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Category: Career

Adding value, no matter where you sit

How do admins bring value to their roles? We asked administrative assistant Eileen Behr, who recently won the 2010 OfficeTeam Administrative Excellence Award. Here’s how she brings a “value-added” focus to her job:

Online learning: Back-to-school picks

September brings with it a “back to school” feeling that can be sated only with a seminar or course. And there’s no easier, more affordable source for online learning than iTunes. Check out iTunes U to find free courses or talks from major universities.

Admins with ‘longevity’ in hot demand

The demand for highly skilled assistants has increased the past several years, as shareholders and customers demand greater access to executives. Among the most desired: assistants with tech savvy and “demonstrated longevity.” In other words, admins who have built over time a strong working relationship with their executive bosses.

Jump ship now, or stick it out?

One reader, Linda, wrote us with this quandary: The company she worked for was acquired by another company. Previously, she’d been offered perks, such as reimbursement for the graduate degree she earned. But the new employer has frozen pay and promotions, cut pay and issued layoffs … Should Linda hang in there or leave?

Get the most from your training

Your time and your organization’s training budget are precious commodities. Therefore, when you decide to invest in training, ensure that you will gain high-priority skills and information to help you do your job better and advance your career. Here are several things to keep in mind.

Speakers to grads: Go forth and fail

Last year brought a batch of good commencement addresses, often on how failure can lead to success. For example, J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, told Harvard grads that seven years after her own graduation, she had “failed on an epic scale.” She said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”

Why you need weekly status reports

Doing weekly status reports for your boss is a good idea for four reasons: It forces you to think about what you accomplished; allows you to toot your horn regularly; helps during your performance appraisal; and provides fodder for your résumé.