I have applied for positions I was overqualified for and thankful for what I learned from them. There are a few reasons someone might be overqualified but apply anyway. Rarely, if ever, are any of those reasons a desperate move or because one simply desires contentment or lacks professional development desire. [Read more…]
There was no shortage of information, lessons, best practices, and thought-provoking conversations at the ATD Convention my team and I attended last week in San Diego. In case you did not see my Facebook posts, there were over 11,000 attendees from around the world; 300+ concurrent sessions; 400+ exhibits in the big convention hall, and an amazing networking night aboard the USS Midway! ATD stands for the Association for Talent Development and is the world’s largest talent development association. [Read more…]
Meeting new people as an Administrative Professional is cool! Think about all the people you have met because of the people you support and where you work. Where else would you meet such a broad range of individuals? Many executive assistants and administrative assistants work with a variety of cultures. Even in my “good” old days as an executive assistant, I worked with people from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and France. [Read more…]
During a class I was teaching, a high-level executive assistant that I admire said to her peers, “At our company, we insulate ourselves. We think we are the best executive assistants alive, but we are not. We have much to learn.” This executive assistant is a seasoned professional with 25+ years of experience in the administrative profession. Her statement came after she had attended the Office Dynamics Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence where she interacted with hundreds of executive and administrative assistants from around the globe. It took courage for her to admit that which shows that she is a mature individual. [Read more…]
In Utopia, burnout would be a term no one ever used or heard of. Everyone would be matched perfectly with the career they not only enjoyed but knew exactly how to succeed at. Unfortunately, burnout is real, it’s draining, emotional, stressful and typically affects both professional and personal lives. As an administrative professional for the past 20 plus years, I have learned how important it is to avoid burnout in one of the largest career fields in the world. One key point is keeping day to day tasks fulfilling even if you are not matched with your ideal position. Another key is personalizing the position with your uniqueness. [Read more…]