Jenny

Today I found an interesting post from a blog called “Watch Her Back”.  For this piece a production assistant was interviewed and asked about her strategy for carving out her own niche at the office.  I found her answer to be smart and insightful, and wanted to share it with you.  Here is an excerpt from that post on how she carved out her niche:

“Do take on opportunities and roles in the office, especially ones that make you the go-to person for that specialty.  Work outside of the confines of your job description to take on new duties that take the stress off of your superiors.

However, don’t take on the thankless, time-consuming roles in the office.  You won’t necessarily get anywhere in your company if the “big job” you’ve taken upon yourself is to be the person that brings in the bagels every Friday morning.  No one cares who brings in their sugar fix every Friday, they just want to make sure someone’s doing it.

I’ve figured out to take on the “important” stuff in my office, like managing my office’s bank account, check writing, taking on a larger marketing role in the office, and setting up and helping do interviews for new recruits.  People know to come to me for that stuff.  I get to be one of the few females (and only admin) who gets to sit in all of the staff meetings with the higher-ups because of these roles.  When offers come up that one of the [assistants] in my office needs to become the person to refill the fridge every week with dozens of sodas or the one to order paper all the time, I politely decline.  When it comes time for promotion or (higher) bonus opportunities, no one will consider “putting sodas in the fridge” as a big deal.”  Read the entire post at www.watchherback.com.

Insightful, actionable, and certainly doable advice.  I think this is a great attitude to have at the office, and a smart way to get noticed by the right people.

What do you think about the advice from this piece?  Have you been proactive in carving out a niche at your office by being the go to person?  Tell us about what you have done to distinguish yourself at the office. 

Donna

In the last few days we have gotten some pretty bleak news about the continuing loss of jobs in the national economy.  Asking for a raise in this job climate could be a rather intimidating prospect.  But, I am sure many of you have worked hard throughout the year to distinguish yourself so you can ask for that hard-earned and well deserved raise.  While thinking about how intimidating it can be to ask for a raise, I came across this funny excerpt on how one secretary chose to approach her boss about a raise.  It made me chuckle and I hope it makes you chuckle too.

“I have to have a raise,“ the secretary said to her boss. “There are three other companies after me.“

“Is that so?“ asked the boss. “What other companies are after you?“

“The electric company, the telephone company, and the gas company.“

Jenny

In these tough economic times, we are all trying to find ways to save a few extra dollars.  One way that I have discovered as a sure way to save about $5.00 to $8.00 a day is by brown-bagging lunch.  Think about it ladies, a sandwich costs approximately $6.50 and a soda about $2.00. That means that you are probably spending on average $8.50 per day on lunch.  Let’s take that to a per week calculation, that will be about $42.50 just on lunch each week, which brings us to an approximately $170.00 per month lunch bill. 

Now let us examine how much money will be saved if you chose to brown bag.  Using sandwiches as an example, if you buy a whole loaf of bread at $3.50, a pound of ham at $7.50, a pound of smoked turkey at $8.49, and a pound of white american cheese at $6.00, you would have spent approximately $26.00.  Now from this assortment, you will be able to make lunch for the entire week for a savings that is about half the amount you would have spent if you ate out at the local deli.  Ladies, dare I say that the savings are in the bag.  Now, I hope many of you are thinking, wow, I could certainly use some of the money that I would save to pay another bill, or I could put those saved dollars into an interest bearing account to be used for a rainy day.

Let us look at this from another angle, in addition to saving yourself a chunk of money, you are also making a smart and healthy choice.  Think about it, since you are now going to be your own meal planner, you will not be eating lunches that are loaded with hundreds of calories and cholesterol.  Instead, you are going to be more conscious about the ingredients you use and the portions you pack for yourself.  With one fell swoop, you have now bagged a healthy lunch diet as part of your daily routine.

So ladies, your challenge is to give these alternatives a try.  Why not?  What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing but a few inches around the waist, while gaining a few more dollars in the bank!

Donna

Sadly, secretaries do get laid off too.  The economy is really bad and it is not cool to be laid off at this time.  But, if you are laid off, complaining or doing nothing about it will not help.  So, what can you do if you have been laid off?  Here are my recommendations:
 
1.  It is okay to be upset.  GS Rule #1: A true GS feels free to vent and blow of steam- in a civilized manner.  Anger, sadness, shock, and depression, are all symptoms associated with a lay off.  This is when a Secretary Screwed Up drink comes in handy. 
 
2.  Be happy.  GS Rule #2: A true GS doesn’t hold any grudges.  It does not matter that you think the lay off was unfair.  Even if it was unfair, you should not spend your time holding any grudges.  Remember that your former colleagues may help you find your next job. So, let’s move on.  Be happy.
 
3.  Do what you have to do.  GS Rule #3: A true GS makes lemonade when life gives her lemons.  So, after a lay off you must move quickly.  Apply for unemployment, review your finances, consider cutting discretionary expenses, and, yes, manicures and pedicures are discretionary expenses.  If necessary, contact a credit counseling firm, such as the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies, www.aiccca.org, to help negotiate payment plans.
 
4. Do not be afraid. GS Rule #5 (yes, this is GS rule #5 not 4): A true GS is not afraid of change, to the contrary, she embraces it.  Understand that sooner or later you will find a job. It is not a matter of “if”, but of “when.”  Do not hide yourself, ask everyone you know about possible job opportunities, apply for jobs, and use your online social networks to let people know that you are looking for a job.  In the meantime, try to earn extra income by advertising your services as a freelance or a virtual assistant. 
 
5. Enjoy your time off.  GS Rule #6: A true GS takes time off to do absolutely nothing.  Like Madonna says, always “take a Holiday, take some time to celebrate.”  Again, I know this might be hard if you are worrying about paying your bills and finding a job.  We understand the “involuntary” part of this situation.  However, you should not let the circumstances overshadow the fact that you have time off. Enjoy it.  Even if it is involuntary.  Wake up late, go to bed late, read a good book, watch TV, or use this time to do those things that you’ve wanted to do but never had the time to do.  Or, even better, relax and do nothing.  This is your time off.  Whatever you do, please enjoy it.  Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
 
For a complete list of the “Sweet 16: The 16 Non-Negotiable Rules of a true Gossip Secretary”, click here.

Jenny

You may not be young any more, and you may consider yourself to be fabulous, but in today’s economy you may also certainly fall into the “broke” category.  The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous &  Broke gives you a wealth of financial information.  From explaining to you the importance of knowing and maintaining a good FICO score to knowing whether you are ready to make that next big purchase, e.g. a home. The author, Suze Orman, explains sometimes complicated financial concepts in easy to understand layman terms.  She offers “the broke,” solutions and ways to fix their financial woes. 

This book is one of those books that you don’t have to read all at once.  You can pick the chapter or part of a chapter that is relevant to your situation, study it and then apply it to your problem.  Each chapter is divided into three sections: the “Lowdown,” where Suze explains the financial concepts in layman terms; the “Strategy Session,” where she takes real live problems and offers readers a tangible solution, or way to go about resolving a problem.  Finally, in the “Quick Playback” section, found at the end of each chapter, you get a checklist or summary of all the important points that were discussed at length in the Lowdown and Strategy Session sections.  I find the Quick Playback section to be very helpful, sort of like an action list of things that you should be implementing to steer you to that healthier financial place you are seeking.

So ladies, if you need a guiding light through what might feel like financial darkness, this book may be the book for you.