Everyone has to start somewhere -- and sometimes, that "somewhere" is as an assistant.
Approximately 96 percent of secretaries and administrative assistants in the US are female, making it the top job for women -- just as it has been since 1950. Not every assistant job is as stressful as the one in "The Devil Wears Prada," but they're not always the most intellectually stimulating positions. However, an assistant job is a foot in the door, and one that many women have used as launching points for incredible careers.
Here are nine amazing women who started out as assistants and achieved major success as a result . . .
