Administrative Assistant's Update

UPDATE PM #40065782 P r o f e s s io n a l D e v e l o P M e n t f o r C a n a Da' s o f f iC e s u P P o r t s ta f f Administrative Assistant's NOVEMbEr 2014 UPDATE Gut instinct More than 3,000 administrative professionals were asked how often they make decisions based on a "gut instinct." Their responses: Very often: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32% Somewhat often: . . . . . . . . . .56% Not often: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12% In other words, 88 per cent of admins surveyed said they often rely on their intuition when they make a decision. Although hunch- es can be risky, sometimes quick decisions are needed. For instance, most admins would agree that anticipating the boss's needs is a key skill they need to have. It's not wrong to rely on your instincts when you've been in a situation before and can make an educated guess about what the right answer is, especially if you remain open to making a change if necessary. Source: OfficeTeam INsIDE Neat stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Why neat and organized are two completely different things. Taking charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Be the owner of yourself. Anticipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 How to know what your boss wants, even before she does. Your resume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 How do hiring managers read your resume? The five things you need to highlight, to get their attention. Continued on page 7 Create value Take action when you see a need at your firm By Helen Latimer Google "create value" and you'll get more than a billion results. (FYI, there are less than two million results if you're looking for ways to get rid of pimples.) I was surprised to see so many results for something that can be so easy to accomplish. That tells me people are struggling to figure out a way that works for them. Here are two simple steps that I've used, seen others use and believe that if you use them, you will quickly "create value" for your organization—no new aps or any special equipment required. Step 1: Pay attention to what's going on around you Step 2: Take action I think people forget how im- portant a skill paying attention is, for both our work and personal lives. It's easy to get stuck inside our heads, busy with deadlines and responsibilities, and we forget to pay attention. I'm sure we've all had houseguests. Isn't it crazy how some people staying with you can feel like a lot of extra work while others feel like no extra work at all? Houseguests who are the most work for me and my family are those who don't pay the slightest attention to what's go- ing on in my home, behaving more like guests in a hotel—can't I have breakfast hours after the family's eaten? I've had many more wonder- ful houseguests who pay attention, "Oh, that meal was just delicious, let me clear the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher," who never stay long enough (or come back soon enough). Generally speaking, we all work hard. We meet deadlines, complete reports and schedule meetings. It can feel like there's no time to pay atten- tion to what's going on around us. I think it's when we're at our busiest that we really need to pay attention, because paying attention is how we improve things—add value, make a difference. People I've worked with who are great at creating value do so by behaving in the same way as my

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