What you need to be a Personal Assistant or Administrator
Call me a secretary, assistant or administrator; it doesn't matter. My skills and 20+ years of experience speak for me, as should yours. Our job has little glamour and most of the time we reside outside of the spotlight. But when our job is well-done, it is reflected endlessly through the efficiency of ourselves, our executives and our office in general. What do you need to achieve this level?1. A can-do attitude. No matter what insane assignment is thrown at me, I calmly and confidently answer, "Consider it done." This is important because it allows my boss a sigh of relief; he has full confidence that I will take care of it for him. Keep any problems that arise during the completion of the assignment to yourself. If the job absolutely cannot be done, always suggest one or two alternatives.
2. Know your boss. This is essential. You must know his or her quirks, fears, emotional buttons, etc., in order to do your job efficiently. For example, my boss dislikes dictating letters and memos; thus, he procrastinates. I relieve him of this duty (and get things done on time) by informally getting the idea he wants to convey down on paper. This gives him a starting point and ends the procrastination. By knowing his strengths and flaws, I can make him work more efficiently, often without him even realizing it.
3. Be a problem solver. To be a first-class administrator, you can't pass the buck. Learn to solve problems that others are afraid to handle and your reputation and career will soar.
4. Know the basics. Grammar, spelling and punctuation are absolutely necessary, as well as perfect telephone skills, customer service skills, typing and communication. You cannot be an effective administrator or assistant if you cannot communicate effectively, whether it be verbally or in writing .
5. Keep learning. The last thing anyone wants to hear from you is, "That isn't my job." An effective administrator will tackle any job, from finding just the right timeshare for the boss to purchase in St. Thomas, to figuring out why the office's voicemail system is on the blink, to learning new software in record time.
6. Know how to delegate. I recently had a hard time keeping up with all the projects I had going when I realized I could delegate some things to our weekend receptionist. Keep the delegating to things that don't require a lot of in-depth training, which would defeat the purpose.
7. Be loyal. I've seen too many assistants bad-mouthing their executives to other people inside and outside the office. Don't make this stupid mistake. If you find yourself griping about them, you may need to consider a job change, or ask for a transfer. Otherwise, give your executive respect both inside and outside the office. Remember, talk always gets back to them, both the good and the bad.
Being a first-class assistant or administrator means you are a scheduler, a ghost-writer, a researcher, and sometimes a safety net. In short, a jack-of-all-trades, doing whatever is necessary to make your boss's job easier. Remember, the better he or she looks, the better you look.
