The role of the office administrator has undergone many changes. We’ve moved way beyond the secretarial role of the past, which often included basic clerical duties. Nowadays, admins have more dynamic roles and expanding responsibilities, including human resources...
Mobile devices are part of our everyday lives and most admins use one or more at some point during their day. Yet these always-on, always-connected devices are constantly tracking your location, data, and more – which makes them virtual gold mines for hackers. This...
This article originally appeared on Lunarline.com and is reprinted here with permission. Cybersecurity is no longer an exclusively technical endeavor. From the beginning of the internet, until very recent times, the discipline has been considered only for those with...
Staying in touch with your team is a crucial component to any successful business, but when you’re miles (or states) apart, communication and collaboration can be a challenge. I started my career as a virtual assistant (VA), and now I have a virtual team helping me....
This article originally appeared on Lunarline.com and is reprinted here with permission. Mobile devices are everywhere – and so are mobile security issues. The Pew Research Center says around 81% of Americans own a smartphone of some type. For many of us, these...
Despite all the benefits the internet offers, there’s no denying that it’s often a scary place to be. Data breaches, identity theft, social media hacks – all of these things can wreak havoc on your executive, your company, and ultimately your reputation. As...
If an administrative professional from the 1950s happened to be magically transported to today’s office, they’d be in for quite a shock! Gone are the days when filing, phone skills, and semi-legible shorthand were key requirements for an admin job. Today’s job...
Where would we be without technology? Most likely we’d still be battling with correction tape, typewriter ribbons, and carbon paper. Thankfully, technology has advanced our profession (and us) well past that era. Now, we rarely go anywhere without our smartphones. Our...
As a speaker, I like to start my sessions on innovation by asking assistants to think back on the things that used to be a part of the office when they started in the field, but aren’t anymore. It’s usually a fun little jaunt down memory lane as we share flashbacks of...
From retail to health care, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is seeping into just about every industry, including the administrative field. And it's only going to increase in popularity in the coming years. Yet some assistants see AI as a threat to their...
Project management tools usually conjure thoughts of complicated spreadsheets, Gantt charts, and expensive software -- but it doesn’t have to. Throughout my career, I’ve managed projects quite effectively with the tools and software that were already at my fingertips....
The best way to get comfortable with a new tool is to use it. That’s why my team and I started using our first artificial intelligence (AI) assistant about a year ago. Her name is Olivia. Our initial goal for Olivia was to provide better customer support for the...