Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 4, 2007

Do you feel that they are overbearing and don’t know when to keep their opinions to themselves? Don’t allow yourself to become them. Remember that you want to be the bigger person and don’t sink to their level. Don’t let your work performance suffer. Practice, practice, practice!

Cubicle 100

Cubicle 2008 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 18, 2008

I couldn’t believe it either. I personally couldn’t do this, but it’s quite interesting that people would actually think of this. I work in a back office environment, where 99% of our client interaction is via the phone, e-mail or outside of the office, so I can wear jeans and a t-shirt.

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Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 4, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Write An Effective Out Of Office Assistant Message By The Professional Assistant on Tuesday, March 04, 2008 Filed Under: Client Service , MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity A re you going on vacation? Don’t forget to set up and turn on your “Out of Office Assistant&# on Microsoft Outlook.

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Microsoft Outlook 2008 2007 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 26, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! Home About Me Advertise Why People Gossip At The Office By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , Office Gossip , Productivity D o you gossip at the office? Do you get sucked into the gossip of others? Gossip has never been a positive matter.

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Gossip 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 21, 2008

There are some companies that, unfortunately, don’t allow for purchases such as stationary , fax machines , toner , etc. You can even get new items, if you aren’t into used items or feel that they might not work as well. Since I work for a large corporation, this is my case as well. Whats next?

2008 100

2008 Fax Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 8, 2007

See what you can change about yourself, don’t try to change others. At times, the person that conveys this tone doesn’t realize they are coming across in a harmful manner. If someone is making a difference by helping you or your teammates, let them know. Try to understand that change will happen, no matter what.

Gossip 100

Gossip 2008 2007 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 17, 2007

They can use any other means of communication, even picking up the phone and talking to each other. There have been instances of where employees that sit a few cubicles away from each other prefer to e-mail rather than walk over or call the other on the phone. This actually happens quite a bit at my workplace as well.

Cubicle 100

Cubicle 2008 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 10, 2008

In my weekly recap last Friday I pointed out a Lifehack.org article arguing that the current climate for hyper-productivity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. If I didn’t have a full day’s worth of tasks to complete I wasn’t being efficient enough. Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter!

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 1, 2007

Home About Me Advertise Cubicle Etiquette 101 By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, November 01, 2007 Filed Under: Office Gossip , Productivity D o you find that your colleagues are hovering around you when youre on the phone? If you need to talk on the phone, make sure that you keep your voice to a lower volume.

Cubicle 100

Cubicle Etiquette 2008 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

T here is a great site called OpenTable.com , which allows you to book reservations online with particular restaurants all over the world. So next time you want to make a reservation via phone, hang it up and try OpenTable.com instead! Do you feel that you could be doing this faster? Until next time, Take care - of your clutter!

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Restaurants 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 17, 2008

You reminisce about that Seinfeld episode where Elaine gets stuck on the subway and starts talking to herself about how the train isn’t moving and starts to get claustrophobic. You start to notice a particular smell, yet you know it wasn’t you, but you wonder if everyone thinks that it was. This is you now!

Etiquette 100

Etiquette UPS 2008 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 20, 2007

This doesn’t mean that you have to go out for beers or go to a movie. I don’t mean take charge of the office – you might make some serious mistakes. Don’t whine and complain about every little task that is given to you. Don’t break your promises. Take some risks!

2007 100

2007 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 3, 2008

Hopefully, you weren’t also affected by the FPL power outages. It’s a reminder to all of us that depending on one system alone works fine, right up until the time that it doesn’t. In this case, commercial email services were affected, but the next time it could be your server at work.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 19, 2008

I worked as an Investment Advisor’s Assistant, completed my CSC (Canadian Securities Course), but soon after, I realized that this wasn’t really for me. We strive for an “open door” policy, but of course, there are times when the managers hold meetings or make phone calls and have their door closed.

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Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 27, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! Save the new e-mail distribution list by giving it a name that this corresponds to whatever it is being used for. All e-mail distribution lists are bolded. Just create a second e-mail distribution list and include the first one in it.

UPS 100

UPS 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 20, 2009

My weight gain happened as a result of being so busy in my new job that I started eating out because it was easier than having to make my own breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner at home and I stopped going to the gym because I just couldn't seem to find the time. It really does help, doesn't it? Healthy Or Junk?

2008 100

2008 2007 Cubicle 2009 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 7, 2008

But of course, you don’t want to disturb others around you with the bell going off or some even have chickens clucking as the alarm. Having a timer at your desk can be a great tool. This way, you will only have to focus on your project for that particular amount of time and not have to worry about other projects falling behind.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 5, 2007

We hold meetings every so often (since everyone’s busy and can’t really figure out when these meetings work for everyone), but we do try to meet at least once every quarter. This is definitely good for sharing ideas and skills among teammates and other departments.

2008 100

2008 2007 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 15, 2008

You don’t have to do much to lend a helping hand, just go out there and join an association, volunteer or whatever would make you feel “balanced&#. I never thought that I’d want to be a Professional Assistant, but somehow it just jumped out at me. But that’s another story.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 11, 2008

One of my readers asked me for some tips on handling annoying co-workers that don’t throw out their tea bags, leave used paper towels around the sink area or just leave their dirty dishes in the dish rack. Do you start wondering if they treat their own house the same way? You’re not alone. right away.

UPS 100

UPS 2008 Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 28, 2008

Heres a sample Thank You letter that you can use to get that dream job you have been waiting for: Your Name Your Address Your City, Province, Postal Code Your Phone Number Your Email Date Name Title Organization Address City, Province, Postal Code Dear Mr./Ms. My phone number is (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

Postal Code 100

Postal Code 2008 Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 3, 2008

Then he mentioned that he didn’t want all of the details of each product listed. I recently ran into this problem as well. One of my managers wanted me to use our sales tracking software to create the sales report for a particular product. He only wanted the total amounts shown as a bundled figure.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

APRIL 1, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today. Post from: Assistant Tips 4comments for this post Jodith One thing I find helpful when having multiple people performing file updates is to keep track changes turned on.

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Filing Google Docs 2008 Microsoft Word 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 16, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! She is the largest share holder of the company, obviously. But she is very high strung and doesnt know how to relax even when among friends or on vacation. She can be very trying at times, just a very difficult person. I consider myself and have been in the past, to be an over achiever.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 14, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, August 14, 2008 Filed Under: Productivity , System Security F orgetting your Windows password happens to everyone from time to time. Yes, even I forget it at times. Then you have to try to remember all of these passwords! When does it ever end?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 12, 2008

Thanks Manish Posted on 23 October, 2009 1:20 AM The Professional Assistant Hi Manish, Unfortunately, I don't have any other answer to this except to resize each one individually. Posted on 4 July, 2010 9:05 PM The Professional Assistant Hi, Unfortunately, you can't change the size of the file, but you can with Paint or Photoshop.

Microsoft Word 100

Microsoft Word 2008 2007 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 6, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! This is a typical work day for her: She comes in late EVERYDAY (not just a few minutes, but 15-25 minutes with an excuse for WHY shes late - traffic - and she lives 10 minutes away). Next she starts complaining about people around her, her friends, her spouse’s friends, kids, etc.

Gossip 100

Gossip 2008 Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

MARCH 20, 2008

Until next time, T ake care - of your clutter! What better candidate to take on that role as a career, than the assistant who regularly plans events from small meetings to large conferences. Marketing: An assistant who has a marketing flare with a creative mind can branch out into editing or writing.

2008 100

2008 2007 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 23, 2010

Whether they had or hadn`t I was never sure, but I know today that offices do fundraise for charities and workers are happy to participate. Whether they had or hadn`t I was never sure, but I know today that offices do fundraise for charities and workers are happy to participate. He raised over $1,000. 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

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Time Zones IAAP 2010 AT&T 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

AUGUST 15, 2009

Sometimes I wish I had something to warn me when I am with someone with a cell phone so I can know that we are going to be interrupted. I find it frustrating when people either text while in a conversation or are constantly taking phone calls. Apparently not, when its by phone. In an emergency, the cell phone is a useful tool.

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Time Zones IAAP Etiquette Phones 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 22, 2008

Some e-mails are useful, but I don’t always have time to deal with them right away. Don’t worry, these e-mails do not get lost or are completely out of sight. This has been a great way to clear up a lot of unnecessary e-mails at work. I also subscribe to feeds to my home e-mail account.

2008 100

2008 2007 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 20, 2008

If I didn’t know the person, and it was my first communication to him/her, I would use both names: John McDonald. They were merely doing their job and didn’t need to be thanked. END on the subject line means there is no need to open the message as there is nothing in the body text…&# 2 DON’T SHOUT!

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2008 2007 Fax Cubicle 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JANUARY 19, 2009

© Copyright Patricia Robb 2010 19 January, 2009 10 Things = Frustration When one team member doesn’t want to play. Managing your workload from home when you don’t have everything you need. The cure: always answer the phone professionally - this way youre never caught off-guard. Lets enjoy our day together.©

Time Zones 100

Time Zones 2009 IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

MAY 10, 2009

Of course before I recommend anything I try it out so I picked up the phone and it asked me what I was looking for and what city and province. I chose details and was given the street address and phone number and I still had the option of having my call put through to the store number. Google has an information line ( 1 800 466 4411 ).

Google 100

Google Time Zones IAAP Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JULY 16, 2010

If you don’t have e-mail folders, create some and sort messages as they are received. Check: Are phone calls planned? For each one, write down what you hope to accomplish with the phone call to help you stay focused. Manage: Try scheduling e-mail checks every two hours to minimize time spent with the e-mail account open.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

FEBRUARY 7, 2010

They said it works with most phone services. I actually didn't know this and this is something I need because I tend to blather on a little bit and get carried away! :) February 12, 2010 Patricia Robb said. But, as I learned the hard way it doesn't work on all systems. Thanks Patricia! 5, 2010 at 12 p.m.

Time Zones 100

Time Zones IAAP 2010 Meeting Minutes 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

APRIL 17, 2010

If you have to answer the phone, deal with an email or attend to something for your boss, do so, as that is the nature of the admin job -- multi-tasking, but once you have done it, go right back to your to-do list, re-focus and continue what you were doing. What I learned very quickly was that I had to finish one room at a time.

Environment 100

Environment Time Zones IAAP 2010 100