Mail

When you receive mail at home just by looking at it you know if it is important.  Well not in the workplace especially if you work for  a big company.  You never know if an envelope has a simple advertisement or a contract has been anxiously expected, if you decide you are going to work for an executive you better put on your reading glasses get a cup of coffee and concentrate.
Make sure that you are very thorough, don't fall under the impression that everything is propaganda.  The rule is when you have a stack of mail on your desk set aside items marked confidential to make sure you do not open those.  Next step would be to sort three categories on the bottom you should place items that are clearly advertisement or entertainment like; magazines, newspapers and so on.  On top of this section are placed the items that are not so urgent like regular mail, announcements that hold dates a month or more away.  On the very top you would place items that are urgent and need immediate attention.  Below urgent matters you need to place those items you set aside marked personal unless they are marked personal and urgent.
Here is the tricky part though.  Most mail does not have the works urgent  and sometimes they don't even say personal on the outside.  Your boss has developed a trust in you enough to allow you to handle his mail.  don't disappoint him/her,  Read the mail thoroughly and it comes in handy assure  that you have a pen and sticky notes at hand when you begin opening mail, even paperclips just in case.  Sometimes the mail has extra papers which are mentioned in the front either by the full word enclosures or by the initials Enc.  Your job is to make sure that all mentioned documents are in the envelope if not make sure you add a sticky note bringing this to your boss' attention, in doing this you also cover your back, this tells the boss that it was the sender who forgot to add the enclosure and not you who lost the extra documents.  It also helps if you get to the mail at the time of day when you know there will be less interruptions.

Traveling

Traveling internationally is a little like being poor, just kidding  wow! I am from another country so I did travel internationally bu not by airplane I was not so lucky. I rode on a bus for three days.  Yeah!, you can imagine it was pretty tiring especially since I was a restless little six year old girl..  My parents came to this country seeking to give me a better future.  I read up on air travel and, did you know that traveling by airplane can be classy or just like riding a  bus for three days with the exception that by airplane you would not need to travel  for three days. I have yet to look up how long is the longest plane ride.  well if you plan to travel by airplane you need to do some homework.  Some airplanes can allow more baggage than others and there are regulations as to how much shampoo you can carry.  There are different choices as to how you may travel.  there confined seats and spacious seats it all depends on how much you can afford.

Participating in a meeting

The work of the administrative professional is endless.  If you are not acquainted with the term the translation would be clerk.  A clerk can be responsible for so much at time the clerk needs to fill in for or pick up the work of someone in a different department.  Therefore the administrative professional must be prepared. There is a place and time to catch up, on changes and update on future projects.  The time is company meetings.   Meetings evaluate the company's progress, and they asses future plans.  It is vital for all participants to prepare well by taking notes.  write down ideas for the future, and concerns about the past. Take notes at meetings and follow up on those notes.  Also participate, everyone's input is valuable, but be careful not to dominate the discussion. Personally I have a habit of thinking humbly, this means I don't want to draw attention to myself and sometimes this is not the appropriate approach as we sit through meeting. I have some good ideas which should be mentioned.  Some times there is no mention of negative aspects or possible outcomes and even though we think them we don't mention them, failing to bring up certain things can end up costing the company loses.

Finance and Investments

Personal Finance and Investment Strategies:  May seem like a boring subject to read about but it is so essential.  My life is not a good example I've not been taught about saving but rather about survival.  How can I plan ahead when I've not met the balance line.  I'm near forty years old and I have no savings, stocks or bonds, instead I have many, many, many debts.  It all started when I was born.  Born into an immigrant family not only poor in their original country but also poor in this country.  My parents divorced when I was nine my mother knew that in our country we would never get out of poverty she tried believe me she did. My mom attempted to sell things like corn on the cob, she put on a little store in our home, when all else failed she went to people's houses and cleaned and did laundry.  I know because I remember being with her. What about my Dad you wonder well he, to make a story short they divorced and my mother brought her four children to this country to find a better life. My mother worked in the fields sun up to sun down. One thing I remember is her saying, "The only thing I can give you is a chance to finish school and try to make a better life for yourself.  And here I am almost forty and barely learning about the need for a savings and stock purchases.  Don't get me wrong I did make one smart move, well my husband and I,we purchased a home ten years ago so we only have twenty more years to go.  But I see that as an investment for our retirement.  I feel that I've been irresponsible because I should have my excuse is that I have had to work minimum pay jobs and I have tried to do the things that my mother couldn't.  Not a valid excuse I know.  The fact is for those young readers you need to set aside and not touch at least $5 dollars a week in one month that's twenty, in one year that's for a young person that is good.  Adults you make a good wage so $20 a week is more reasonable and do the math.  Set a goal like a vacation,or a new car or a hose even the more you put dawn as payment the less money you'll loose in interest.  Stock market is like gambling sometimes but sometimes it is a good way to get a head-start on that savings account.  Employers also offer ways to save for your retirement like the 401(k) where you place aside a certain amount from every check and some employers even match the amount you put aside.  Allow your self a relaxed old age by preparing for it now.

Electronic records management

Managing records is work it is time consuming and sometimes a challenge.  But even in these, technology has made things easier.  With computers we can organize files easily because we have a feature that organizes things alphabetically.   There is however still the need for human touch, we decide what to program on the computer for example; we know how much time a document needs to be stored and when it needs to be discarded.  We have regulations and methods that need to be applied in order for a business to run smoothly. When managing electronic records we must first identify the record is ti automated, individual or a database record. After identifying the records you must manage here is a rhythm involved.  Managing records begins with creation and storage.  Use and distribution are also involved. Maintaining a file seems easy because it is in the  computer but again human touch is called for because sometimes we need to move files from one computer to another or to an external source like a hard drive or a DVD.

Managing records

Managing records is knowing what needs to be filed and what needs to be discarded.  What needs to be filed is not just placed in a basket, it is organized in a specific manner.  What needs to be filed is filed for a reason. Documents are filed to obtain backup  for certain reasons, i.e. for legal matters,  financial reasons, for historical purposes,and for daily operations.
When managing documents one must take special precautions.  You would think that it is just tucked in on the file by the first letter according to the alphabet.  Well it makes sense, but what if there are five Mary Wilson, or 7 Harold and Sons Inc..  There is more depth involved in filing.  Yes the alphabet is used but there are other rules like for example; did you know that a file with a number is filed before the letter A?  And did you know that number 5 would be filed before roman numeral V? yes and don't get me started on government documents they are a little more challenging.
We also have different types of record storage systems, just to give an example we have your regular filling cabinets, you know  that grey,  four drawer, metallic thing, it is called a vertical file system.  There is another form of storage the one you see in a doctor's office or a clinic this type of storage is called open shelf filing system.

Global Communication Skills

Technology is so advanced, it used to be that a mail man would carry any messages, memos, reminders, love letters. Now we text, tweet,Skype wow! "I do love Skype". Businesses are the ones who benefit the most, now they can hold meetings with people from other countries without any member leaving his or her country. It is truly amazing what we have accomplished and exciting to think what we are yet to accomplish.  We do however need to hang on to our values and principals, ethics are still very important.  We are not in a cave where we can speak loudly and answer the phone without worrying that we are having lunch and invading someone space or meal by being loud and inconsiderate.  Remember, with with great powers comes great responsibilities.  Using our technology requires that we be responsible.  For example; When using the web, we cannot go shopping on company time with the company equipment, we should not use company time to get caught up on our social life. we should not put our selves or our company in danger by being irresponsible with our passwords. And don't forget next time you go to a meeting or a seminar the person talking put a lot of time and effort into the program so be courteous and pay attention don't play with your phone/tablet or try to catch up on your e-mails at this time if it is something urgent excuse yourself and step outside, better yet turn off your gadgets before you enter the room. Remember play responsibly!