6 Ways to Survive Your Temporary Job

Office Lackey (Photo credit: esp22)

When you are just getting started in your career you might have to take a temporary job that pays the bills until you find the job that your really want.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  It keeps money in your pocket and you can learn from every job experience and develop new skills. But the temporary jobs are not always easy to live through.

Here are 6 ways you can survive your temporary job until you find the job that you really want:

1. Stop saying “I’ll be happy when...”

Find things about your job that you like.  It could be the people you work with, the great food in the restaurant nearby or the park that you go to when you’re on you’re lunch break.  There’s always something you can be happy with.  Look for opportunities to learn from experiences or from your co-workers.

2. Don’t limit yourself to labels

Just because you have a title it doesn’t mean that you have to stick with that label.  You might be a receptionist but you likely do a lot more than that.  Instead of telling people that you are a receptionist, say, “I work as a receptionist but I also manage the hospitality team for our company and I specialize in customer relations.”  Be proud of what you do and realize that a job title is just a job title.  You are so much more than that.

3. Don’t get involved in company gossip

While the gossip mill might be a fun distraction from your day it is a big time suck and it wastes energy that you would be better off spending elsewhere. Find something better to do with your time when things get slow in the office or you are on a break.  Listen to music during your break to relax or if there is downtime do some brainstorming that will lead you towards that job that you really want.  Those who spend their quiet time with gossip are likely to still be working with the same company or in the same kind of job 5 years from now.  Will you?

4. A job worth doing is a job worth doing well

You’ve likely heard this old saying before.  Basically, its saying, do your best no matter what you do.  Be proud of being the person who does things the fastest or the most thorough even if that thing is just answering the phones or counting widgets.  It matters.  Do your best and you can be proud of what you do, no matter what you do.  And if you do it well, it is more likely to be noticed and that means in the future you are more likely to get a good reference from the company you work for.

5. Have a backup plan

Just knowing that there is another option can make it easier to get through the day.  It is those that have no options and feel trapped that become miserable in their jobs.  Keep an eye on the classifieds and know which companies are always hiring.  Do some work from home by making money at something you love.  Be prepared to walk off the job if it is making you completely unhappy and be secure in knowing that you have an escape plan.

6.  Live like you already have the job you want

Pretend that you are getting up to go to a job you love.  Live like you are already responsible for a team and make decisions like the company depends on you.  Dress well (don’t over dress but always make sure your uniform or your outfits are clean and pressed).  Not only will you feel better about your current job but you’ll be inspired, too!

You may have to live with a job you don’t want to stay at forever in the short term but it doesn’t have to make your life miserable. It is just part of your journey so find a way to enjoy it.

50 Things You Can Do in 10 Minutes to Help Your Future Career

Lauren talks summer job hunt strategies on
Canada AM (Photo credit: TalentEgg)

10 minutes?  That's nothing!  You can't possibly do anything worthwhile in 10 minutes

... or can you?

I believe you can!  10 minutes can help you in your future career if you think creatively!

Here are 50 things you can do in 10 minutes to help your future career:

1. Delete inappropriate Facebook photos (suggestion from Lee Parsons, Facebook fan)
2. Study a small portion of your school work and understand it (suggestion from Claudelle Escalona, Facebook fan)
3. Change your Facebook bio to something interesting so that the person reading will be interested in 10 seconds! (suggestion from Rinzy Somerhalder, Facebook fan)
4. Work on your elevator pitch.
5. Practice your elevator pitch.
6. Read an article about the company you are interested in working for.
7. Create a Twitter account just for job search purposes.
8. Look for 5 people that you might connect with on Twitter.
9. Create your LinkedIn profile.
10. Write a fabulous bio for LinkedIn
11. Attache your resume to LinkedIn
12. Connect with people on LinkedIn that work for companies you would like to work for.
13. Find a group on LinkedIn that is focused on job search in your area.
14. Write a post or discussion in a LinkedIn group.
15. Answer a question in a post or discussion on LinkedIn.
16. Find a Facebook page or group that is relevant to your future career and join it.
17. Ask a question or give an answer in a Facebook group or on a page.
18. Create your own professional Facebook Page (a page is better than a group for these purposes because it is public access)
19. Share something valuable on your professional Facebook Page
20. Write a specific objective for your resume to be used when applying to a specific job.
21. Send an email to someone that is in your network to let them know that you are looking for a job and ask if there is anyone that they would be willing to introduce you to.
22. Search through your closet and put together the perfect interview outfit (do this several times until you have a few of them lined up if you can).
23. Send a thank you note to someone that has done something for you recently.
24. Prepare an answer for an interview question that you are likely to have ("Tell me about yourself" or "Tell me about a time that you...")
25. Practice answer a common interview question.
26. Put together a business card to give to people at networking events.
27. Find a forum online that is related to your career and join it.
28. Create a new thread on a forum that is related to your career.
29. Read an article (online or offline) that is related to something newsworthy in your career field.
30. Find a blog that is related to job search or your career field and subscribe to it by email so you don't miss any updates.
31. Outline a blog post that you could write for a blog that is focused on your career field.
32. Brainstorm a list of companies that you would like to work for.
33. Look up the company web sites of one of the companies you would like to work for.
34. Look for news articles of one of the companies you would like to work for.
35. Find out who the owner/CEO is for one of the companies you would like to work for.
36. Look for interviews with the owner/CEO of one of the companies you would like to work for.
37. Write a mission for yourself
38. Sit quietly and meditate on your mission.
39. Create a list of things to do this week that will get your further in your job search.
40. Create a Pinterest account and look for people that pin info on  your career or on job search.
41. Pin something on your Pinterest account about your career.
42. Create an about.me page to highlight who you are and why someone should hire you.
43. Create a list of things you have done on the job or in school that you are proud of and demonstrates a specific skill.
44. Record yourself talking about yourself and watch it to look for verbal communication that you may be relaying without knowing it (your webcam is great for this)
45. Study the want ads for people that are hiring in your career field (even if you're not ready to apply for them) and make a list of the skills that are required.
46. Look for information on anything to do with your career on YouTube.
47. Start your own YouTube channel.
48. Use your web cam to make a video about yourself to put on YouTube.
49. Write an email to request an informational interview with someone that has a job that you would like to have.
50. Make a list of questions to ask in an informational interview.

What else can you think of?  Leave your suggestions in a comment!

What Kind of A First Impression Will You Make?

Got the job  you wanted!  Great!  Now, the next thing you should be thinking about is how you are going to make a good first impression.  That first impression is likely to define you for quite awhile.  The people you will work with don’t really know anything else about you so they are waiting to see what happens in those first couple weeks.  And the impression that they get is likely to follow you for a long time, so make sure it is a good one!

Here are some tips for making a first impression that you’ll be glad to have stick:

• Listen!  People love it when the new person actually listens to instructions and follows them.  If you’re truly listening you will have a better chance of doing tasks properly the first time.
• Ask questions.  And be sure to ask smart questions.  If you ask questions about information that has already been covered they’ll just think you weren’t listening the first time (see the first point!).  Ask questions that will help you do your job better.
• Make sure you understand your job description.  If your job description isn’t clear ask for clarification (see the second point!).  Make sure that you completely understand what is expected of you.
• Meet people.  You need to meet as many people that are key players in the company as possible.  Ask questions and listen to the answers (see the first two points!). 
• Be on time or early.  Never show up late in your first couple weeks under any circumstances.  Make sure you plan ahead so that you can get there on time.  And don’t take extra time on your breaks.  Be back on time from your coffee break and your lunch break.
• Don’t work through breaks unless someone specifically asks you to.  If you start that now it will be expected of you in the future.  Same for working late.
• Watch how others dress (especially those that are in the position that you ultimately want to be in) and mimic them.  If none of the women wear pants then you shouldn’t either.  If everyone wears a tie then you should, too.
• Smile often.  Show that you have a good attitude and be ready to meet others with a smile on your face.  If you’re always frowning they will think that you are not happy to be there and it will reflect in how people approach you.

What other tips can you think of for making a good first impression?  Leave me a comment and I’ll leave you with this great video:

Could Your Profile Picture be Decreasing Your Chances of Getting the Job?

Not a good choice for a profile picture!
 (Photo credit: Vlture.)

I’ve talked about social networking before and the fact that employers do look people up online.  The places that they are most likely to find you are your social networks since they usually show up first in the search engines unless you have a web site with your name in the domain (which isn’t a bad idea).  And what is the first thing that someone will see if they find your social network profile?  Your picture. 

You might choose to lock down all that info and even your picture on some social networks but what if you are purposefully using them to help with your job search?  Then you need to have a profile picture that will be helpful to you.

Here are some tips to choosing a good profile picture that won’t have employers throwing your resume in the trash:

• Headshots: These are usually your best option.  Employers don’t want to see how fashionable you are (unless you are applying for a job as a fashion designer).  They just need a nice headshot that highlights your face.  Try not to use a cropped headshot though because those can be overly pixilated and come out unclear.
• Focus: Make sure that the focus of the picture is you, not something crazy going on in the background.  If you’re doing a self-portrait (and those can work if you’re careful) make sure that there is nothing strange in the background that is going to detract from you.  We’ve all seen that picture of the girl with the self-portrait she took in the bathroom (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve seen it!)
• Get Dressed: Yes, this needs to be said.  Put on something that doesn’t look like you just climbed out of bed.  No strapless tops because those often end up looking like you’re naked.  Put on something with some color, too.  Black and white are great but not for photos.
• Skip the funny pics: I’m sure that your friends all love your funny faces (my kids love my lizard face) but your future employer doesn’t need to see that.  Just smile nicely.
• Get someone to take the picture for you: Yes, as I mentioned, self-pics can work but the picture that is taken by someone else will be better.  If you have professional photos those are great but you don’t have to have them.  Just make sure that the background is simple (a white or light colored wall will do the trick) and that the person holding the camera has a steady hand.
• Be up-to-date: Don’t put up a picture from your high school grad if you are older than 20 or so.  Put up a picture that represents what you actually look like now.

It is true that an employer can not choose to not hire you because you’re unattractive.  But they might choose not to hire you if your profile picture shows you downing tequilas at your most recent weekend party.  

If You Don’t Manage Your Stress, Your Stress Will Manage You

Optimizing Stress (Photo credit: cheerfulmonk)

Every work place has stress and if you have found a job with no stress that can still pay the bills I’d love for you to leave a comment!

But most jobs do have stress and how we handle it can affect how well we do our job.  If you don’t learn to manage your stress, the truth is that your stress might manage you right out of a job!  Stress management is something that everyone needs to learn whether they are working for an employer or running a business or running a family. 

Here are some common but very useful ways to manage your stress:

• Eat better - quit skipping breakfast and/or lunch.  Seriously.  When you skip meals your brain doesn't function nearly as well as it should and not only can you not handle the stress you already have but you’re likely to create more stress by making mistakes.  Bring portable breakfasts with you to work if you need to and make sure that you always have a stock of fruits and veggies in the staff fridge.
• Move around when you take breaks.  There’s no rule that says you have to take your break in the lunch room or cafeteria.  Try getting out and going for a walk to a coffee shop that is further away or skip the coffee altogether (too much will make you jittery and that’s not good for stress levels) and walk around the blog a couple times.  And whatever  you do, don’t take breaks at your desk!  How can you relax when your stressors are sitting right there in front of you?
• Have a moment.  Really - when you need to let something out and instead hold it all in that just makes you feel like a shaken up bottle of cola with the lid on.  Find a trusted friend to vent to (you might want to take it away from the office building if venting means foul language).  Find a storage closet where you can hide a pillow and cover your face with it and have a good scream or jump up and down and stomp your feet.  Get it out or the explosion is going to be nasty!
• Find your happy place.  Remember Happy Gilmore and his happy place?  Worked for him.  Create a place in your mind where you can smell the scents, feel, taste, hear and feel like you are really there.  There might be certain people there that you find very calming or it might be a specific location.  Get used to going there so that when you need it, it will be very easy to bring it to your mind.
• Break it up.  We get stressed often because there just seems to be too much in front of us.  I’ve likened it to looking at pictures on your computer.  When you have too many big pictures open your computer gets a little slow.  So quit looking at every big picture at once and take one big picture and cut it into smaller picture into little parts so you can focus on each part individually.  Quit looking at so many big pictures and you will have less stress.

Being Culturally Aware

In our world, being culturally aware is important.  In countries like Canada and the United States there are many cultures and it is quite likely that you will work with people from different cultures in your own office.  But you should also remember that company's are likely to do business with other countries as well, which means that you will be dealing with even more diverse cultures.

So, in order to be more culturally aware you should:

• be aware of your own culture
• be aware of differences in non-verbal language; a smile may mean one thing in our culture but another thing in other cultures
• if you are dealing with language differences slow down and use simple language
• remember that some cultures have expectations for higher standards of dress
• eating is something that you may come across when you are in another country or have visitors from another country - learn the manners of that country
• be friendly but not pushy - many countries have a wider berth of personal space than ours
• do some research and learn

Being culturally aware is something that everyone should make an effort towards.  From entry level positions to leaders of the business people need to remember that we work in a global economy and we all need to get along!

The Shifting Role of the Secretary

Do you know what the origin of the word secretary is? You may not because the term “secretary” has become akin to that of calling someone an unskilled laborer. Generally, administrative assistants avoid the term secretary because they feel that it is associated with menial tasks. But the true meaning of the term secretary is actually something to be proud of.

The word secretary comes from the Latin word secemere, which mean “to distinguish” or “to set apart”. There are connotation of being related to confidentiality or privacy as well, so really the term applies to a person who is able to supervise and watch over matters of serious confidentiality. Up until around the end of the 19th century, only men were secretaries and they worked one on one with those in positions of power to help them monitor their daily activities and their correspondence. It was a very prestigious role. Is that something we should be embarrassed about? Personally, I’m proud to be called a secretary!

It wasn’t until the 1880’s and the advent of the typewriter that women started to be associated with being secretaries. The term became more generalized and was associated with tasks like typing and taking phone calls. The connotations shifted from a role of prestige to that of menial tasks and minimal pay

Things today are shifting yet again. While we often don’t hold the title of secretaries, administrative assistants are multi-skilled staff that play an important role in businesses. They often have advanced computer skills that enable them to not only manipulate documents and spreadsheets but also to do trouble-shooting on computers and even design and manage web pages. They often have specialty training in areas like public speaking, finance, and sales. Their responsibilities vary and are increasing.

So, are you ashamed of being called a secretary? I say embrace the term because it is something to be proud of!

Reduce Paper Usage in Your Office

Do you feel like you're drowning in the amount of paper floating around your office?  Is it sitting in piles on your desk?  Is your file cabinet getting more and more stuffed each day?  Then maybe it is time to start thinking about going paperless (or just using less paper) in your office.  Not only is it better for the environment but you'll find that when there is less paper around you are more organized.  And if you're more organized you'll work more efficiently.

One of the things you can do is send more email in your inter-office communications.  Have you ever thought about how many memos get stuffed into corners and desk drawers?  How about that company newsletter that gets place in the to-do pile and may or may not get read?  And what happens after it does get read?  How many people do you think keep it to refer back to later?  Instead of sending out a paper memo get your company started on email memos and PDF newsletters.  If staff want to save them they can save them on their computer with ease.

Do you or your boss read industry magazines or newsletters?  They take up a lot of paper don't they.  Many companies are now producing online newsletter and magazine subscriptions.  Check into it and if they are subscribe to the online version.  You'll find that you like it a lot better when you don't have a pile of them sitting in your window sill!

If you must print be sure to use both sides of the paper - no more single sided printing.  Most photo-copiers have this option and if yours doesn't it is really time for an upgrade.  Also, when you print make sure you are removing unnecessary graphics and make sure the font is something that doesn't take up too much space, like Times New Roman.  You can even decrease the margins if you don't need to take notes on your print out.  Make headings bold, but not large.  At least when you do have to print something you'll use less paper.

If you get business admail often, check to see if it is printed on both sides.  If it isn't save it for scrap paper.  People always need paper that they can easily dispose of and many businesses order notepads just for that purpose.  Instead of wasting more trees, use the paper that is already coming into your office.

Reference Sites to Help You With Your Research

Doing research is often part of our job and although it isn't always the most exciting task in the world we need to give it proper attention.  One of the things we need to focus on is finding authoritative sites that actually present relevant data to what we are researching for and that means finding material that is not just written by anyone - it needs to be written by someone who knows what they are talking about.  So, today I have four reference sites for you that can give you a wide variety of information but are quality sources.

One of the first sites that I frequent when looking for information is the Statistics Canada site.  You'll find loads of info on the country as a whole, individual stats on the provinces, and even information on cities and towns.  If you need to know how many children are being born or how many people are moving out of a community, this is the site to get the most relevant answers.

The Government of Canada website will provide you with more information than you might have guessed. Programs, benefits, and laws are only the beginning of what you can find there.  The Government of Canada produces a wide variety of literature that is free for the people and is available in PDF form.  This makes it easy to download it and save it for later if you find something that you think might be important for you later.

Finally, if you're in Manitoba, the Government of Manitoba website will give you more focused information.  And of course there are provincial sites for all of the provinces and territories in Canada.  These provincial web sites are invaluable if you need information on provincial laws but they are also helpful if you want to know what topic are important and current for your area.

Those are just a starting point.  Spend some time doing your own investigating and watch for sites that end in .org, .edu, .gov, .biz - .com sites can have relevant info as well but you'll need to verify the source.

4 Tips for Doing Internet Research

Part of the administrative assistant’s job is often doing research.  We might be doing research to update the company website or provide client’s with resources.  We may be preparing a formal report or gathering information for our manager.  When we do research there are a variety of sources that we can gather information from but one of the fastest and easiest way is to turn to the Internet.

Even though getting information from the Internet is more convenient we still need to be careful how we do our research.  Not all sites are a valuable source of info and we can get varied resources.

Here are a few tips for doing Internet research:

• Use several search engines for a variety of results.  Not all search engines will give you the same results.  Yahoo, Google, and Bing are good for general searches but you will find that AltaVista and Ask Jeeves will give you more business oriented results.  Experiment and try different search engines and see what kind of differences you find.

• Look for quality sites.  You can often find more quality sites when you pay attention to the extension.  While .com sites are most common they do not always have the best information.  Sometimes the information on .com sites are written by non-experts.  If you want to find expert material consider searching on .gov, .org, and .biz sites.  You can search these specific results by typing site:gov “your search term” into the search engine.  You will only get .gov sites in the results.  Do the same thing with .org or .biz and you’ll be more likely to get good results.

• Learn to do Boolean searches.  Boolean search allows you to find more targeted results instead of general information.  Visit this Internet Tutorial  to find out more about Boolean searches and play around with it on a search engine.  Look at the different results you get.  Are some of the results better than others?  More targeted?

• Credit your sources.  As a rule of thumb, if it is not generally known knowledge you should credit your source to avoid plagiarizing others’ work.  And if you had to look it up it is not generally known.  There are many ways to credit your sources but MLA and APA are the most widely used; however, you should follow company policies for referencing.

What Are Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are the abilities that employers search for and want when they are hiring.  They are the kinds of skills you see asked for all the time in job listings.  They are skills that can be put to use in a wide variety of way and in many types of jobs.  If you have transferable skills you will find that getting a job is much easier than with only job specific abilities.

Here are some of the transferable skills that most employers look for:

• Written communications – You absolutely need to have good writing skills.  There are very few jobs these days where writing skills are not considered important and administrative jobs are not one of the ones that will over look it.  You must have a good command of the English language, know the difference between active and passive voice, and have excellent editing skills.
• Verbal communications – as administrative assistants we do a lot of talking both in person and on the phone.  It is essential that we learn to communicate in a way that gets our message across loud and clear.  If you need work on this, consider joining a speaking group like Toast Masters.
• Organization – if you aren’t organized you won’t be able to get work done effectively.  Rarely will you ever do the same job day after day so you will need to be able to organize your materials and your time to take care of all of your tasks.
• Computer literacy – you can’t get past this one.  You have to know your way around the computer.  At the very least you should learn how to use Word, Excel, and Office Outlook.  Being comfortable with using the Internet has become a fairly important skill as well.
• Training – if you’ve ever trained someone to do something, or better yet trained a group of people, this is a skill that is well worth featuring on your resume.
• Supervising – being able to supervise a group of people is a highly sought out skill.  If you have supervisory skills expect to be able to move up through a company’s ranks fairly quickly.
• Planning – planning for projects and set up time lines is a great skill to have.
So, how many of those skills do you have?

If you need to learn these skills and are interested in becoming an administrative professional check out Robertson College.  We now have course available in the traditional class room setting and online!

How to Increase Moral in the Office

Employees often assume it is up to the bosses and managers to keep morale high in the office but you can contribute to this as well.  As an administrative employee you are the person that other employees see most often.  You are the one that has the most contact with staff, managers, and visitors and you can have a huge effect of office morale.

Here are some of the ways you can help build morale in your office:

• Smile!  A smile goes a long way.  A smile can change someone's mood or encourage them or make their day just a little bit better.
• Say Thank You.  Saying thank you makes a big difference in how people do their job.  
• Tell a joke.  Sometimes when things get a little crazy, a well-timed joke can make it easier to get past the craziness.
• Use inspirational quotes.  You might put one on the company bulletin board or you might include it in your email.  
• Start a company newsletter where you praise people's successes.

These are just a few of the things that you can likely do on your own, but there are even more things that you can do if you work with others.  Talk to managers about how you can help them build morale in your company and they will likely be grateful for your help and ideas.

4 Things You Can Do Online To Help Your Job Search

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If you want to find a job, what you are doing online can make a big difference.  The truth is that many employers want to know that you are Internet savvy.  That means that you know what is appropriate to post and what is not.  It also means that you know how to utilize various sites for business purposes.

Here are45 tips you can start implementing today to improve your job search when you are online:

1. Watch the job boards.  Of course, you should be looking for open jobs online but watch the jobs that have recently closed as well.  Keep a list of places that have recently hired and after a couple weeks when they have had time to evaluate the new employees, send them a resume and cover letter.  Tell them that you understand that the position has recently been filled but that you are interested in similar positions if anything opens up in the future.  Make sure you keep track of these so that you can evaluate the responses that you get in the future.
2. Start a blog.  Write about the career you want to have, experiences that demonstrate your skills, and interesting industry news that you come across.  Make sure you stick to a theme (your desired industry) and give it your own personal slant.
3. Utilize LinkedIn.  Have a profile up and make sure it is complete.  Connect with companies you would like to work for and individuals that work in those companies.  Connect your blog to your LinkedIn account.  Join groups where you can ask questions and share your knowledge.
4. Start a professional Twitter account.  This is not the place to talk about movies you've  seen or where you are hanging out but rather a place to share industry related information, your blog posts, and ask questions.  Follow people and companies that you would like to work for.  Follow experts in your field.

By following these  few tips you can make connections and gather knowledge that will help you in your future career. It will expand your network and give you a boost that you might not otherwise get.

Pssst – Want to Know a Networking Secret?

Image by Elliottng via Flickr

Networking is an important part of job hunting. There’s no two ways about that. People who are successful at
finding jobs tend to have large networks that they utilize completely.

• They have a list of people that they can call on when they need help.

• They have a list of companies that they want to work for.

• They have a list of people in those companies that they can contact.

• They know what they want to do in a job.

• They ask for more contacts.

Those are the fundamentals of networking. You cannot avoid it and if you want a job you need to implement and use these fundamentals.

But there is a secret beyond those fundamentals that you should know about. Want to know what it is?
GIVING!

Yes, giving is an important part of networking, whether you are networking online or networking in real time. You need to give VALUE, you need to give with AUTHENTICITY, and then you will receive in return!

How can you give in your networking efforts in order to get more back?

• Give someone a reference on LinkedIn.

• Refer a potential client to someone.

• Offer personal support.

• Share your expertise.

Social media can be a great way to do this with a minimal time investment but you can do this just as easily by phone, through email, or in person.
GIVE and you shall receive!

You CAN Use Facebook for Business AND Personal Use!

Let’s face it – most of us are on Facebook for fun.  We play some games, chat with our friends, find out what is going on in the lives of old school mates – it’s leisure time.  But more and more these days Facebook is becoming business time.  I’m sure that most of you have had the experience of having a co-worker or maybe even your boss try to add you on Facebook.  Do we add them or not?  Do we let them see our crazy status updates and our personal pictures?  Or do we ignore the request and hope they’ll forget about it?

It doesn’t have to be one or the other though.  People who are educated about Facebook are using it for both personal and business relations and they are doing it without giving up more of their personal lives than they want to reveal.  How are they doing it?  By using their Preferences settings and creating Lists of Friends.

If you are mixing business and personal purposes on your Facebook account you NEED to group your Friends into Lists so that you can choose what information you are going to share with them.  For example, I love to play games on my downtime and sometimes my Friends’ Friends will add me as a Friend so that they can play with me.  But I don’t really know them so I put them in a special List so all they can really do is play games with me.  They can’t see my status updates or my pictures of my children or anything else that really matters.  So, let’s build some lists.

Go to the Account drop down list at the top right of your Facebook page and select Edit Friends.  With the “new” Facebook (meaning the current one as of this writing because there always seems to be something new) you will see people you can add.  We don’t care about that right now.  We need to designate Lists or categories for everyone on our Friends list.  So, go to the left hand menu and you’ll see a column labeled “Lists”.  If you have not created any Lists yet you’ll likely only have Friends, Pages, and SMS Subscriptions.  It’s very generic.  If you click on the Friends link though you’ll see the list of all of your friends and to the right of their name you’ll see Add to List with an arrow down button.

It’s a good time to think about the different types of Friends you have and plan out some categories first.  Since I know that I sometimes add Friends of Friends that I don’t know well for game playing purposes I have a List for Game Friends.  I have Best Friends who get to see everything and I have Business Friends who see only business related info.    You can create lists for as many categories as you want.  Now that you have created some categories for you lists go through all of your Friends and assign them a category.

Now you can ensure that anything you want kept private stays that way.  Go back to the Account dropdown list on the upper right hand corner of your page and when you click the arrow  you’ll find a link for Privacy Settings.  Click that link.  On this page you can control what people can and can not see.  There are several different categories that you can adapt any way you like.  At the right of each category you’ll see that it is likely set at the default setting – Only Friends – but there is an arrow down symbol at the end of that.  If you click that arrow down you’ll see other options.  In addition to Only Friends you can choose between Everyone (meaning that everyone in the world can see this and this might be a great choice if you want to share business info like a website), Friends of Friends, and Customize.  Customize is the option that will allow you to be more specific about what information you want to share with specific people.  This is where your Lists come in.

When you click on Customize you can set it to be Only Friends and you can set limits.  You can prevent certain categories of Friends from seeing that area by putting one of more Friends Lists in the “Hide this from these people” box.  You can even add specific people but if you’ve made your Lists efficiently you should need to do this.  So, if you’ve been adding your co-workers but you don’t really want your co-workers to be browsing though your pictures of you and your friends on holidays in Vegas (“what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”) you can set it so that it is hidden from anyone on your Co-workers List.  They won’t even know it exists.  You can even choose who can add you as a friend!  This is under Privacy Settings and Contact Information.  I have mine set to only Friends of Friends can add me.  If you belong to a lot of Facebook Fan Pages people won’t be able to randomly send you Friend Requests.

By utilizing Lists and Account Settings and Privacy Settings you can use your Facebook account for both business and personal matters.  You can join Fan Pages without having to worry about people adding you that you don’t want to add you.  You can protect your info if you learn how to customize your settings on Facebook.

Prepare for Your Interview!

One of the best things you can do when you have an interview is be prepared.  If you are prepared you are more likely to be relaxed and able to answer questions.

Did you know that the interviewer is likely to make a decision about whether to hire you in the the first 10 minutes (or less!)?

Check this video out for tips on:

• Appearance
• Eye contact
• Your handshake
• Your "sales pitch"
• What if you were fired from your last job?
• Using examples

Carolyn Bigda of Money Magazines answers some commonly asked questions:

Why Belong To A Professional Organization

Should you belong to a professional organization?

That will depend on what your purposes in life are.

If your goal in life is to learn as much as possible and always be advancing in your knowledge then, yes, you should join a professional organization.

If you just want to have a job and get yearly minimal raises, then no, you don’t need a professional organization.

If you want to be exposed to new opportunities for learning, new opportunities for advancement, new opportunities to meet people within your industry, then yes, you should join a professional organization.

If you are content to talk to the same people every day and to hold the same position for many years to come, then no, you don’t need a professional organization.

If you want to attend conferences, conventions, and workshop where you get to travel, meet interesting people, learn from each other, exchange ideas and more, then yes, you should join a professional organization.

If you’re content with your feet on the ground – and in one place – and don’t to expose yourself to new knowledge, then no, you don’t need a professional organization.

If you would like to find a mentor that can advise you on your career path, introduce you to influential people, and help you get your name out, then yes, you should join a professional organization.

If you don’t want any help and are sure you can do it on your own, then no, you don’t need to join a professional organization. Have you got the idea? Professional organizations can help you a lot in your career by exposing you to people, ideas, place, and opportunities.

So unless you are content to stay exactly where you are for a long time, check out some of the professional organizations for secretaries. The International Association of Administrative Assistants, The Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals, and The Association of Administrative Assistants are three organizations that you should look into. They all have both US and Canadian chapters.

Time - What Does It Mean To You?

People look at time in different ways.

There are the people who look at time as just numbers on the wall (not often on their wrist because they don't wear watches).  They do things on their own time and when it works for them.  They don't much care about being on time and their motto is, "Once you're late you can't be late again for the same event so you might as well just relax."  For us administrative types they are the ones that drive us up the walls.

Then there are the people who are always early because being late makes them crazy.  They would rather show up somewhere half an hour early than even a minute late.  2 minutes early is late to them.  Some of us administrative types are like that.

Then there are the people who routinely show up 5 minutes early to right on time.  How do they do that?

Usually it is because they look at time in little blocks.  They don't look at time as something to be conquered or bargained for.  They simply see time as little blocks of availability and they fill it in with all the things that they need to do.  They know they can only accomplish as many things as there are available blocks of time so they take care of the most important things first.  In other words, they prioritize.

So, how do you look at time?  What does time mean to you?

4 Tips To Help You Smile When You Don't Feel Like Smiling

Some people hate to be told to smile but if you are an administrative assistant smiling is part of your job!  Employers expect their front office staff to be able to greet clients and other co-workers with a smile.  They expect your presence to improve the office mood. 

Now if smiling does not come naturally to you, you might need to work on smiling a little harder than most.  Or, if you are having a not so great day for a particular reason (like your dog had to be put to sleep or you have a loved one in the hospital) you are going to have to find a way to get past that.  If you are at work, you need to leave your personal issues outside the door and that means you’re going to have to find a way to smile and you’re going to have to do it in a way that convinces people that it is genuine.

Here are a few tips to help you smile when you don’t feel like smiling:

• Keep a picture of someone that makes you smile on your desk.  It might be a picture of your husband making a goofy face or one of you children doing arts and crafts.  The more personal it is the more likely it is to make you smile.
• Read the funnies/comics on your break.  Ziggy always used to do it for me.  Cathy was another one of my favorites and so was Baby Blues.  Find a comic or a joke site that will send you an email with updates every day.
• Dress in bright colors even when you’re feeling drab.  Bright colors make people thing that you are feeling cheerful and they will treat you that way and pretty soon you’ll be feeling that way, too.
• Put a small memento of a funny occasion on your bulletin board.  Perhaps the first place ribbon that your friend got for winning the pie eating contest or the ticket stub from the karaoke content that you and a friend were entered in.  There are lots of funny events in life so save little reminders of them and put a few of them at your desk.

I’m sure that there are lots of other things that would make you smile or make it easier for you to smile when you don’t feel like it – what do you do?

Is It Ok to Be Touchy at Work?

As a woman in the professional world, it is easy to struggle with the boundaries between being too touchy and coming off the wrong way. It can be all too easy to get wrapped up in complicated sexual harassment situations, so where do you draw the line when it comes to physical contact at work? For some poeple, the answer is to simply refrain from physical contact at work, innocent or otherwise. At the very least, there are some important boundaries to consider with everyone at work.

Don't Touch Hair

Don't go around touching people's hair. If you work with your best friend of ten years, there might be an exception to this rule. In general, touching someone's hair is very intimate and you should refrain from doing so at work. This can also cross the line between platonic and sexual contact. To avoid any misunderstandings of this sort, touching of the hair is best left for outside business hours.

Don't Touch the Face

Touching someone's face is also very personal contact. This can be an easy way to spread germs, which is another reason why it isn't the best idea to touch people in the face. Think about how you would feel if someone reached out to touch your face at work, for any reason at all. It can make situations awkward and uncomfortable, and it is easy to misinterpret.

Hug When Needed

Sometimes, a congratulatory hug is needed. When something cool happens, you get good news, or you have helped a coworker through a tough project it may be necessary to exchange a friendly hug. Hugs are natural if you are close with your coworkers as well, especially for those that have worked together a long time. As a general rule, hugs are close physical contact that should be used sparingly. Leave hugs for dinner parties and holiday Christmas parties to avoid any misunderstandings.

When it comes to physical contact at work, there is a lot of gray area. As a rule, don't touch people at work--especially those that you don't know very well. Only you know the relationships that you have with your coworkers, and there are exceptions to every rule. Use your best judgment when figuring out where your boundaries are as well as those of your coworkers.