The Rules of Successful Administrative Professionalism

Over the past few years, I have had what some might call a "shaky" employment history. From being fired to being sexually harassed, I have left several jobs for a variety of reasons. Before I sound like I'm complaining, let me say that every one of these positions has been great in that they each gave me something different as far as life experience. Here are some basic secrets on surviving as an administrative professional.

The first secret is to learn to "suck up." Narcissus left a small part of himself in each of us. You inflate your boss's inner superego, and who knows? They might just inflate your salary. Either way, your life is easier if the boss barking orders at you thinks you have something in common with him or her, that being a common appreciation for their hard work and effort.

The second secret I'll share is to find a friend in a supportive coworker. There are going to be times when you get tired of metaphorically kissing executive posterior, and you're going to want to share your pain with other people in a station similar to yours. This rule saved my sanity once when a boss had me in the ladies' room screaming and literally pulling my hair out. A fellow administrative assistant came in after me and said, "You look like you need something chocolate, wrapped in bacon. You want to talk about it?"

This leads me to my next secret: When you're stressed, nothing helps more than to eat something high in fat and/or sugar. I do not have a sweet tooth by any stretch of the imagination. I don't crave or necessarily like chocolate, but put me in a stressful situation and I'll go through a whole bag of Dove Promises chocolate truffles within the next five minutes. Ask my boss.

Fourth, it's the little triumphs that really matter. I developed a new spreadsheet for one job that ended up being used company-wide. Was the form so simple an orangutan could have thought of it? Absolutely. My boss thought it was good, though, and I even got a "thank you" out of it, which is always a plus. That little piece of success kept me going in an otherwise thankless job for a few more weeks, and a little, tiny part of me really felt like I was doing something worthwhile. In order to survive in your five square foot work environment, you have to start acting like your job matters, because whether your boss will admit it or not, it does.
Generally speaking, being an administrative professional is not the career most people are actively seeking out when they browse the classifieds. Throughout the history of mankind, I seriously doubt anyone ever answered the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" with "I would really like to work in a cubicle doing data entry and fetching someone's coffee." Most secretaries, office clerks, and administrative assistants are not there for the amazing wages, the plethora of perks, or to gain the self-respect they have been yearning for all their lives. In my experience, most people do it because it's more stimulating than flipping burgers or telemarketing. Others do it to move up in a company, or simply to just get by until their next big break.

For whatever reason, administrative professionals are, in my ever-so-humble opinion, what keeps an organization breathing. So for those administrative professionals out there who might be reading this, keep at it. Your next big break could be right around the corner. For all other professionals who might be reading this, keep in mind that April 25 is Administrative Professionals Day. I like flowers and blue ballpoint pens.