Administrative Assistant's Update - sample

June 2018

Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).

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By Jennifer Lewington AAU Associate Editor Kelly Taylor, a veteran admin profes- sional at a major hospital in Ontario, is a lifelong gar- dening enthusiast. In her day job she brings leader- ship, communica- tion and organi- zational skills to her work as an administrative as- sistant to senior members of the medi- cal imaging department at St. Joseph's Health Centre in London, Ont. But she says her experience as a long-time volunteer with local and provincial horticultural organiza- tions has deepened her ability to listen, work with diverse groups and streamline operations in her job at the hospital. At St. Joe's, where she has worked for 17 years, Taylor says she's "ex- tremely fortunate to work with pas- sionate and talented individuals who all come together to make a difference for our patients." But she adds that her volunteer work with the London Fanshawe Horticultural Society and its provincial body, the Ontario Horticul- tural Association, "is very rewarding and gives me a sense of being part of something bigger and allows me to give back to my community." A former membership director for her local London Fanshawe society, she currently is secretary of the OHA, with board members from across the province. "Being able to work with 24 people on the board has allowed me to see things from a different perspec - tive," she says, an experience that supports her ability to build relation- ships at work. Other admin professionals share Taylor's enthusiasm for volunteering, valuable in its own right, as a con- tributor to success on the job. Bryan Brooker, executive assis- tant to the vice-president of global accounting at Manulife Financial, joined the company as a bookkeeper in 1982. Outside of work, he earned certification as a fitness instructor specialist from Can- Fit Pro, the largest provider of fitness industry education, and, until recently, regularly volun- teered as leader of lunch-hour fitness sessions at Manulife for its employees. He cites numerous positive "spill- over" benefits of volunteerism to his professional life. For example, those in his fitness class saw another side to his person- ality and skill sets. For his part, he credits his volunteer activities with helping to hone his abilities in leader- JUNE 2018 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 Employers & volunteerism � � � 2 Where firms provide support, more employees choose to volunteer Using social media � � � � � � � � � 3 Some tips to help you create a brand for yourself Becoming a manager � � � � � � � 5 Rhonda Scharf points out "potholes" you can avoid Before your vacation � � � � � � � 7 Get yourself organized with 9 to-dos before departing Senior managers underscore admins' value Responsibilities facing today's admin have increased during the past five years. That's the conclusion of 75 per cent of 607 senior managers (Unit- ed States and Canada) surveyed by Robert Half OfficeTeam recently. The survey also revealed that admins save their bosses an aver- age of 101 minutes a day. Further, the senior managers cited how admins perform beyond their job descriptions, analyzing data and identifying potential clients. training fellow employees on technology tools and helping review resumes, posting jobs and organizing interviews. Continued on page 4 Volunteer work builds personal, professional skills Kelly Taylor Bryan Brooker

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