Administrative Assistant Careers

Though the industry is likely to do well in the long term, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there won’t be very much growth in the number of jobs for hotel managers. A lot of new hotels will be economy class and extended-stay hotels, and these kinds of accommodations don’t hire as many managers as shorter-stay, more upscale ones. However, increasing business travel and domestic and foreign tourism will drive employment growth of hotel managers and assistants.

Hotel and motels rent rooms to customers. These businesses need employees to clean rooms and check in guests. Larger hotels also need employees to plan conferences, set up rooms for events, and prepare meals for guests. Hotel and motel managers oversee all these departments and make sure employees do good work. Duties vary with the size and type of the business. In small hotels and motels, one manager may be in charge of all departments. In large hotels, each department may be run by an assistant manager. General Managers are in charge of the entire hotel. They often help create budgets, policies, and advertisements. They also may set room rates and fees.

There are several types of assistant managers. Executive housekeepers are in charge of the workers who clean the hotel. They inspect the hotel to make sure that all areas are clean. Front office managers are in charge of reservations and room assignments. Food and beverage managers oversee restaurants and banquets. They plan menus, set prices, and order supplies. Convention services managers coordinate all hotel activities related to meetings. They meet with clients and plan schedules. Then they work with the food service and front office managers to serve and lodge the visitors.

Assistant managers hire, train, and supervise the members of their staff. They assign duties to workers and schedule their shifts. They also solve customers’ complaints and answer questions about their departments. In addition, managers write reports about their department. They also order food or supplies and may negotiate contracts with vendors. Assistant managers meet and talk with the general manager several times a week. They also talk to other assistant managers when coordinating large events, such as weddings.

In general, managers of small hotels and motels have more duties than managers of larger businesses. This is because there are fewer employees in smaller hotels and motels. Thus, managers are likely to fill in for absent workers. For example, managers may occasionally clean rooms, take reservations, check guests in and out, or make general repairs. Managers of small hotels and motels have many administrative tasks. They interview, hire, and train new staff. They schedule laundry service deliveries and order supplies. In addition, they keep track of income and expenses.

In short, hotel managers wear a million different hats and juggle a million different tasks. As managers who oversee the running of entire hotels or motels, they must have an incredible eye for detail, enormous organizational ability, and lots and lots of energy. Initiative, self-discipline, effective communication skills, and the ability to organize and direct the work of others are also essential for managers at all levels.

In the course of the day, hotel managers face all sorts of crises. They must make many quick decisions with grace and aplomb. They must have a good sense of business and know how to promote their hotel through advertisements, promotional events and special offers.

Twenty years ago, hotel managers came up through the ranks, usually starting out at the front desk. This is less likely today. An associate’s degree can qualify someone to be an assistant manager or manager of a small hotel, but in a large hotel, it’s difficult to rise beyond assistant manager without additional education. Most department managers have a bachelor’s degree, preferably from a hotel-school program. These programs usually require extensive internships, and this is how future managers get their initial work experience. Hotel executives often have advanced degrees in a specialty or an MBA.

In chain hotels like Sheratons or Marriotts, new managers, even those with hotel school degrees, are usually put through a year-long management trainee program before being assigned to an assistant manager position.

Because hotels are open around the clock, night and weekend work is common. Many hotel managers work more than 40 hours per week. Managers who live in the hotel usually have regular work schedules, but they may be called to work at any time. Some employees of resort hotels are managers during the busy season and have other duties during the rest of the year.

Salaries of hotel managers and assistants vary greatly according to their responsibilities and the segment of the hotel industry in which they are employed. Managers may earn bonuses up to 25 percent of their basic salary in some hotels and may also be furnished with lodging, meals, parking, laundry, and other services. In addition to typical benefits, some hotels offer profit-sharing plans and educational assistance to their employees.

A well-run hotel or restaurant is the result of carefully choreographed teamwork and specific knowledge and training in the administration of such places. A Master’s degree in hospitality administration will prepare the student for a career in the aspects of the hospitality industry that are nothing less than vital for the success and growth of these kinds of businesses. The coursework is often quite similar to that undertaken by students in MBA programs, but in this case they focus in on the hospitality industry, as opposed to other aspects of the business world. Courses may include marketing, negotiation techniques, asset management, entrepreneurship, systems analysis, and restaurant and spa development.

The Master of Science Program (MS) taking about 1 1/2-year is geared toward hospitality professionals who wish to continue their careers in an academic or research setting and is designed to help students develop solid graduate-level research skills within a focused hospitality research area. The majority of the student’s course work is tailored to the student’s area of hospitality research interest and academic and professional background. Students plan their concentration area courses as well as thesis research with their thesis committee.

If you are in high school, find out about CTE courses in Hotel/Motel Marketing, Hospitality Management, Hospitality Services and Travel and Tourism Marketing. These courses can lead to hospitality skills certification from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute.

Josh Stone
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/great-opportunities-in-a-hotel-manager-career-93023.html

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

A woman, interviewing for a Marketing position, answers the common interview question: Describe a project you took from start to finish. This is an example of an BAD way to answer this question.

Created by Fresno, California’s most respected Recruiting, Staffing and Human Resources consulting firm — Denham Resources.

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Posted under Administrative Assistant Employment

Looking for a position as an Administrative istant or Clerical Position

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Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

Based on no previous related work experience, but college education to bring to the job function? I have Science degrees relating to the business.
It requires minor requirements such as high school diploma and eligibility for security clearance.
It’s an administrative assistant position.

Emphasize to them your skills in these areas:

Executive Secretaries & Administrative Assistants:
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Time Management — Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

http://www.myplan.com/careers/db/3.php?onet=43-6011.00

http://www.myplan.com/careers/db/search2.php?keyword=Aerospace+administrative+assistant+

Posted under Administrative Assistant Employment

How is it different from an admin. assistant? Is this a good career path?

Administrative assistant for an executive has similar duties with all administrative assistants. The difference is usually that it is more technical depending on the executive. The CFO needs someone that understand accounting. Not a CPA but at least someone that understand the terms . Same thing for a sales executive. Should understand the terms and process of sale and customer relations.

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

There are many different career paths in the hospitality industry. Everything from receptionists, ma?tre d’ and bellhops.

A receptionist is an office/administrative support position. The work is usually performed in a waiting area such as a lobby or front office of an organization or business. The title “receptionist” is attributed to the person who is specifically employed by an organization to greet any visitors, patients, or clients.

The occupation has been the traditional domain of women, but more men today are becoming involved in receptionist duties, possibly under different names of employment, such as front desk coordinator, or information clerk. During the late-1990’s, some companies have begun to refer to their receptionist with the upgraded title of “Director of First Impressions.”

A receptionist is usually expected to have a high school diploma or the equivalent, but a receptionist may also possess a vocational certificate/diploma in business and office administration. Although a postsecondary degree is not normally required for this position, some receptionists may hold four year university degrees in a variety of majors. A few receptionists may even hold advanced degrees.

The business duties of a receptionist may include: answering visitor inquiries about a company and its products or services, directing visitors to their destinations, sorting mail, answering incoming calls on multi-line telephones or a switchboard, setting appointments, filing, records keeping, keyboarding/data entry and performing a variety of other office tasks, such as faxing. Some receptionist may also perform bookkeeping or cashiering duties. Some, but not all, offices may expect the receptionist to serve coffee or tea to guests, and to keep the lobby area tidy.

A receptionist may also assume some security guard access control functions for an organization by verifying employee identification, issuing visitor passes, and by observing and reporting any unusual or suspicious persons or activities.

A receptionist is often the first business contact a person will meet at any organization. It is an expectation of most organizations that the receptionist maintain a calm, courteous and professional demeanor at all times regardless of the visitor’s behavior. Some personal qualities that a receptionist is expected to have in order to do the job successfully include: attentiveness, a well groomed appearance, initiative, loyalty, maturity, respect for confidentiality and discretion, a positive attitude and dependability. At times, the job may be stressful due to interaction with many different people with different types of personalities, and being expected to perform multiple tasks quickly.

Depending upon the industry, a receptionist position can be considered be a low-ranking, dead end or servile position, or it could be perceived as having a certain veneer of glamour with opportunities for networking in order to advance to other positions within a specific field. Some people may use this type of job as a way to familiarize oneself with office work, or to learn of other functions or positions within a corporation. Some people use receptionist work as a way to earn money while pursuing further educational opportunities or other career interests such as in the performing arts or as writers.

While many persons working as receptionists continue in that position throughout their careers, some receptionists may advance to other administrative jobs such as customer service representative, dispatcher, interviewers, secretary, production assistant, and executive assistant. In smaller businesses, such as doctor’s or lawyer’s office, a receptionist may also be the office manager who is charged with a diversity of middle management level business operations. When receptionists leave the job, they often enter other career fields such as sales and marketing, public relations or other media occupations.

The advancement of office automation has eliminated some receptionists’ jobs. For example, a telephone call could be answered by a computer. However, a receptionist who possesses strong office/technical skills and who is also adept in courtesy, tact and diplomacy is still considered an asset to a company’s business image, and is still very much in demand in the business world.

The ma?tre d’ (short for ma?tre d’h?tel, literally “master of the hall”) in a suitably staffed restaurant is the person in charge of assigning customers to tables in the establishment, and dividing the dining area into areas of responsibility for the various servers on duty. He or she may also be the person who receives and records advance reservations for dining, as well as deal with any customer complaints and making sure all servers are completing their tasks in an efficient manner. In some localities or traditions the post is also known as the headwaiter or captain.

In the United States, these functions may be vested in a manager, supervisor, or cashier. A working maitre d’ here is usually associated with a destination restaurant, or one connected with a four-star or better hotel. Though the distinction between a ma?tre d’h?tel and host is, in practice, one of nomenclature, less elite establishments employ a “host”.

A bellhop (also bellboy or bellman) is a hotel employee who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. The job’s name is derived from the fact that the hotel’s front desk would ring a bell to summon an available employee, who would “hop” (jump) to attention at the desk in order to receive instructions.

Historically, this employee traditionally was a boy or adolescent male who may have been otherwise unskilled but able to carry luggage; hence the term bellboy. Often (s)he wears a uniform, like certain other page boys or doormen. In many countries such as the United States, it customary to tip such an employee for his or her service.

This position can also be held by a woman today, with the progression of equality in the workplace. The term “bellperson” is much less gender specific. The duties that are included in this job are opening the door, pulling luggage, calling cabs, giving directions, basic concierge work, and responding to any need of the guest.

Some larger apartment buildings or groups of buildings retain the use of a concierge, without the traditional disposition whereas the concierge saw all comings and goings. The concierge may, for instance, keep the mail of absented dwellers; be entrusted with the keys of apartments in cases of emergencies in the absence of the inhabitant; and other services.

In hotels and certain other facilities, a concierge assists guests with various tasks like finding taxicabs, restaurants, and interesting places to visit. In upscale establishments, a concierge is often expected to “achieve the impossible”, dealing with any request a guest may have, no matter how apocryphal or strange, relying on an extensive list of personal contacts with various local merchants and service providers.

Josh Stone
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/about-hospitality-careers-55264.html

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

I hear they do, because there is at will employment, so you can be fired on the spot for nothing and no one will take the case because it is high risk of failure and low return.

Especially in the South.

They are subjected to flirting. Not so much sexual harrassment..

Posted under Administrative Assistant Employment

Dumb question, I know. I would like to hear from people who started there and moved up. Thanks.

PLEASE NO ANSWERS ABOUT HOME BASED/INTERNET BUSINESSES! NOT interested.

Definitely! You’re the first person to see job postings usually so you know what to apply for I started out at a temp agency as an administrative assistant (in the temp agency office) and since they knew I was a hard worker with good computer skills, they got me a high paying permanent job as soon as it reached the office.

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

Americans are bombarded by thousands of commercial messages everyday in the form of bouncy jingles, television commercials, and even printed advertisements hanging on bathroom stalls. Advertising agencies have launched a commercial war, using outrageously clever ideas and exhaustive market analysis to captivate the attention of a consumer for a mere sixty seconds. In a sense, working in advertising is like throwing a message in a bottle out into the ocean, hoping that it will reach the right destination. It is quite an enigma then why anyone would want to work in such a challenging, finger crossing, and stressful industry. For those inside the industry, the answer is simple: advertisements shape the way people act, think, and dream.

Producing an advertising campaign is an extremely elaborate process. Advertising agencies are responsible for understanding the objectives of a company, transforming that into an idea that will persuade consumers to buy the product, and then finally choosing the appropriate media to communicate that message, a three step process described as strategy, concept, and execution. Due to the complexity of this process, advertising professionals assume very specialized roles that fall into two very broad categories: creative and business. In the creative service department there are copy writers, graphic artists, photographers, and film makers who work together to conceptualize, plan, and produce an ad. Production is a great department to work in for creatives looking for entry-level positions that will allow for a good amount of networking that could lead to other careers in advertising.

The other advertising career tracks involved in the business aspect of advertising are account management, media, and account planning. At the entry-level, account managers are referred to as account coordinators, administrative assistants, or assistant account executives. Their duty is to ensure that ads move through the three step process in a smooth and timely manner. At times, these employees are called upon to perform marketing research or travel to assist at client meetings or ad shoots. Account executives act as liaisons between the client and creative departments to ensure that expectations are met and ideas are communicated accurately. From there, the ladder rungs follow as such: account manager, account supervisor, management supervisor, vice president, and eventually director. In the media department, most start off as assistant media planners, a primarily clerical position that involves researching consumer habits and plotting target audiences. Assistant media buyers purchase and monitor airtime and advertising space. From these positions, employees move on to become a media planner or buyer, senior media planner or buyer, media supervisor, vice president, and director. Finally, account planners conduct insightful focus and research groups in an attempt to qualify and quantify consumer buying habits.

Despite this highly efficient, organized, and specialized structure, nearly half of all advertising professionals worked more than forty hours a week, spending many extra nights and weekends in the office or on business trips. Insiders say the long hours are balanced by a fun, hip, and exciting work environment that allows employees to wear jeans on a normal day, bring their dogs into the office, and even play foosball to spark inspiration. It’s not hard to see then why the advertising industry is so popular amongst college graduates. Unfortunately, the market is extremely competitive and employers seek those that are creative, self-motivated, detail-oriented, great with people, culturally aware, resilient to stress, and analytical-and those are just the personality traits. Applicants are also expected to be experienced teamplayers, knowledgeable in marketing strategies and research, aware of rising technology, and accustomed to handling multiple projects and deadlines at the same time. Advertising training can be acquired through a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, preferably advertising, journalism, public relations, literature, sociology, philosophy, or psychology, with coursework in marketing, statistics, economics, accounting, mathematics, and creative design. Obtaining an internship in the field will provide you a distinct market advantage and some in-agency experience. Although creatives are hired on the basis of their talent, most jobs require at least a two year degree from an art or design school, demonstrated communication skills, and a portfolio of mock advertisements. For midcareer professionals looking to enter the business, expect to start from square one and, in general, be prepared to jump from agency to agency in order to advance.

The upside is this: advertising budgets are on the rebound as more companies begin to feel the strain of advancing global competition. It is projected that the advertising industry will increase faster than the average until 2012. This is good news considering that if you play your cards right, getting into the industry will not be as daunting as it once was. However, be prepared for less than encouraging paychecks. Most advertising professionals start off at around $30,000, but quickly move up with the success of their campaigns. The average advertising manager in the industry makes around $70,000 a year and the top ten percent make over $145,000. Look forward to a lot of upward mobility and a far from monotonous advertising career.

Matt Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/advertising-careers-82498.html

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers

Would like to work as an Administrative Assistant within the National Park Service, or State Parks. I need to know where to find the details for either, and how to apply.

The National Park Service offers employment through the USA Jobs website (see Sources below). Each job listing will include application instructions as well as details of the job duties, requirements and pay scale.

Posted under Administrative Assistant Employment