Women at work and their tips, challenges, advice, complaints, and experiences

Happy Administrative Professionals Day, to those of you working in the field!  What would those CEOs do without you?  They would certainly have fewer trustworthy, efficient people to delegate tasks to - I bet you keep things nice and smooth so they can focus on the issues only they can tackle.

It's like that in most businesses.  Many of us could use an assistant who could make appointments, answer phones, pre-screen job applicants, make travel plans, set up office deliveries, order supplies, track our meetings and correspondence, act as a gatekeeper for us while we're trying to focus on big tasks - ohhhh how the list goes on of what secretaries, receptionists, and Virtual Assistants handle for businesspeople.  

Just for fun, here's a little blurb about the history of Administrative Professionals Day; a part of what was once National Secretaries Week: 

"National Secretaries Week was created in 1952 through the work of Harry F. Klemfuss of Young & Rubicam, in conjunction with the National Secretaries Association, now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). His goal was to encourage more people to consider careers in the secretarial/administrative support field. Using his skill and experience in public relations, Klemfuss promoted the values and importance of the job of administrative assistants. In doing so, he also created the holiday in recognition of the importance of administrative assistants." [source]

Personally I've learned firsthand how very important it is to have key players to assist you, no matter what field you're in.  During my retail years, it was vital to my management jobs to find associates and "third-key holders" who were trustworthy, efficient, hard-working, dependable, and willing to be leaders on certain tasks/shifts.  During my years in publishing I was blessed with a team of ladies (both in sales and PR/marketing) who were willing to learn new skill sets in order to properly attack problems and build on the business' strengths.  Over the years I have had several assistants who, while they may not have officially been administrative professionals, acted very much as such and dealt with many details so I could do my job well also.

So thank you, thank you, to all the Workerettes who keep business - home based, small, or corporate ventures - running.  Happy Administrative Professionals Day.  Consider yourself showered with your favorite flowers and chocolates.  If I could, I'd give you a day at the spa too - maybe you can convince your bosses you deserve one because I said so!