue that enables everything to happen." She has a methodical, logical approach to problem-solving, but also can think outside the box. 

In 2023, Shughart helped organize CMU’s inaugural Safety Awareness Expo to highlight National Campus Safety Awareness Month. This complex annual event involves several internal and external partners and includes fire safety demonstrations, crime prevention materials, cybersecurity and other health and safety resources.

“She was there with me from day one, figuring things out,” Lawson said. “I'm not an event planner by any means, so it was great to have her step up and be like, 'All right, this is what we need to do to get people interested: Let’s have balloons, games, food and prizes.’ She’s able to think a little bit differently than me and gets things done.”

Kari Carbone, senior development associate for the Center for Business Engagement, said Shughart’s quiet competence is her most remarkable trait.

“She is running the show for two departments,” Carbone said. "She's bouncing back and forth constantly, always lugging stuff, organizing and coordinating. She's very organized and detail-oriented.”

Carbone marvels at Shughart's unflappable demeanor, even in stressful situations. Shughart’s training in the restaurant industry taught her how to manage difficult personalities and deescalate potential conflicts.

“I've never seen her get worked up or talk down to people,” Carbone said. “She always works with a level of calm and kindness. She just knows how to work it, and that’s a real skill,”

While her new career offers a more stable schedule and weekends off, Shughart still has the “busy feeling from the restaurants” that drives her. It's a feeling she'll always have, but now she applies it in new ways.

She’s also keeping an eye on the future, particularly the role of artificial intelligence in the workplace. However, she believes that the role of an executive assistant will always require the human touch.

"It's not only the work,” Shughart said. “It's the heart that you have to put behind it.”