How your career can thrive or survive at the office party

An invitation to the office Christmas party can be a real balance between enjoying the festive spirit and keeping up your professional standards according to an article on the Ezine site entitled ‘Office Christmas Party Blunders – don’t get caught!”.

Potential hazards include over indulging in office gossip, particularly when colleagues’ spouses may be invited; you may not realise who exactly you are talking to. “The border separating professional and personal relationships isn't always easy to patrol, especially at informal company functions such as the office Christmas party,” says author Terri Hunziker. This also applies to conversations online, maybe discussions during or after the party about who said and did what. As the article explains,‘Think before you speak and think before you hit the send button!” For more hints on how to stay professional while still having a good time, read the full article at http://ezinearticles.com/?Office-Christmas-Party-Blunders---Don’t-Get-Caught!&id=801615

What are employers looking for in a receptionist?

If you know the importance of a good professional receptionist to a company, you can put yourself in the best possible position when applying for your next role or progressing in your current position. American talent management agency, Rainmaker, have lots of advice for companies hiring a receptionist which you can use to your advantage.

The article looks at the key characteristics that their new professional receptionist should have. These include flexibility, organisational and interpersonal skills. As they deal with such a variety of customers, managers and employees and are the face of the company, two other vital skills for a receptionist are diplomacy and tact. One section explains “This position often serves as a gatekeeper to upper managers and can also bear the brunt of an upset customer's anger…this individual has to handle difficult situations.” If this sounds like you read the whole article at http://www.therainmakergroupinc.com/administrative-assistants/

Making the most of your career as a personal assistant

A role as a personal assistant can be just the beginning according to Prospects, the U.K official graduate career website. Many careers are detailed including sections for each one looking at job description, salary and conditions, entry requirements and career development.

For someone working as a personal assistant, the website suggests potential steps up the professional ladder including joining the Institute of Professional Administrators, where full membership is open to those with 5 years’ experience in an administrative role. Additionally PAs may move on to an executive assistant role or a management position.

According to the website, “PA work can provide a unique insight into how a business operates and how decisions are made at the highest levels. This kind of experience can prove valuable for PAs who want to become managers themselves.” For more details on getting the most out of your career, take a look at the website www.prospects.ac.uk

Social Media in HR conference – still time to book

Looking for a ‘ more connected and collaborative workplace’? The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development wants HR department and resources managers to try engaging in social media and using it to advantage within their companies.

With this in mind the one day ‘Social Media in HR’ conference is due to take place in London next week on the 7th December. With senior HR professional from PepsiCo and Save the Children as guests, seminar topics include areas such as ‘Organisational Approaches to the use of social media internally’ and ‘Making a business impact due to the professional use of social media tools’.

Conference organisers list several areas that can benefit from engagement with social media including planning and acquiring manpower, communicating with employees and managing talent pipelines.

To book a place visit the CIPD website at www.cipd.co.uk/cande/social-media-in-hr

Need ideas to improve team dynamics in the office?

Do you need ideas to improve team dynamics in the office to motivate yourself and everyone else? What about a list of 30 of them ranging from ensuring birthdays are celebrated to training for a charity race together?

Jane Sunley, CEO of a talent management specialist company, puts forward all these ideas to explain how office team dynamics are 'seriously enhanced by having fun' which is why the list also includes 'learning to dance together' as well as 'avoiding taking stuff too seriously". However she also emphasises that everything is about balance - "you don't want to turn it into a comedy club."

Such ideas are proposed against the background of understanding team dynamics and an individual's motivation. Her article on the Growing Business website, also recommends using psychometric tests as a fast way to understand team dynamics. It might just help to work out which of the many ideas to choose for your team. www.growingbusiness.co.uk

Is moving into management right for you?

Is the grass really greener on the other side? As a professional administrator, have you reached your career goal or do you have desires to move on into management?

An article in the latest issue of US magazine, Office Pro, discusses the pros and cons of moving into the boss's chair and other areas of management. In the article 'Is moving up the corporate ladder right for you?', author Kenya McCullum talked to some employees who found that some of the skills valued in the administration role didn't always translate into a management. Elsewhere, interviewees found that the time was right to take on more responsibility and commitment. McCullum highlights a number of factors to consider if you're planning the leap including your work/life balance and how you will be perceived in your new role. Read the full article at http://officepro.iaap-hq.org

"The new workplace currency" - latest report from Cisco

It’s not just money that makes the world go round for many graduates according to Cisco.

The ‘Cisco Connected World Technology Report’ has found that 1 in 3 college students and young graduates “would prioritise social media freedom, device flexibility and work mobility over salary in accepting job offers.” 1 in 4 of the employees surveyed, from all over the globe including the U.K., said “the absence of remote access would influence their job decisions including leaving the company sooner rather than later." The report entitled “The Future of Work: Information Access Expectations, Demands, and Behaviour of the World’s Next-Generation Workforce” makes very interesting reading for human resource managers.

If you’re planning a recruitment drive, the report also looks at current attitudes of college students. 2 out of 3 plan to ask about the use of work and personal mobile devices at their job interviews. To get prepared read the full report at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns1120/index.html