UNITY — Ask anyone who either has an administrative professional in their workplace or anyone who has dealt with an AP when looking for information, or needing help with a transaction from a business, and you will soon hear of the influence and importance of these valued employees in community businesses.
They are valued not just for what they do but who they are. For most customers or clients, they are the first impression of the business or company, often viewed as the face or voice of the company.
In addition to clerical support, they are tasked with business correspondence, mail, maintaining paperwork that includes endless and meticulous filing and staying on top of data entry, which in turn benefits management and other staff. Scheduling, payroll, ordering office supplies, maintaining inventory, ensuring office equipment is up-to-date and other tasks are also among their duties.
Administrative professionals or assistants do more than just assist. Often bosses and co-workers refer to them as having superhuman qualities in organization, planning and people skills. What they do on a daily basis helps maintain a smoothly run office or business.
Communication skills are valuable including strong verbal, listening and written.
At the Press-Herald office, we have the benefit of someone who is small in stature but mighty in her efforts and abilities.
Jackie Boser has been the administrative professional in the newspaper office since 2014, serving in sales and ads department before then. Prior to arriving at the Press-Heald, Boser had a 20-year career in her role as an AP, gaining experience from each of the previous half dozen places she worked.
She is quick to defer compliments and accolades to her work, but she has definitely defined the first impression of all who deal with her and the office.
Her job description seems to change regularly and just this past Easter weekend, Jackie was relied on to let a weary truck driver, delivering papers, in for an early Good Friday morning arrival after a long night of navigating unfavourable driving conditions due to the southern Saskatchewan storm,
Other terms used to describe people with an AP job title are magnificent multi-tasker and directors extraordinaire, juggling short-term and long-term plans and projects while 小蓝视频 able to quickly shift with last-minute instructions or priority work that needs to be done.
Formerly referred to as secretaries or stenographers, it was soon realized their tasks encompassed much more than typing and answering phones.
The value of an administrative assistant/professional includes their people skills. They possess the ability to seemingly read minds, smiling through those customers or clients who are determined to be grumpy and re-setting frustrated callers by solving whatever problem they are presenting.
Some claim they are “the real bosses” of the office as without their organizational skills and overseeing of all things pertaining to office duties, "the rest of the ‘stuff’" just wouldn’t happen nearly as effectively, as one observer states.
Diffusing turmoil, sorting out meeting schedules, rolling with any given stress factor such as weather-related delivery delays and just 小蓝视频 someone who can take charge without acting like they are in charge are all valued assets of an AP. Their ability to keep calm under pressure is remarkable.
At the Press-Herald office, we echo the responses of many, stating that with the superhuman organization and efficiency of our administration professional, makes every other employee’s day much easier to manage and work though.
April 27 is deemed as national Administrative Professional Day. If you have an employee like we do, make sure you let them know how much they are valued and appreciated.
