May 2012
1 post
Job Search Executive Assistant / Admin Assistant
Some gals pinged me asking for a good Recruiter. They only person I still recommend to all the CEO’s within my network (looking for an Executive Assistant / Admin Assistant) is David Goldman from Ruby Peak Recruiting. This is purely based on the great experience I had when I was job hunting 4 years ago. I met David, we talked and felt he was real good at understanding what the candidate...
April 2012
3 posts
Guest Post
Are you interested in writing a guest post on Executive Assistants / Admin Assistants? Would love to hear your ideas and tips!
Executive Assistant Jobs
Ha! This was too funny!
I regularly come to know of job openings within my network. So, please check the Facebook page (I am trying to build for Executive Assistants and Admin Assistants) plus my blog every now and then for an update. :)
https://www.facebook.com/executiveassistants
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/bhavanakumar
Private Dining Hangouts for Venture Capitalists
As an Executive Assistant I book private dining rooms on a recurring basis. I am constantly on the lookout for restaurants with not only great food but private rooms where one can have private dinners for confidential meetings. I thought of listing some of my favorite spots (in the peninsula) I like to send the executives I support.
Rosewood Hotel, Menlo Park
Restaurant 3000, Menlo Park
...
March 2012
2 posts
Interview Questions - Executive Assistants / Admin...
I received some messages from gals (who were kind and crazy (!) enough to read my blog) asking me about Executive Assistant interviews. “How to prep for an Executive Assistant / Admin Assistant Interview?”, “What are the most commonly asked Executive Assistant interview questions?”, “What are the duties of an Executive Assistant?”, “How to prep for first...
3 tags
Schedule Meetings Online
Chances are you schedule a ton of meetings if you’re an Executive Assistant / Admin Assistant. I am certain my fellow Executive Assistants have exchanged countless emails (banged their head against the desk) trying to nail down a time for a meeting that works for all 9 people but that “one” person. Result, start from scratch or get on a conference call. The funniest part is when...
February 2012
3 posts
3 tags
Quick Access Toolbar in MS Office
I am constantly trying to find helpful shortcuts that can make me a more productive Executive Assistant. One thing I use is the Quick Access Toolbar which allows me to add the commands I use more frequently to the toolbar highlighted below. This in turn helps me eliminate a few extra clicks and save time. There are two possible locations to display this: above or below the Ribbon. I currently...
2 tags
View Google Calendar (.iCAL) in Outlook 2010
I use Google Docs and Google Calendar to do most of my personal work. But if you are an Executive Assistant or Admin Assistant chances are that you use MS Office for office work. Since I am on Outlook all the time at work, I thought it would be easier to view my Google Calendar in Outlook as well. If you’d like to add your Google Calendar try what I did. I am currently using Outlook 2010.
...
1 tag
Sort Data in Excel 2007
As an Executive Assistant I work on MS Excel a lot. I am constantly doing something on it. Here I mention how to sort data in Excel 2007. I have listed some methods I personally use to sort, filter or format data in Excel.
Ascending order (A-Z) or descending order (Z-A).
Multiple Columns.
Auto filter.
Custom sort using cell color.
To sort data click on the DATA tab in the ribbon. Now you can...
September 2011
2 posts
2 tags
Set Gmail - Personal Email on Blackberry
There is a good chance you have a Blackberry smartphone if you are an Executive Assistant or an Admin Assistant. My Outlook account was configured to the Blackberry on my first day of work. But I added my Gmail account on the Blackberry to make life easier. It is a very simple process and you should be able to integrate your Yahoo, Hotmail account (if you have one) using the same steps.
Navigate...
1 tag
Executive Assistants - Schedule A Meeting In...
As an Executive Assistant I schedule a ton of meetings in different time zones. One tool I use quite often now is the Easy Clock. My colleague told me about this site and I can’t thank her enough for this.
http://easyclock.appspot.com/
January 2011
13 posts
2 tags
Software Applications for Executive Assistants /...
Is it your first day of work as an Executive Assistant or Admin Assistant? Be prepared and hit the ground running. I was eager to personalize my computer from day one at my current work place. IMHO I have listed the must have software applications (mostly open source and free) for Executive Assistants and Admin Assistants. So get cracking and install the applications that fit your need.
Foxit...
1 tag
Create a PDF document
Convert a word document or screen shot into a PDF document using CutePDF. I am (as mentioned in many posts) a fan of open source and free stuff. This is a great free software you can download onto your computer and use to convert documents. How does this work? Well when you download the CutePDF, it installs itself as a printer subsystem. So all you really need to do is choose CutePDF from the...
2 tags
Coffee Shops in Palo Alto
Two amazing coffee shops on downtown Palo Alto: Caffe del Doge and Coupa Cafe. Caffe del Doge is cozy and inviting. The capuccino was just the perfect blend of heaven in a cup and for the chocolate lovers the pastries are equally delectable. Coupa Cafe is another treasure with great coffee and yes some amazing chocolates and savory treats to eat. Certainly worth a try, you will feel it is money...
3 tags
Export Contacts From Outlook To Excel
If you work as an Executive Assistant or Administrative Assistant, knowing how to export contacts from Outlook to a Excel spreadsheet is very important. It is extremely easy and as always I try to include as many screenshots as possible to make it that more easier.
Open outlook click file and then click on import and export.
Click the option export to a file when the dialog box opens ant then...
1 tag
Executive Assistant Interview Questions
Most frequently asked questions for an Executive Assistant, Administrative Assistant interview for C-level executives.
Tell me about yourself. I can safely say this is almost always a sure shot question by the interviewer. A great chance to sell yourself. Plan well, be precise and practice in front of anyone you can find. Yes, even your dog is fine! Try to touch upon a little bit of your personal...
1 tag
Job Description - Admin Assistant, Executive...
Admin Assistant, Executive Assistant, Personal Assistant - aren’t they all the same? According to the US Department of Labor the executive / administrative field is a lucrative field with job prospect expected to grow almost 11% by 2018. In my opinion there are great opportunities for people with great communication skills, advanced proficiency in computers, ability to work with ease on...
1 tag
Microsoft Word 2007 Mail Merge - Name Badges
Mail merge can help many documents such as email messages, envelopes, labels and letters. Hopefully by the time you finish reading this blog you will know how Microsoft Word’s mail merge will help create mass level name badges using the label template. There are two primary files in mail merge the primary document and the data source. No point boring you with the explanation, you can find...
1 tag
Travel Tips for Executive Assistants and...
Executive Assistants spend a good amount of time making travel arrangements for the people they support. This is also true for Admin Assistants in many firms. Sometimes the travel calls for crazy routes with frequent international stops, last minute flight change, upgrades, refunds, and cancellations. In that case it is usually a good practice to enlist the services of a great travel agency. I...
1 tag
Google Voice
One thing I have found handy over the past few months is Google Voice. If you do not know about it, Google it! Currently it is by invitation only. I got my Google Voice number sometime last year, the service launched around March 2009. You choose a number with the preferred area code from the numbers Google offers. Some great benefits of this service are:
You can link all your current numbers to...
2 tags
Auto Correction Feature Outlook 2007
Do you have to type the same text in different emails many times a day? For example, “I would like to schedule a 15 minute call”, “Thank you for the flexibility”, “You can reach me at this number 000-000-0000”. You can use the Auto Correction feature in Outlook for this. This feature allows you to create shortcuts for repeated text. For example, whenever I write, 4f (a shortcut I created), Outlook...
2 tags
MS Outlook 2007 - Organize Emails Using Rules and...
As an Executive Assistant being organized is ever so important. Rules & Alerts are one of the most useful tools in Office 2007. It helps increase email efficiency by managing incoming and outgoing messages. Here are some examples of what I do:
Move messages from certain person or company to a specific folder
Reroute messages based on subject line, key phrases and or catch words
Have a sound...
2 tags
MS Outlook 2007 - Organize Emails Using Color...
As an Executive Assistant being organized is ever so important. Organizing emails using color categories is a very useful tool in Outlook 2007. I use this feature to group emails and then later pulling them by color.
Go to Color>All Categories. A new box will open up, label the colors. For example, each time you make a purchase, assign the yellow color.
Then create a search folder for the...
2 tags
MS Outlook 2007 - Organize Emails Using Color...
Let’s face it we all procrastinate when it comes to organizing emails! I know for a fact that each time I would have a new Outlook account I would leave all the organizing, filing, color coding, and rule setting for the last minute. MS Office plays a major role in our lives as Executive or Administrative Assistants and things can go so much easier if we use all the cool shortcuts there are!...