usa job typing

Someone contacted me a year or so ago very fed up with her admin position.  She was wondering how she could make her job more interesting.  She was also having relationship problems with her colleagues.  I could feel her frustration. I found her email the other day so thought I would contact her just to see how she was faring and things have not gotten any better. My gauge to go is when the joy is gone.  I like to have a job where I have fun and can feel satisfied when I've done a good job.  I also want to feel challenged and feel a sense of accomplishment when I have figured something out.  When I stop having that, I just go through the motions and that is never good. There is always economics though and the need to earn a living so that has to be taken into consideration.  Can I afford to move on? Sometimes there are opportunities in your own back yard that you can try.  A new boss, a new set of tasks and new work colleagues.  I used to work for a law firm and I recall a move I m

I am one of those rare birds who actually enjoys taking minutes, although I avoided taking them for years.  I wouldn't apply for a job if I saw that minute taking was a requirement and if an employer ever suggested it, I threatened I would quit.  However, when I finally decided to try it, I found I really liked it.  I enjoy the preparation leading up to the meeting, the actual taking of the minutes and the follow up afterwards.  I particularly like senior executive meetings. So how did I get into it?  In 2007, I started this blog and wrote articles on various subjects of interest to an administrative assistant.  I had never written on minute taking though and knew that was probably something people would want to hear about.  So I bugged and bugged a friend of mine who was a Senior Executive Assistant and experienced minute taker to explain it all to me.  After listening to her, I realized that once I knew the purpose for being there and what I needed to listen for and take down, I

I was speaking with a senior Executive at my office today and she said one of the most valuable things that she has learnt over the years was how to work with an assistant.  I think when we are first in the workforce we are going to the office expecting our boss will tell us what to do and we will endeavour to do it according to our skill set.  However, there comes a time as we gain experience, that we will want to show our bosses what we can do and how we can help them.  Here is a good article on that subject.  Knowing how to work with your assistant is critical to your success and theirs: http://executivesecretary.com/training-an-executive-new-to-working-with-an-assistant/ I also wrote another article on this subject, which I thought would be useful for this discussion: https://secretaryhelpline.blogspot.com/2008/04/teaching-your-boss-to-be-boss.html