International Business Travel - Dos And Don'ts

International Business Travel - Dos And Don'ts
My 1st business meeting in a country where English was not the native tongue was in Germany. I used to be very nervous. I did not recognize German, and no one was with me that might speak it. I fell all over myself attempting to make apologies for speaking in English and not knowing their language. They brushed it off as no massive deal. It turns out that English is widely accepted in Germany as the language of business and most Germans are taught it as a second language throughout their early school years.
So began my journey into the new world of international business travel. I made several mistakes along the way, but eventually I was in a position to form these journeys and hold business meetings routinely while not all the drama. I'll spare you the training curve and share these international business travel Dos and Don'ts with you:
?Do use the buddy system. It's very vital to possess somebody with you after you travel internationally. Creating your manner in an unfamiliar country will be bewildering and is additional work than you realize. It usually takes 2 sets of eyes and ears to try and do things that you'd normally do on autopilot when you are at home.
?Do find local help. If you'll have somebody meet you at the airport, get you settled at the hotel, help you with logistics, and be part of you for your meetings, then don't pass up the opportunity. It simplifies things greatly. And while English is the language of business, don't take it for granted. There are necessary points that will be missed in an exceedingly meeting simply as a result of it's too hard for your hosts to think of the proper words to mention in English. A helper who knows the language will decide up on this nuance and take the time to urge everything on the table and build positive you understand.
?Do speak slowly. You need to slow it down and pause frequently thus that your hosts have time to translate in their heads. This means of speaking can feel unnatural, however if you don't do it they can either stop you repeatedly thus that they will catch up, or they'll give up altogether and tune you out.
?Don't cram an excessive amount of into a meeting agenda. You need to chop your expectations in 0.5 at least. It takes twice as long to exchange ideas when there are translations going on.
?Don't be an ugly American. Keep the mindset in the slightest degree times that you are a guest which their time and company may be a gift to you. Try to be told a few phrases of their language for very little things like, "many thanks", "happy to meet you", "good morning", and "sensible bye". Show an interest in their culture and history, and be respectful of their traditions and past.
?Do be prepared for culture shock. Total immersion in another culture can take it's toll on you. Between this and also the jet lag your mental energy can run out and you will crash exhausting the first couple nights. Do not be shocked if you are dying for a cheeseburger and every one you would like to try to to in the dead of night is hide in your room. But resist these urges and acquire out and see the world. Your possibilities to try to to this are few and far between, and also the reminiscences will last you a lifetime.

Career Opportunities for Administrative Assistants

Career Opportunities for Administrative Assistants

Who is not familiar with the office secretary? Traditionally, a secretary used to be a conservatively-dressed women buzzing around in the office performing a whole gamut of tasks that ranged from making coffee to scheduling appointments.

However, with improvements in technology, the role of a stereotypical secretary or “administrative assistants” as they are now called has undergone a facelift. It has become a lot more sophisticated over the years and much of the work that was earlier the reserve of managerial staff is now being entrusted with administrative assistants.

This obviously means that the future looks promising for these professionals. In fact, the Department of Labor ranks this profession as one with the largest number of job openings over the next few years.

Duties of an Admin Assistant

Administrative assistants are the men and women who shoulder the responsibility of ensuring optimum operations in an organization.

They are the eyes and ears of an organization and perform a range of clerical and administrative duties including, but not limited to:

 

Planning and scheduling meetings
Organizing and maintaining files
Planning and coordinating events
Fixing appointments and interviews
Conducting research and managing projects
Making travel arrangements for staff
Making preparations for corporate guests
Communicating with the office staff
Taking care of business correspondence
Making food and transport arrangements
Stocking and maintaining inventory

Safe to say, administrative assistants and secretaries are the proverbial cogs in the wheel that keep a business running smoothly and efficiently.

Career Paths for an Admin Assistant

Under the broad title of administrative assistant are a number of professionals who have very specific duties either on account of the industry they work in or due to the nature of admin support they provide.

If you’re interested in a career as an admin assistant, you may also want to explore these careers within:

Executive Assistant: They perform a combination of ordinary and complex administrative and secretarial tasks for a high-ranking executive or a group of executives in an organization. Their duties include reviewing reports, preparing meeting agendas and statistical reports and other such tasks.

Legal Assistant: They perform highly specialized jobs that require knowledge of legal jargon. Under the supervision of lawyers and/or paralegals, legal secretaries prepare legal documents, conduct research, review journals, etc.

Medical Assistant: In addition to the usual administrative tasks like transcribing dictations and maintaining patient records, medical assistants are also qualified to perform basic clinical duties in a doctor’s office, hospital and other healthcare facilities.

Virtual Assistant: The job profile of a virtual assistant is virtually the same as an administrative assistant with the only difference that they work remotely from a home office.Virtual assistance is emerging as one of the more popular telecommuting jobs out there!

Personal Assistant: These professionals provide support to an individual within an organization, hence the title. Personal assistants or personal aides assist an individual in business as well as personal tasks.

Project Assistant: Project assistants are hired to provide support for a specific project. They perform a variety of administrative and project-related tasks from the time it goes on floor until its successful completion.

Accounting Assistant: As the name suggests, these professionals support the finance department of an organization by performing a variety of accounting related tasks.

Receptionist: Often the first person an employee and/or visitor encounters on entering an office, the main job of a receptionist is to answer phone calls, greet guests and direct them to their destination, and respond to queries about the organization.

 How to become an Admin Assistant

 The path to becoming an administrative assistant is pretty straightforward. Although there are no formal educational requirements and even high school graduates may qualify for some entry-level positions, but that may be easier said than done in today’s job environment.

 The best shot a person has at becoming an admin assistant is by completing a post-secondary  administrative assistant  training program. Vocational schools and community colleges offer such training programs that provide the skills for the job.

 In addition to administrative assistant training, individuals may also benefit by taking  Microsoft Office courses as job prospects are projected to be best for those who are efficient at using computer software applications.

 Legal, accounting and medical secretaries may need to take additional courses that provide them the knowledge of industry-specific terminology. Specialized certifications are also available for these professionals as well as virtual assistants and secretaries that can help them secure the bright future this profession promises!