Administrative Assistant's Update

Quitters In a recent Offi ceTeam survey, nearly nine out of 10 (86 per cent) HR managers said the way em- ployees quit a job at least some- what affects their future career opportunities. Respondents gave some examples of unusual ways workers have resigned: • "An employee baked a cake with her resignation letter written on top." • "A marching band accompanied one guy in his announcement." • "The worker threw a brick through the window with the words 'I quit' written on it." • "An employee left a sticky note explaining he was quitting." • "One person quit via Facebook." • "A person went to the bathroom and didn't return." Source: Offi ceTeam nearly nine out of 10 (86 per cent) opportunities. Respondents gave "An employee baked a cake with her resignation letter written on "A marching band accompanied one guy in his announcement." "An employee left a sticky note "One person quit via Facebook." "A person went to the bathroom 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 MAY 2015 UPDATE INSIDE Mansplaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Your eyes glaze over, but he goes on and on, explaining to you everything about something you already know. That's mansplaining, and every woman has experienced it. Some thoughts. Hiring trend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Many employers are now asking for references before they short-list you. Direct your attention . . . . . . . 4 There's a pay-off when you choose to focus your attention on the positive rather than the negative. Here's how. Continued on page 6 Credit: ProStockStudio/Shutterstock By Joyce Grant Whether or not you're currently in the market for a new job, when that time does come you will want to have an edge over your competi- tion. Becoming a specialist is a great way you can improve your resume easily and quickly; and as an added bonus, at the same time it will help you refi ne your career path. Plus, you'll probably also be happier in the long-run. The fi rst step involved in be- coming a specialist and branding yourself as one is to look at your work experience in a new way. Rather than thinking of yourself as a generalist—an offi ce professional who can do pretty much anything— focus on becoming very good in one particular area, a specialist. Your resume will already show prospec- tive employers that you can handle the hard and soft skills involved in admin work, so don't worry about that not coming through. Those are minimum requirements and they should be evident from your work experience. You will want to fi nd and highlight the skills, throughout your resume, that relate to your specialty area. Then, when you're ready to try for a new job, you will have a specialty and that will put you ahead of the pack. But, what is your specialty area? Find your bliss That's a very important question. Think about what you're interested in. Chances are, there's something related to your work that you particularly enjoy above every- thing else. What is it that you do Set yourself apart Being a specialist will boost your career and improve your work-life balance

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