Self-Assessment
If you’ve ever wanted a new challenge to keep your administrative job from feeling “same old, same old,” consider how Catherine Russell must feel. She has played the same role in an off-Broadway play for 25 years. She offers good advice for staving off the feeling that your work is repetitive:
Gauge your long-term prospects with your current organization by assessing its bottom line and culture. Here are the questions you’ll need to answer and the steps you’ll need to take, divided into four key parts:
Entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money or starting a business. It also means having a passion for doing something you love: devising a new procedure, planning a meeting, creating a more organized back office. Take this quiz to assess whether you have an entrepreneurial spirit:
If you’re a “hyperhelper” or “give-aholic,” ask yourself these questions, suggested by a psychologist, when someone asks you to do something:
What sort of motto or guideline helps you work ethically every day? Admins work in a reactive frame of mind most of the day, says Nan DeMars, author of You Want Me to Do What? “Basically, we have to react according to our instincts and trust our internal gyroscope.” DeMars recommends using this fast compass:
In the world of baseball recently, the manager of the Washington Nationals suddenly resigned. The Nationals had just beaten the Seattle Mariners when Jim Riggleman quit. If you’re considering quitting your job, Riggleman’s case offers at least three things to consider:
Do you multitask while checking your BlackBerry? According to Ryan Hamilton, an assistant professor of marketing at Emory University, you may have a more difficult time controlling your temper or staying on a diet. A new study finds that frequently switching your mindset weakens your self-control.
Parents are known for delivering classic career advice such as “Do what you love” and “Dress on the same level as your boss.” But what advice has served you best in your career? A few of our readers recently shared the career wisdom they carry with them:
Many women struggle to answer the question: What makes you stand out at work? That’s what consultant and author Marcia Reynolds found as she was conducting 360-degree interviews for her executive clients. Tips to help you articulate your worth to your organization:
A 64-year-old receptionist in a Chicago doctor’s office—we’ll call her Jane—recently received an ultimatum: Do something about your thinning hair or be transferred to a job with less patient contact. Jane says, “I was absolutely devastated.” How far would you go to stay competitive by improving your looks?
Psychiatrist Judith Orloff describes intuition as “a still, small voice inside … an unflinching truth-teller committed to our well-being.” Take this self-quiz to determine whether you have a connection with your intuitive voice:
Do you prefer cockatoos over cocker spaniels? According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, bird owners are more likely to be admin pros. The survey also revealed:
What are your strengths? How could you improve? A look inward helps you understand your own motivations and helps hone your intuition. Here are guidelines for writing a self-assessment from Sharon Daniels, chief executive of AchieveGlobal.
