Advancement
Three “C’s” shape the way other people listen to us, says Susan Mason, of Vital Visions Consultants. If they think we possess competence, character and a can-do attitude, they’ll find us credible, and they’ll be more influenced by what we say.
Don’t wait for someone to celebrate you this year on Administrative Professionals Day. Reward yourself—because you deserve it—by seeking out a growth opportunity.
Administrative professionals and executive assistants often see themselves in their support roles as being “nonleaders.” Nothing, however, could be further from the truth, according to a new book, Who Took My Pen . . . Again?
Give your résumé a 21st century update by making it search-optimized for Google … Memorize this rule when typing: one space after a period at the end of a sentence … Use this email best practice …
LinkedIn recently came out with a list of the year’s most overused professional buzzwords. Comb through your LinkedIn page and résumé to see if they contain these words and phrases:
It still pays to play nice at work, a Robert Half survey confirms. When employees were asked, “In your opinion, to what extent does being courteous to co-workers positively impact a person’s career prospects?” 48% responded it can accelerate advancement.
“Exactly, what is the advantage of LinkedIn?” asks one administrative pro on our online forum. “Many people I know are on it, but no one can say what they get out of it.” According to most admins, the benefits are many, if you use the online tool the right way.
A growing body of research confirms what you may have suspected: Looks matter, especially when it comes to making a first impression on others. Surprisingly, though, it’s also the way people draw conclusions about our ability to do a job.
Does your mind work like an executive’s? When Jodith Allen first stepped into the job of executive assistant, she received a swift lesson in thinking like a manager. Here’s what happened:
“What do you do?” Be prepared for this question before you head to any networking event because you’ll probably be asked dozens of times … Need someone to make a decision? Approach him in the morning. “Decision fatigue” is a very real phenomenon affecting people who have to grapple with an ever-increasing number of choices.
Protect your job—or set yourself up for a promotion—by communicating your quantifiable on-the-job results at a moment’s notice. Warm up with this exercise:
Being a stellar admin requires the skills of a mind-reader. So it was a boon recently when admins heard two executives speak candidly at the 18th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence about the administrative profession.
Focus on knowing where to get information quickly rather than knowing how to do everything … Watch what you say on Facebook: More than 90% of job-screeners say they’re using social network tools to weed out applicants … Take the lead in developing your own professional skills.
