Practice makes perfect

Whenever I go on an interview, I set up a mock interview with a friend and we go over questions that might come up.  Whether they are the exact questions doesn't matter.  It is the time spent practicing for the interview that helps.


You want to get over those initial jitters and not knowing what to say in the mock interview.  Do this a few times and you will be more confident when you actually go for the interview.  I call it getting into the interview mode.


What you really want to convey in an interview is confidence: confidence in what you know, confidence that you can do the job, confidence in conveying that information to the interviewers. 


Don't forget to interview them too.  You want to be sure this is the job for you.  Sometimes we are so anxious about the interview, we really need the job or we think we have to say yes if it is offered to us, that we forget to notice the warning signs that this might not be the job for you.


And finally, you should do research on the company where you are applying.  I asked one person I was interviewing if they had heard of our company and she said that she got an email alert that there was a position and she immediately applied for it.  She didn't really know anything about us.  Even after she told us this, she didn't ask any questions about the company.  An employer likes to know that you are interested in what they are doing.

Patricia

Looking your best on video

Good advice when doing meetings by video.  http://onthejob.45things.com/2019/01/how-to-look-your-best-on-video.html


My sister experienced this recently when she signed up for a multi-video meeting with other consultants.  She didn't realize everyone would be able to see her so she ran out to get changed because she was in her housecoat.  In the meantime, her husband didn't know she was online and casually walked by the computer in his underwear.  It could have been worse...  I'm sure they all got a good laugh out of that one.

Setting Rules in Outlook 2016

I like to set a rule for the messages I receive from my boss.  I have a new boss so had to figure out how to do this again and thought I should just write it down for the benefit of anyone else who may need it or for myself for the next time.


I want any emails sent from my boss to go into a special folder .  I also want it to make a sound when the email arrives.  I chose a ring tone so it is different than the default email notification.  This way, when I hear the ring, I know it is from her and will check it right away. 


In my case, I actually turn my regular email notifications off, so her email is the only one that makes a sound.  I find the notification noise and the incoming emails floating across my screen are just too distracting.  I have gotten in the habit of checking Outlook regularly.  This is especially helpful when I am drafting minutes.  It is nice to just focus on that and not be interrupted so much.  Of course when I hear the ring, I do check …


Before you set up the rule, you should first set up the folder where you want it to go.  To do this, right click on Inbox and choose New Folder.  Name it and then press OK.  I want it to go right under by Inbox so I name it  _  Joan Brown (FROM).  The underscore makes it file at the top:

1. Choose File, Manage Rules & Alerts
2. Click on 'New Rule'
3. Go to 'Start from a blank rule' and click on 'Apply Rule on messages I receive'.  Then click NEXT
4. Under Step 1, check the first box 'From people or public group' and then in the Step 2 box, click on 'people or public group' and that will open your Address Book.  Choose the person you want the rule to apply to.  Once you have found the name, click on the From button and the name will go in that box.  Then press OK.  Click on NEXT
5. Under Step 1, check  the box 'move a copy to a specified folder'.  Under Step 2, click on 'specified' and it will bring you to your Outlook Account and you can choose where you want it to go. If you want it to play a sound, in the same Step 1 box choose 'play a sound', then in the Step 2 box click on 'a sound' and a dialogue box will open with a list of possible sounds.  Scroll down until you see what looks like a road pylon.  Choose the sound you want.  I chose the basic Ring 01 sound, click on it and then press OPEN
6. Press NEXT
7. Click FINISH and it is all set up. 

Now when my boss sends me an email, it will go directly in the folder I identified it to go to and make a ring sound.  I know it can seem scary to have emails go into a folder (out of sight/out of mind - What if I miss something important?). Since it is the first sub-folder under my Inbox, it is noticeable and if I step away from my desk and miss the ring, I will see the folder bolded to show there is an unread email in it. 


I also check this folder regularly as I am doing work from there most of the time.  Another benefit to having all the emails from my boss in one place is if I want to find something, I just go to her folder and they are all there. 




I also like to keep track of emails I send her.  I name this folder under my Sent box as _ Joan Brown (TO).


To do this:

1. Choose File, Manage Rules & Alerts
2. Click on 'New Rule'
3. Go to 'Start from a blank rule' and click on 'Apply Rule on messages I send'.  Then click NEXT
4. Under Step 1 click on 'Sent to people or public group'
5. Under Step 2 click on 'people or public group' and that will open your Address Book.  Choose the person you want the rule to apply to.  Once you have found the name, click on the To button and the name will go in that box.  Then press OK.  Click on NEXT
6. Press NEXT
7. Click FINISH and it is all set up. 

I really like having all the emails I send to my boss in one place.  It is so much easier to search and actually find.


There are a number of rules you can apply in Outlook, but as my daughter used to tell me when she was a teenager, too many rules is not cool, and it really can get confusing so I limit it to these two and that works just right for me.  

Knowing when it's time to move on

Someone contacted me a year or so ago very fed up with her admin position.  She was wondering how she could make her job more interesting.  She was also having relationship problems with her colleagues.  I could feel her frustration.

I found her email the other day so thought I would contact her just to see how she was faring and things have not gotten any better.

My red flag to go is when the joy is gone.  I like to have a job where I have fun and can feel satisfied when I've done a good job.  I also want to feel challenged and have a sense of accomplishment when I have figured something out.  When I stop having that, I just go through the motions and that is never good.

There is always economics though and the need to earn a living so that has to be taken into consideration.  Can I afford to move on?

Sometimes there are opportunities in your own back yard that you can try.  A new boss, a new set of tasks and new work colleagues.  I used to work for a law firm and I recall a move I made to another law firm just across the street.  Nothing had really changed, except for the fact that I had a new boss, the area of law was different than I had done before and my desk faced a different direction.  Where I was located had more sunlight because I sat near a corner office.  Perhaps a change in direction will do the trick. 


I was working with a young admin assistant.  She was a good admin, but her passion was in graphics.  She was pleased when she did a good job in her admin role, but when she had a chance to create something, you could see her come alive.  She ended up staying for a short time and then signed up for a graphics course at the local college to pursue that dream.  I wished her well.  It is always nice to do something you are passionate about.

But sometimes, it is just time to move on.  If you do decide to go, do your homework first.  Check out the local job market, send your resume out to test the waters and look for something that gets your heart racing a bit.  It might seem scary at first because it is a new challenge.  If you read my previous article you will see I did that when I took the minute-taking job, but when I finally did it, I loved it and never looked back.  That job too eventually became routine and I moved on to something else.

The main thing is to have joy in whatever you are doing.

Minute-Taking Coach

I am one of those rare birds who actually enjoys taking minutes, although I avoided taking them for years.  I wouldn't apply for a job if I saw that minute taking was a requirement and if an employer ever suggested it, I threatened I would quit.  However, when I finally decided to try it, I found I really liked it.  I enjoy the preparation leading up to the meeting, the actual taking of the minutes and the follow up afterwards.  I particularly like senior executive meetings.

So how did I get into it?  In 2007, I started this blog and wrote articles on various subjects of interest to an administrative assistant.  I had never written on minute taking though and knew that was probably something people would want to hear about.  So I bugged and bugged a friend of mine who was a Senior Executive Assistant and experienced minute taker to explain it all to me.  After listening to her, I realized that once I knew the purpose for being there and what I needed to listen for and take down, I really thought I could do it.  I'm not one to do things in half-measure so when a job came up for an Executive Assistant and Corporate Secretary to the Board of Directors, I thought, "Why not!" and plunged right in and went for the interview and was hired.

The CEO was taking a chance.  He knew I had years of administrative experience, but he also knew I had never taken minutes before, except for a short time right after high school.  The next Board of Directors meeting was in three months and nothing had been done to prepare for it so I plunged right in.  Under the CEO's tutelage, and with what my friend had taught me, I organized the next Board of Directors' meeting and all its Committees.

What changed things for me was having the CEO on my side helping me along the way.  I also had my friend I could call if I had any questions.  What a help that was to me in those early days.  When I finally did take the Board minutes, nobody at that table knew I was anything but a very professional and competent minute taker.  Having people on your side can make the difference.


From all my years of giving minute-taking webinars and speaking to groups of admins, I found that the fear of taking minutes is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.  That is why at Boomerang Virtual Assistants, I wanted to offer clients my services as a minute-taking coach.  I know from experience that it can make all the difference.
Having a coach by your side providing encouragement, being available to answer any questions, reviewing the minutes, making suggestions and helping along the way can be a game changer.  And yes, my friend who helped me all those years ago is also on my team and part of the baby boomer team who make up Boomerang Virtual Assistants.
If you want to invest in your assistant, or are an assistant who wants help with minute taking, please contact me at patricia@boomerangvirtualassistants.com or visit my website at www.boomerangvirtualassistants.com and fill out the enquiry form and let's talk minutes!

Working with an Assistant

I was speaking with a senior Executive at my office today and she said one of the most valuable things that she has learnt over the years was how to work with an assistant.  I think when we are first in the workforce we are going to the office expecting our boss will tell us what to do and we will endeavour to do it according to our skill set.  However, there comes a time as we gain experience, that we will want to show our bosses what we can do and how we can help them.  Here is a good article on that subject.  Knowing how to work with your assistant is critical to your success and theirs: http://executivesecretary.com/training-an-executive-new-to-working-with-an-assistant/

I also wrote another article on this subject, which I thought would be useful for this discussion: https://secretaryhelpline.blogspot.com/2008/04/teaching-your-boss-to-be-boss.html

On to the next task...

The way I work is to get things off my plate as soon as possible and move on to the next task.  The problem is it is now filed in the back burner of my mind.  It is still hovering in the background somewhere, but I've completed the work, done whatever I needed to do with it and diarized whatever needed to be diarized and moved on until I need to know it again.  My boss may come out a month or so later and ask me questions about it and sometimes my mind initially draws a blank.  I need a minute to go back and check and then I am completely up to speed again.

I find with the volume of work admins deal with throughout the day, week and month, we need some system to keep things straight.  For me, the thing that helps is to document everything .  I put items in my calendar as a reminder, but the problem with calendar reminders is unless you know which day you put it on or what you named it, you can't easily find it. 

For each meeting or event, I create what I call a meeting sheet.  Most everything I do as an admin revolves around meetings. I'm either organizing a meeting or responding to someone else about my boss's availability.  When I receive an email relating to a meeting, I create a meeting sheet and cut and paste the email in there and make any relevant notes.  If I put a reminder in the calendar, I note the date on the meeting sheet.  If I am waiting to hear back from someone, that is documented as well.  It started out that the meeting sheet was just for my information, but now I use it as a filing of sorts about each meeting.
This system keeps me straight.  I know others who keep folders in their Outlook account and drag and drop emails that have to do with a particular meeting.  Whichever way you do it, you need a way to keep track because ultimately your boss will come back and ask where you are at with a meeting or want to know the background of how they got where they are.


I do the same for all my tasks.  I document what I need to do, I document what I've done so far and I document what I need to do to get me to the end.  This way I'll never forget and can come back at any time to see my progress.