Administrative Assistant's Update

OCTOBER 2017 P R O F E S S I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O R C A N A D A ' S O F F I C E S U P P O R T S T A F F Administrative Assistant's UPDATE UPDATE PM #40065782 INSIDE Happiness at work � � � � � � � � � 2 It can make a difference in your organization's performance Job hunting on LinkedIn � � � � 3 How to let recruiters know you're open to new opportunities Being resume-ready � � � � � � � � 5 Keeping it up to date prepares you for sudden opportunities Stunning Excel worksheets � � 6 Tips on how to make them more visually appealing By George Pearson AAU Editor Technology has dramatically altered the role of the administrative profes- sional in today's Canadian organiza- tion, but it has not diminished the demand for people to fill that role. In fact, today's tech-savvy and highly skilled admin pro is often a go- to resource for executives and office colleagues alike in applying practi- cal applications of new software as well as participating in the organiza- tion's presence on social media, says Dianne Hunnam- Jones, District President, Eastern Canada, of Robert Half. Robert Half, a global provider of professional con- sulting and staffing services, is parent company to OfficeTeam, which spe- cializes in administrative staffing. Admin professionals have become, among other things, a sort of "first- level help desk," says Hunnam-Jones. "We see them as the link between technology and the people they sup- port, so they need the tech skills but [at the same time] they ought to have soft skills because they have to com- municate it, facilitate it, show them [executives] the importance and the value of the technology." In introducing its 2018 Salary Guide for Administrative Profession- als, OfficeTeam notes that this combi- nation of technical and nontechnical (soft) skills puts admins in a strong position to compete for the best jobs or, if they're not looking to move, enhance the compensation package in their present job. The Salary Guide is designed as a resource for employers, providing a profile of compensation and skills in play in the employment marketplace. The Guide is also useful for admins to assess their own ambitions in the light of employment opportunities. Because employers are more than ever looking for well-rounded skill sets, it's a marketplace that favours skilled, versatile job seekers, says Hunnam-Jones. "If you speak to a CEO or hiring manager and say 'what's your great - est worry,' they'll say 'I can't find the right skill set.'" Hiring companies need to realize they may not find all the skills they desire in a particular admin candi- date, she says. "You're going to have to find somebody who's got 80 per Smaller companies, happier workers The happiest employees (see Edi- tor's Note, page 2) work at compa- nies with fewer than 10 employees. They scored 76 on a happiness scale of 0-100. The least happy workers are at organizations with 10,000 or more employees. Those workers scored 67. Marketing and creative profes- sionals have the highest level of happiness overall (HR ranks 2 nd and administrative ranks 6 th ) and the highest level of interest in their work (legal ranks 2 nd , administra- tive ranks 5 th ). A concern: One-third of employ- ees were thinking about leaving their jobs in the next six months. Continued on page 4 Opportunities abound for multi-skilled admins © ALEX S Dianne Hunnam-Jones

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