Be the PEST | Part 2 of 2

This is the second of the two-part PEST article. Enjoy! :-)

Efficient
Efficient. The number one buzzword in assistant circles.
When you are an assistant, efficiency is a non-negotable trait. It is a vital characteristic in your professional life. Ask any prospective employer to name five characteristics of their ideal assistant and chances are high that this word will be on their list: Efficient. Every employer wants an efficient assistant. Every colleague wants an efficient co-worker. Every organisation has room enough for an efficient employee. And every assistant wants to strive to be efficient. I know that this is one of the traits that I constantly strive for perfecting in my job.
Being efficient means being well organised, well prepared and being able to do the job well. It also means putting in extra effort, going the extra mile, doing a thorough job, believing in yourself and your capabilities.
Be efficient and you will be successful. Which brings me to the next work in the acronym. . .

Successful
What is success? I believe that success is different things for different people. In my job as an assistant, success means doing a fabulous job, enjoying what I do, getting the job done to the best of my ability and knowing that my employees and colleagues are happy with my performance. Every person has the ability to be successful in what they do. Success takes determination and hard work. Nothing great was ever achieved without perseverance, hard work, determination and a plan. In order to be successful, you need a plan – a blueprint of your path to success. Each person’s blueprint is unique to him- or herself. You might want to keep your plan a mental picture, or you might prefer to actually write it down. You might prefer to keep it a secret, or you might want to tell everyone about it. What you do and how you work on your plan of success is up to you. But remember: simply having a plan for success is not enough; success does not simply ‘happen’: You have to work on it and at it everyday.

Terrific
What word do you want colleagues and employers to use when they talk about the work that you do?
Personally, I want them to use the word “Terrific”.
I know that there are many other words that I could fantasise about being used when colleagues and bosses are talking about my work. But I choose to dream about this word.
To me, ‘terrific’ means fantastic; full of effort; hard work; a job well done. It means that they are happy with the work that I do and that they have recognised my hard work and extra efforts. It means that I am good at what I do and that those with whom I work know this.
So, I choose to fantasise about this word. A girl can dream, can’t she :-)
Oh, but don’t get me wrong; I am all about turning dreams into reality. And this is one word I want to be real in my work life.
Terrific, eh! *wink* :-)

Be the PEST | Part 1 of 2

This is the first of the two-part PEST article.

Nobody likes a pest, right? Wrong!
Don’t think pest as in the movie (yes, it really is a movie and it stars John Leguizamo:-). Think PEST as in acronym. You should know by now that I have my own (sometimes) weird acronyms :-) *chuckle*

How can you be a super assistant?

Be . . . .
P – Popular for the right reasons
E – Efficient in your job
S – Successful at all you do
T – Terrific at what you do

Popular
Be popular amongst your employers and colleagues for the right reasons. Develop good habits and you’re already halfway there.

Some good habits:

• always be on time
• always be professional
• always smile
  
• never be rude and difficult
• never make nasty retorts or ugly comments (even when it’s real tough to hold your tongue!)
• never whine, rant and complain – rather discuss matters
  
• don’t let the way you feel about someone interfere with the work that you do for them – even if you don’t like someone, you still have an obligation to do their work, and to do it well
• don’t allow personal situations to interfere with your work
• don’t make a habit of staying out of work or taking an unjustified long lunch hour
  
• do take good care of your appearance and dress well at all times
• do complete work properly and timeously
• do remember that you are a fabulous assistant who is capable of doing a fabulous job!

Look out for Part 2 of this series, to follow on 29 August 2008

Beat the morning rush

We all know the morning rush: the part of the morning that time seems to go faster than usual and before we know it, the minutes have rushed past and we are running late for work.
Arriving late at the office is not appreciated by employers and is a poor reflection on yourself. Try to be on time every time!

Here are some tips to beat the morning rush:

• Be well prepared
• Set your alarm clock
• Pre-pack lunch (or otherwise prepare the lunch goodies) the night before
• Decide what you are going to wear to work beforehand. Hang these clothing on the outside of your cupboard so that you have easy access to it in the morning. Also take out your chosen pair of shoes and keep it near the outfit
• Keep your make-up and hairbrush (as well as hair accessories and hair products like hairspray) close to the mirror and on a neat, open space so that you don’t have to fumble
• Pack your work bag the night before
• If you need to take files, folders or anything else to work with you, keep it close to your bag so that you don’t have to search for it. This tip is also handy to remember not to leave things behind. If it’s on – or next to – your bag, chances are that you will remember to take it with you
• Complete your beauty routine the night before. Plucking brows, shaving legs and washing hair eats into valuable morning time. Rather do it the night before – that way you will not have to rush and you can take your time
• Keep keys on a dedicated place so that you don’t have to spend time fumbling for it. Many precious morning minutes are wasted to trivial tasks such as searching for car and house keys. A good idea is to have a key hook near your door and to hang your keys on the hook
• Make the effort to find the best route to work in the morning and you will save valuable time
• Get up early to beat the morning traffic rush. Most of our time is spent in traffic in the morning, which is a thorough waste of time and petrol/diesel
• Use your cellphone alarm in addition to your alarm clock. Set the cellphone alarm a few minutes later than your regular alarm clock. By doing so you limit the possibility of oversleeping
  
  

Good Grooming is essential

Since you represent the company for which you work, you need to look good.
Good grooming is essential in the workplace. In the corporate world, people judge others on their appearance more often than not. What do you want your appearance to say about you? I know that I want my appearance to speak loud and clear that I am neat, tidy, well groomed (and therefore well organised) and that I take pride in the way that I look.
This does not mean that you have to spend time in beauty salons or spend lots of money on costly grooming routines or beauty products. It simply means taking pride in your appearance and making an effort to look good.

I asked a number of friends and fellow assistants about their grooming tips and secrets, and I have included their suggestions below... (thanks ladies :-)

Hair Styles
There is nothing worse than dirty or unkempt hair (yes, others do notice!) Make an effort to style your hair in an attractive manner. Don’t simply pull it back into a pony tail – leave that to the school kids. You are elevated to the status of working professional and you need to look the part.

Hints and tips:

• Use a little hair serum on dry ends
• Make us of hair gel or mousse to tame unruly hair
• Go easy on the hair products to avoid a dull look
• Don’t use hairspray on fancy clips and combs – it could dull the appearance of shiny accessories

Face
Probably the most important part of the grooming ensemble. Your face is what others see first so make sure that it looks good. Apply make-up with care, don’t overdo make-up or use harsh shades or shades that do not suit you. Find the shades and colours that best suit you and remember to update this on a regular basis – you don’t want to look like an 80’s soap star in the year 2008!

Hints and tips:

• Don’t use too much eyeliner
• Wash make-up brushes regularly in a little shampoo and warm water
• Apply blusher to the ‘apples’ of your cheeks; use lipliner to accentuate lips
• If you do not wear make-up, use a little lip gloss or lip balm

Feet
If you wear open shoes and strappy sandals in Summer your feet will be highly noticeable. Apply a dab of moisturiser to your heels and exfoliate heels regularly to avoid the ‘chapped’ look. Trim toenails regularly (long toenails do not look attractive).
If you wear nailpolish, apply a fresh coat regularly to avoid nailpolish chips.

Hints and tips:

• Moisturise feet well at night and cover with socks
• Use a pumice stone on heels - it works wonders
• Soak feet in a bowl of warm scented water
• If you are able to, have a pedicure at the beginning of summer

Hands
You use your hands everyday all day. Hands are a very noticeable part of you. No grooming routine is complete without a hand treatment. It could be as simple as applying hand cream regularly to avoid that ‘dry’ look. If you wear nailpolish, apply a fresh coat regularly to avoid chipped nailpolish. If you have long nails dip a cotton bud in nailpolish remover and clean under your nails. Try not to use a nailbrush too often – it is very harsh to the delicate nail bed.

Hints and tips:

• Soak nails in warm olive oil for an instant moisuriser
• Trim cuticles, but remember to be gentle
• Regularly use a moisturising mask on hands
• Buff nails with a buffer for that ‘healthy, primed look’
  

Remember that if you look fabulous you will also feel fabulous
Here's to a fabulous you!