Your software is sluggish; your gadgets are glitchy. Here are seven easy updates that will improve your technological life. For starters, get a smartphone—having instant access to your e-mail, calendars, address book, GPS and anything on the Internet will make your life easier.
Speaking up in meetings to ask for clarification can be intimidating.Butit’s best to summon the courage, especially if you’re the one taking formal minutes or notes. Having a few useful phrases in hand can give you the confidence you need to speak up:
These days, you can be slapped with charges for everything from checked luggage to being on the standby list—services that used to be free. In 2009 alone, airlines collected $7.8 billion in fees. Advice for avoiding airline fees:
If you rarely get to finish a sentence, condense your comments into 20 seconds or fewer, making every word count. If a peer tries to cut you off, hold your ground
Not everyone wants to lead; some people prefer to follow—helping great leaders and causes. The administrative assistant career can be satisfying for both leaders and followers. Just be sure to find an area, idea or cause you are enthusiastic about and enjoy supporting. Keep up with the people in that field and target the support position for the power-positions within it. Administrative support is a great field in which to learn and grow. As you do, higher salaries, greater autonomy and job satisfaction will follow. Forums like this one can help you improve your organizational, people, and leadership skills as you climb the administrative ladder.
Returning home after a conference with a stack of books, handouts and notes leads to the inevitable question: Now what? Make sure your newly gained knowledge stays with you:
When the office address changes, ask staff members to include the new information after their signatures on e-mails to their outside contacts: “We’ve moved! Our new location is …”