One person’s everyday computer shortcut may be another person’s “Cool! I didn’t know you could do that!” David Pogue, who writes a technology column for The New York Times, recently penned a long list of “Tech Tips for the Basic Computer User.” Here are a few suited for the efficiency-minded.
Whether penning an e-mail update for your manager, an all-staff memo or a letter of complaint to a vendor, you are striking up a relationship. Deborah Dumaine, author of Write to the Top, recommends that before you write, plan your document by running through the questions on this Focus Sheet.
Emily Morgan works 60 to 70 hours a week and doesn’t even get a steady paycheck. You would think she’d loathe her boss, but you’d be wrong. Morgan is a virtual assistant (VA) and chooses how much work she takes on and how many hours she works. Ever wonder whether a VA career might be right for you?
In Working Girl, Melanie Griffith overhauls her appearance so others will take her seriously. In the real world, it takes more than a wardrobe change to lift your on-the-job reputation from “wet behind the ears” to “wise beyond your years.” Indeed, changing the perception others have of you at work can take up to 18 months …
Save time by storing “canned responses” on Gmail for commonly asked questions … Halt interruptions by giving your physical space a makeover … Turn voice-mail messages from your mobile, home or work phone into e-mail messages … Earn the mantle of “too valuable to lose”…
Much more than a gatekeeper, a good executive assistant can double or triple a boss’s efficiency by staying one step ahead of him or her. The more an assistant can predict an executive’s needs, the less he or she will need to interrupt.
Demand for highly skilled administrative professionals will remain steady this year, predicts the 2009 Salary Guides from Robert Half International. While starting salaries for admins are expected to rise 2.6% on average in 2009, employees with specific skills can command even more.
Dreams of a pay increase may be put on hold, but that doesn’t mean giving up on the idea forever. Eventually, the economy will shake itself out of its doldrums, and employees will once again be in the position to negotiate robust raises. In the meantime, lay the groundwork for a future raise.
According to the 2009 Salary Guides, being multilingual is an “expert skill” that can bump you from the low end of a salary range to the high end. Here are a few web sites to help you spruce up your language skills.
While relationships between employees and their bosses have always seen their ups and downs, the turbulent economy may be forging stronger ties as employees look to shore up their job security.