Administrative Assistant's Update

7 Administrative Assistant's UPDATE You access the Animation features from the Animation tab at the top of the PowerPoint ribbon which will then change to highlight the animation options. Let's start with a simple animation example – SmartArt graphics. To provide ad- ditional emphasis or show your information in phases, you can add an animation to your SmartArt graphic or to an individual shape in your SmartArt graphic. For example, you can make a shape fly in quickly from one side of your screen, or slowly fade in, or turn in circles if that's what the project you are working on is currently doing! Simply add the desired SmartArt to your slide and then select one of the animation functions from the Animation menu. Now that you have added animation to the SmartArt graphic in your slide you can play the animation to see what it looks like. Just click on the Animation Pane but - ton in the Ani- mation Ribbon. The Animation Pane window will open. From there click on the Play From button. And now you will see the animation play. Another way to see your presentation in action with animation is to press the F5 key to see the slide show but you already know that. So, sit back and enjoy the movie. The popcorn is on us! Looking around? Get ready for employers' new assessment tools By Staff Soft skills assessments are increas- ingly part of the testing that job ap- plicants now face. This is the conclusion of the LinkedIn Global Recruiting Trends study, says LinkedIn's vice-president of global talent acquisition Brendan Browne, writing in FastCompany.com. These "cognitive and personality qualities you don't go to school to learn, such as critical thinking, adapt- ability, learning agility and communi- cation," are being sought by employ- ers more than ever, says Browne. Employers are investing in new assessment tools as well as relying on traditional interview techniques to identify those talents and traits in potential employees. While what you've done still car- ries weight with potential employers, they're now more interested in how you performed as a team leader or member, how you reacted to a major change or what factors you considered in making a big decision. In short, says Browne, "it's more about who you are than what you do." At LinkedIn, he says, "we've in- terviewed people who are the best at their craft, but if they lack the adapt- ability to work through change, we don't hire them." So how should you prepare for an interview? "Dial up your self-awareness," says Browne. Take an inventory of your strengths and be honest with yourself. Consider what would be your reaction if your project or department were to be eliminated tomorrow. If you're someone who can con - fidently roll with the punches, that's something employers value. If change makes you uncomfortable, look to your other soft skills that make you a strong employee. "Come to each interview armed with anecdotes about how you reacted to a major change," Browne suggests. Also, "Don't hesitate to ask an HR contact inside the company whether they're using any predictive tools to help them evaluate job candidates. If you learn that they are, do a little research on the technology you may have to face, so you can show yourself off in the best light." PowerPoint – Continued from page 6 Add animation to a SmartArt graphic

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