Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 28, 2010

What information should your voice mail message contain? Don’t sacrifice information for the sake of brevity. If your phone system shows internal vs. external calls, alter your greeting appropriately. If you have to leave a lot of information, start by letting callers know which key to push to skip the recording.

Etiquette 100

Etiquette Ergonomics Phones Health 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 10, 2009

Do you try to "go green" by not printing e-mails or other documents that you could be e-mailing to others that you want to share this information with? You really have to be careful with these, as pertinent company information could leak out into the wrong hands. We are in week 3 now and cannot get rid of our recycling.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 14, 2007

By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 Filed Under: Ergonomics , Productivity D o you find yourself typing too much? Click on the picture to find out more information. Home About Me Advertise Hands Hurt From Typing? Using the mouse too often? It even gives the person a massaging effect, for lasting comfort.

Google Docs 100

Google Docs Cubicle 2008 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 18, 2009

How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One? Retrieve Your Files with Ease Is You Boss Not Giving You Enough Work?

Microsoft Excel 100

Microsoft Excel 2007 Google Docs Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2007

Do you have confidential information that you need to send to someone, but want to make sure that it gets treated like registered mail? For more information, visit www.reditag.com. If you would like more information on keeping your documents safe, take a look at the "How Safe Are Your Documents?"

Google Docs 100

Google Docs Cubicle 2008 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 20, 2009

Posted on 21 November, 2009 10:51 PM Anonymous If you send an iCalendar as a follow up to a meeting request, do you have the option of updating your calendar or is it just for passing on updated information (or as you suggested possibly adding an agenda)? Thanks, Richard Posted on 4 January, 2010 11:32 AM soruba Thanks for the information.

2007 100

2007 Agenda 2008 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 5, 2007

More and more firms are allowing their employees to blog, whether it be internal or external. Internal blogging refers to employees writing blogs that are stored on an intranet or company server. Only the employees within that company can view the information that they write.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 28, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Clock In The Right Time Zone: Booking Meetings in Microsoft Outlook By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, August 28, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity , Travel D o you need to book meetings for your manager(s), but most meetings are all over the country or even internationally?

Microsoft Outlook 100

Microsoft Outlook Time Zones 2008 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 15, 2008

Your manager asks you to create a report of some sort and wants you to send it to a client, but making sure that they cannot manipulate the information. Also, keep in mind that you don’t want anyone to alter the information in your report. This will enable you to create a PDF-like file where no one can manipulate information.

PDF 100

PDF 2008 Cubicle PowerPoint 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 17, 2009

Would you prefer the client to calmly and rationally give you information on their issue? How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One? How would you feel?

Customer Service 100

Customer Service 2008 Google Docs Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JULY 14, 2009

Some of you might already know the answer to this, but I thought that Id give the information here anyways, since I was stumped in the beginning as well. They forget to do their own flight check-in and dont have time, so they call you up and ask you to do it. You scratch your head and wonder how this can be done.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 27, 2008

There are over 200 articles of information so far and growing. If you feel that you want to remain anonymous, please note that I never disclose any personal information such as your name, company, etc., I have been running this blog for just over a year now and it has grown quite a bit, as you can tell.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 5, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Retrieve Your Files With Ease By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Access , MS-Excel , Organize , Productivity D o you have quite a bit of filing to do? Your boss could ask you for something at a moments notice and you are expected to find the information within minutes.

Filing 100

Filing 2008 Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 8, 2009

Home About Me Advertise Dealing With Unreasonable Requests By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, October 08, 2009 Filed Under: Organize , Prioritize , Productivity Y ou receive an e-mail , among the many others that you receive each and every day. Keep telling the person that you will get to it as soon as possible.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 13, 2007

Home About Me Advertise 4 Easy Steps to Finding Old E-mails By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, December 13, 2007 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity , System Security D o you have trouble sifting through hundreds or even thousands of e-mails ? Retrieve Your Files with Ease Is You Boss Not Giving You Enough Work?

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Microsoft Outlook 2007 100

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 13, 2010

Meanwhile, you’ve skipped lunch, a courier is waiting on a delivery from you and the intern is hovering, looking for approval on the next step. If you know you’re going to need information from Nancy and she’s in a meeting at a client’s office, let the requester know.

Management 100

Management PowerPoint Ergonomics Health 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 14, 2008

By The Professional Assistant on Monday, January 14, 2008 Filed Under: Client Service , Organize , Prioritize , Productivity Y ou write an e-mail to a staff member about a client having an issue with something. But when it comes to information exchange between you and your colleague, it really depends on what issue is at hand.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 25, 2009

One of my readers asks: Ive been reading your blog for the past few months and really appreciate all the information and tips you provide! Theres always someone that annoys us and tries to make our lives more difficult than it already is. Try as I may, but she annoys the heck out of me.

Cubicle 100

Cubicle Gossip 2008 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

APRIL 1, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Productivity With Shared Files By The Professional Assistant on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Word , Organize , Productivity D o you share your files with others in your firm? Do you find that you are being bombarded with updates to the same files time and time again?

Filing 100

Filing Google Docs 2008 Microsoft Word 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 29, 2008

If someone else needs to access information, they can just click the "Read-Only" button. But if they need to change information, this could cause a problem. So the next time you know you will be leaving your desk for a long period of time, please make sure to close any files that are shared among your staff.

Filing 100

Filing 2008 Google Docs Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 19, 2009

By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, November 19, 2009 Filed Under: Client Service , MS-Access , MS-Excel , MS-Outlook , MS-PowerPoint , MS-Word , Organize , Productivity D oes your department have an administrative procedures manual? One of my readers asks: The organization I work for has no administrative procedure manual.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 PowerPoint 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

By The Professional Assistant on Monday, September 22, 2008 Filed Under: Organize , Productivity A re you asked to make reservations for your manager(s) at particular restaurants? You can make the reservation directly through this site and the information gets forwarded over to the restaurant itself.

Restaurants 100

Restaurants 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

JANUARY 4, 2008

I have been updating my firms website stats for quite some time now and wanted to share some tips on getting the information correct - the first time. By The Professional Assistant on Friday, January 04, 2008 Filed Under: Productivity A re you being asked to check your companys website stats? Do you have software in place for it?

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

AUGUST 25, 2007

If you chatter away in your e-mails and are trying to get your point across, this information will be quite juicy for your fingertips. Write out all the main points that you want to convey in the message (but be careful – ask yourself if the message should be formal or informal). Click send!

2008 100

2008 Cubicle 2007 Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 29, 2008

By The Professional Assistant on Friday, February 29, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Excel , Organize , Productivity A re you a Virtual/ Professional Assistant or want to become one? Virtual Assistant Manager is a website that I recently stumbled upon which helps you and/or your organization thrive in this type of environment.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 26, 2007

You have the option of keeping your identity confidential or if the particular job site doesn’t allow for this, Resume Rabbit will replace your personal information with something that’s not identifiable. It only costs $59.99 USD, but is a one time fee and won’t have to pay for monthly charges like other sites make you.

Resume 100

Resume Google Docs Cubicle 2008 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 24, 2007

We actually can lock our computers automatically with our own settings, but I have confidential information that people can access, since I am the Administrative Assistant of the department. If this information ever leaked out, I would get into a lot of trouble. Best to always lock your computer when you leave it, even for a minute.

2007 100

2007 2008 Google Docs Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

NOVEMBER 21, 2007

Home About Me Advertise Yellow Post-It Notes By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize , Prioritize , Productivity A re you looking for some innovative ways on using your yellow Post-It notes? Heres an article I found on a fellow Administrative Assistants website for some great uses.

2008 100

2008 Google Docs Cubicle 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 27, 2007

Home About Me Advertise 7 Steps to Improve Your Filing System By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, September 27, 2007 Filed Under: Organize , Productivity A re you having trouble with your filing system? Dont know how to organize yourself and things are starting to pile up? It just looks more professional.

Filing 100

Filing 2007 2008 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 14, 2007

Phishing scams have been around for quite some time now, where an e-mail would ask you to enter some personal information into a fake website that looks quite real. Then they would lure you into entering your bank account information, pin, etc. They would even sell your personal information in chat rooms on the black market.

2008 100

2008 2007 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 15, 2008

By The Professional Assistant on Friday, February 15, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , Organize , Productivity Y our boss comes to your cubicle and asks you to make 10 copies of 5 different sets of publications. The copier will then scan in all of the information in the order that you want it in. Not Sure What To Do?

Cubicle 100

Cubicle 2008 Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

FEBRUARY 8, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Using Microsoft Office E-mail Templates By The Professional Assistant on Friday, February 08, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity D o you wite reccurring e-mails on a regular basis? Leave space for variable information that will be added when you send the message. Click Apply , then OK.

2003 100

2003 2007 2008 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 29, 2008

How to Organize Tasks Effectively How to Deal with Inconsiderate Co-Workers Resizing Pictures in Microsoft Word 4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues Administrative Procedures Manual - Does Your Department Need One? Just click on any of the links below to take a look at the particular task you would like to learn about.

2008 100

2008 Cubicle Google Docs 2007 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

Home About Me Advertise Cover Your Tracks: E-mail Archiving By The Professional Assistant on Friday, September 05, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize , Productivity , System Security D o you back up your e-mails in Microsoft Outlook ? This happens to office workers all of the time.

Microsoft Outlook 100

Microsoft Outlook 2008 2007 Cubicle 100

Professional Assistant Blog

SEPTEMBER 4, 2008

This will allow you to have a blank sheet in front of you and you can add all the information into each label and then print them off. Click on the Labels tab. From here, click on the particular label that you want to use and click New Document. As for the text box issue, try: 1. Click Layout and you will notice the different Wrapping Styles.

Microsoft Word 100

Microsoft Word 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

DECEMBER 11, 2007

Keeping your readers up-to-date and information about current information on your company or topic will make them ask for more. Try to throw in your own spin on information that you learn and post about. A person with high authority would help the blog the most. The bloggers photo is important. Post regularly. Keep posts short.

2007 100

2007 2008 Cubicle Google Docs 100

Professional Assistant Blog

OCTOBER 10, 2008

I find that most information on the internet is quite difficult to understand and I try to make it as simple as possible, so that even if a person is a complete novice at something, I explain it in their terms. You make this stuff look simple! Retrieve Your Files with Ease Is You Boss Not Giving You Enough Work?

PowerPoint 100

PowerPoint UPS 2008 Cubicle 100