Growing as the Company Grows As you begin or continue your career, you have numerous choices regarding type and size of companies. Which is better to work for: a large or a small one? You’ll find as many answers as there are administrative assistants. A large company often offers the best available salary and benefits, as well as steady advancement within its corporate structure.
Yet small companies, too, offer growth potential. They may not always be able to afford as generous a salary or benefit package, but they often provide a wider range of experience than would otherwise be possible to get. And when a small company successfully expands, the administrative assistant has the excitement of getting in on the ground floor and moving higher as the business grows. In many instances, the small-business administrative assistant can inherit as much responsibility as he or she wants. Learn About the Business It’s important that no matter what type of business you work for, what size it is, or where it’s located, you should do your best to learn as much about it as possible. This learning process should never stop. Even if your duties are strictly defined and fairly routine, you should do your best to discover how the business is managed, how customers or clients are obtained, and how the products or services provided are produced. Although you may see no immediate need for this knowledge, it can be invaluable in a later emergency, as you advance, or if you seek work with a different company. Upgrade Your Skills No matter what type or size of company you work for, focus on acquiring essential business skills, whether or not you need any one of them now. Make sure your skills are top-notch in such office-related areas as keyboarding, maintaining a filing system, handling incoming and outgoing mail, setting appointments, answering telephones, taking dictation, and using office machines. Try to acquire proficiency in correspondence, research, customer service, purchasing, budgeting, bookkeeping, invoicing, training new employees, and supervising an office staff. You should learn how to write and speak effectively and be able to plan and organize your work. And finally, you must be computer literate. Having all these skills will give you the most flexible preparation to meet any challenge you face—either an on-the-job crisis or a career opportunity.
As proof of the level of quality of your skills, you may want to investigate being certified by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (formerly the National Secretaries Association) as a Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) or Certified Administrative Professional (CAP). This certification is granted only upon the successful completion of examinations in various aspects of secretarial/administrative procedures and skills. Serious secretaries and administrative assistants may find it worthwhile to inquire about the activities of this outstanding association. Being certified can be a tremendous boost to your career. Recognizing a Time for Change One of the trends in modern business is the changing nature of administrative work. Today in businesses of all sizes, more managers are doing work on their own desktop computer systems that in the past would have been handled by a secretary. As these trends continue, there will be fewer and fewer secretaries and more office and information specialists. It’s up to you to create a place for yourself in this changing world. Learning new skills and improving your old ones is the best professional insurance you can acquire, and it can put you in the position of being a better secretary than your current position demands. If you cannot expand your current role but are capable of much more than you’re doing, your dissatisfaction may lead you to want to change your direction in life and seek out a new job. Your new skills will help you get the best possible situation. These skills will also prove invaluable if change is forced upon you. Gone are the days when a secretary might work forty-five years for the same company, many of those years for the same boss. This is true of both large and small companies. A large company used to provide stability, but no longer. Corporate restructurings, which have affected hundreds of thousands of people over the past years, have been a mixed blessing for administrative assistants. In the wake of restructuring, some assistants have to leave their position when their boss leaves, but others are asked to take on greater responsibility, to “take up the slack” as middle managers are phased out. Either situation could be professionally devastating if it was not what the administrative assistant would have chosen himself or herself. On the other hand, small businesses have their own dangers, particularly in the first eighteen months of operation, though knowing that doesn’t make it easier for the secretary who faces possible job loss. Rather than restructure, a small business may just fold completely, perhaps without giving you adequate notice, perhaps even without giving you a final paycheck.
Always be alert to conditions or changes that could affect your job, no matter what size company you work for.
In a large company, be wary if your boss is excluded from meetings he or she used to attend, is dropped from routing lists, or is told to cut back on budget and staff. Do people who used to lunch or chat with your boss no longer do so? These warning signs can also signal that your own position might be in jeopardy. In a small business where you work directly for the owner, pay attention to details. Has business been slipping lately? Is it just a temporary slump or something more serious? Has the boss paid vendors and other creditors, or are you starting to receive dunning letters and telephone calls? Of critical importance to you is whether the boss has paid payroll taxes and health insurance premiums. If your boss has not and the business folds, the Internal Revenue Service will look to the individual worker to pay the overdue taxes even though the money was already withheld from earlier paychecks. You may have no health care coverage even though deductions for premiums may have been taken from your paycheck. And you might not even be able to collect unemployment benefits though taxes for that were deducted, too. What should you do if something like this should happen? Your best bet is to consult an attorney; however, be advised that though you might file and win a lawsuit against your former employer, collecting your judgment may prove to be difficult and costly. The better advice is to be aware of the financial health of your employer so you can take action before it’s forced on you. These events are the exception, but it’s better to be employed and equipped with this knowledge than to experience it unexpectedly when you can least afford it. Finding a New Job When, for whatever reason, you feel the need to find a new job, explore all possible ways. Don’t simply look in the paper or sign up at an employment agency for a position as a secretary, administrative assistant, or office manager. A more aggressive search can find you a more satisfying position. Start by researching companies you might want to work for or areas where you might like to work. With newspapers and trade journals in hand, read about companies that were voted “family friendly,” or instituted company-wide training programs in computers or second languages, or have a strong policy of promoting from within. One company might be known for its laid-back atmosphere and flexible hours. Another might be known for its hard-driving excellence. Which interests you more? Which do you need more? These are the companies to target. Locally, drive around office or industrial parks or anywhere else businesses are located. Stop in and talk and ask questions. Find out what the business does and if there are any job openings. These cold-call, in-person visits are not as difficult as they might sound. If you are friendly and don’t take up too much time, you can gain much valuable information. You can also conduct research by looking through directories available in larger public libraries. The Better Business Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce of the town or city you’re interested in can give you lists of local businesses. Both organizations are also good sources for checking the reputation of a particular business you may be interested in. Tap your network of relatives, friends, neighbors, and professional associates for information. That insurance agent who calls, that vendor you talk to so frequently, that secretary you met at an office skills conference—these are just some of the people to tell when you’re looking for a new position. Also check job postings on Internet job sites such as Monster.com and HotJobs.com. You can conduct searches by key word, city, or date. These websites also allow you to post your résumé for perspective employers. Finally, don’t overlook temporary placement services. One benefit is that many agencies provide free training on new equipment and software packages, which can make you more desirable to a prospective employer. A second benefit is that temporary work allows you to experience different companies as an insider; once you find a company you like, apply for full-time work. Yet another benefit is that temporary work allows you maximum flexibility in scheduling your personal time. Your Résumé No matter which path you take to look for a new job, you will need a professional-looking résumé, the document describing your work history and skills to a potential employer. There are two basic formats to follow. One focuses on a history of where you’ve worked and the other on particular skills you have.
All résumés should include: - Your name, address, and telephone number - Your educational background: schools attended; degrees, diplomas, or certificates awarded; special training received or courses attended - A listing of all previous employment - Your current job A sample résumé in a chronological format.
Sally Ride 12345 Heartside Drive Western Branch, GA 31234 404-555-1234
Experience
A sample résumé in a skills format.
Experience ADMINISTRATION—Maintained files and records, accounts receivable, and customer database. Handled scheduling of business activities, all correspondence, and travel arrangements. SALES—Worked with customers to set appointments and to sell photography services. VIDEO PRODUCTION — Coordinated scheduling of crews and facilities. Hired freelance crews and outline equipment rentals. TECHNICAL SKILLS—Complete understanding of IBM-compatible software including: Windows, Word for Windows, Excel, and WordPerfect. Also, some understanding of Apple Macintosh computers including Microsoft Word and Excel. Good typing skills (50 wpm). Working knowledge of most office equipment, copiers, fax machines, and typewriters.
Work History 2014–Present Office Manager and Assistant to Business Owner Lyon’s Still Photography Acworth, Georgia 1997–2014 Office Assistant Third Coast Video, Inc. Austin, Texas Education 1993–1997 B.A., English University of Texas Austin, Texas
One mistake many people make on a résumé is attempting to explain why they left one job and moved on to another. This is not the place to discuss it. You may be asked this question in an interview, so be prepared with an answer, but don’t volunteer it in your résumé. It can be very useful to prepare several versions of a résumé, adapting the basic facts to emphasize the different skills required for different jobs. Suppose the administrative assistant were applying for a position in a sales department. She might want to rewrite the skills-format version of her résumé, putting her sales experience as the first item and enlarging upon it wherever possible. Did she work with sales representatives? Did she handle objections or close calls herself? Did she find new prospects for the salespeople? Emphasizing this side of her experience could make her more attractive to the interviewer. This in no way means you should make up qualifications. If you do, it could prove disastrous if you are called on to perform a task you claim to be experienced at doing. The Cover Letter Along with your résumé, you should also include an application or cover letter that states your interest in a particular job, briefly lists your qualifications, and explains why you might like to work for this particular employer. When you apply for a job online, include the cover letter as an email and attach the resume to the message. The Interview If your résumé and letter are successful, your next step will be an interview with the prospective employer. There are several ways you can prepare for it and techniques you can use for conducting yourself during it: - Examine your image. How do you look to the outside world? Consider the way you dress, the way you talk, even the way you stand. Can you talk to someone and look that person in the eye, rather than glance around or stare at your feet? - How about your skills? Can you do anything that someone would want to hire you to do? - What about experience? Have you ever practiced these skills in an employment situation? - How much money do you want? What are employers in your area willing to pay for your skills? Find this out before you go to the interview by asking people and checking resources at the library, Chamber of Commerce, or Better Business Bureau. - What do you know about the company where you’re going to interview? How does it make money? What does its success depend on? If you can find out this information, you’ll be prepared to show how you can help make the business better. And that’s what an employer wants to hear. A sample job application cover letter:
12345 Heartside Drive Western Branch, GA 31234 December 2, 2015 Mr. Kevin Wilson President Videologies, Inc. 10 North Main St. Atlanta, GA 30303
Dear Mr. Wilson, I am very interested in applying for the job of office assistant listed in the Atlanta Constitution on December 1. As you can see from my enclosed résumé, I have worked for both a still photographer and a small video production company. I enjoyed working at both of these companies, and I feel this past experience qualifies me for the position described in your advertisement. I have a good understanding of the visual medium and the many details you must handle in your work. I believe I can help take responsibility for some of these details with little additional training. I would appreciate the opportunity for a personal interview. You can reach me at 555-1234.
Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, Sally Ride
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