Keep Your Admin Skills In Shape
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Successful administrative professionals don't stay on top by accident; they work at it by constantly improving their skills.
"You must take classes and continue training, because software programmes and other things are constantly changing," says Cynthia Lively, past president of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).
Where do you find training programs? Start close to home.
"Community colleges are more attuned to what skills employers need in your area," says Lively. "The offerings are usually vast, from [Microsoft] Access classes to how to create Web pages." Community college courses can also be inexpensive, she notes.
Self-learners can follow Lively's lead. Two years ago, she took a six-week online advanced computer course offered through a community college. "I was busy. I wanted to do things at my own convenience and didn't want to have to go back out at night to attend a class," she says. Assignments that she received on Wednesdays and Fridays had to be finished by the following Wednesday. The assignment directions were 16 to 20 pages. "That may sound long, but compare reading those pages to sitting in a classroom for three hours a week, and it puts things into perspective," Lively says.
While Lively was comfortable taking an online course through a college, others are wary of what they may be paying for.
