Career Spotlight What I Do as an Office Manager

Career Spotlight What I Do as an Office Managertell us a little about who you are, your current position, and how long youve been at it.my name is catzu sichbeiine. i am an geschftszimmer manager at realmatch, and ive been here about 2 months i have a passion for organization, crafting, event planning, and disney movies. i currently have 3 cats, all rescues, and hope to foster pets someday as well. here are some great career options for cat lovers.what drove you to choose your career path?coincidence my career path started way back in high school when my mom notlageiced her accountant scrambling in the middle of tax season. she asked them if they needed help, and i went in for an interview. i became an assistant/bookkeeper there and stayed until halfway through college. i then worked at my dads law geschftszimmer and an advertising company as an assistant before finally becoming an amtsstube manager here at realmatch.how did you go about getting your job? what kind of education and e xperience did you need?i had a bachelors degree in media studiesbut a college degree isnt necessary to be an assistant, even though its preferred. to become an amtsstube manager, i needed at least 2-3 years of experience as an assistant, and i had about 8 i learned something different in each position i held, and it all came together to make me the perfect candidate for realmatch.what steps do you need to take to start a career as an office manager?the best way to become an office manager is to begin as an assistant and work your way up. if you need to get your foot in the door, i recommend networking and asking around. get the word out that you are looking for a position as an assistant, and its very likely that someones mothers lawyer needs a helping hand at his or her office. a personal connection is always very helpful for getting an interview. luckily, almost every office needs an assistant of some kind. if you want to learn everything about getting a job as an administrative a ssistant, check out this useful article job spotlight administrative assistant.from there, you can advance to nearly any position because you will be exposed to all the different departments within the company. for me, the natural evolution from being an assistant welches to become an office manager, because i enjoyed all the various tasks i was given.did you need any licenses or certifications?a college degree is always encouraged. in new york city everyone takes the train, but i can landsee a drivers license and car being a requirement in other cities/states because there can be some running around involved with the job.becoming a notary public can also be helpful. you will become a valuable asset for your bosses if they can go to you for a notarization instead of finding time in their busy day to go out and find one.its important to set the rules and explain to people what youre expected to help with and what you can do only if your other required tasks are done.what kinds of th ings do you do beyond what most people see? what do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?i spend a lot mora time thinking and researching things than most people would think. sometimes a thought on how to improve the office will come about and ill ponder it, trying to find out if it could work. other times, someone will make a suggestion on how to improve the office or their job, and ill take the idea and run with it. ill do some research and get in contact with companies to get pricing before bringing it to the managers for their input. usually most decisions come down to budget, so its always helpful to have a ballpark on pricing beforehand.what misconception do people often have about your job?within the office, people often have the misconception that its your job to do everything they dont want to do. this can range from cleaning up everyones mess around the office to tackling their to do list items they dont enjoy. its extremely important to speak with your manag er and see what he or she expects fromyou. it can become very easy to get bogged down with menial tasks that are not necessarily required of you. its important to set the rules and explain to people what youre expected to help with and what you can do only if your other required tasks are done.find a need within your company, and work to fill itanother misconception that a lot of people have is that the job is really easy and anyone can do it. in actuality, its much more complex than people think. the tasks themselves arent necessarily difficultits juggling all the tasks at once while staying within budget and being efficient thats a challenge.at my last job, i was doing a walkthrough with a rep from a moving company to get a quote, and about four different people approached me with questions while i was speaking to him. i had to politely advise them that i was handling something at the moment while also needing to listen to the rep and remember who needed what so that after the mee ting, i could address it. its really easy to lose your concentration, so it very important to stay on task and organized.what are your average work hours?my current hours are 9am 6pm. this is probably a typical workday for most office managers, but there may be certain offices that work later or prefer you come in before everyone else. most days i only work the 9 hours, but if a big project comes up, i may have to stay a few extra hours or check my email inbox diligently.what personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?i strive for efficiency. when things get hectic, i need to be able to get tasks done quickly and accurately. the first step i take is to organize everything within the office. spending a quiet afternoon organizing is definitely worth it in the long run. if someone asks where the staples are, i know exactly where to lead them. in addition, i love to label everything. this way, if someone suspects an item is in a particular closet, they can open the door, loo k at the labels, and find the item without me.i also love to use evernote to track my tasks. the software can do so much i have tons of different to-do lists, both for work and my personal life. if im working on something and suddenly oh yea, i have to plektron up the dry cleaning at some point comes to mind, ill quickly switch to my personal to-do list and jot that down. its really helpful to clear your mind so that you can focus on the task at hand instead of wondering how youre going to remember to do that after work. you can also create different notebooks, which i dofor events that are coming up. you can paste links, add website snippets, and so much morei also find its better to get quicker tasks done immediately upon receiving them so i dont have them in the back of my mind while working or end up forgetting to do them. if i am at a auszeit point within a big project, i will stop and get a smaller task out of the way. this not only makes my life easier, but it makes the perso n who requested it really happywhat do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession? what do they do instead?sometimes when people are not monitoring you, or when you help a lot of different departments, it can be easy to fly under the radar with tasks. oftentimes, people love when they can get paid to do as little as possible. for me, i prefer to be busy than to be relaxingit makes the time pass more quickly also, the more you do, the more likely you will be to get a promotion or a raise. if your boss asks the other managers within your company what they think about you when it comes to review time, you want to have as many people as possible giving you glowing reviews. if you plan to ask for a promotion, having everyone backing you up and singing your praises can only help you get the job.whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?somehow, my days usually end up being either super quiet or crazy busy. i can have nothing major to do all da y, then at the last minute three things come up that need attention right away. or there will be a week when everyones on vacation and i struggle to find things to do, but the next week they get back and i become so busy, i have to force myself to take a break to get lunch.i deal with it by trying to do things ahead of time. if i know i need to prepare for a new hire that wont be coming for another 2 weeks but i am free now, i will get as much done as possible so that im not overwhelmed if a big project comes in the next week. sometimes im so efficient that i surprise myself. ive had times where i thought uh oh, i forgot to do this only to realize that i completed it the week before in anticipation of the deadline. at those moments, i always smile to myself and think good job and realize that is what others must like about me as well.if your boss asks the other managers within your company what they think about you when it comes to review time, you want to have as many people as pos sible giving you glowing reviews.whats the most enjoyable part of the job?getting to talk to and meet new people. when i was in school, i would get in trouble for chit-chatting with people when i was supposed to be quiet. i love that now i can go over to people when theres a lull and get to know them. its especially helpful for new hires, because theyre usually quiet and shy. its great to talk to them and get to know them before everyone else and see how much they grow and all the new friends they make at the office.what is an unexpected skill an office manager needs to have?i think having a friendly relationship with the people you work with is important as an office manager. i love to be approachable, this way people know that if they have any questions or concerns, they can come to me. you can find out a lot of information about everyone, ranging from office gossip to their feelings about the environment of the company.its extremely important to use another critical skill, discre tion, to decide what to do with this information. is it suspected that two coworkers have started dating, and there is no policy going against it? keep it to yourself. do people reveal they feel overworked and under-appreciated day after day? suggest to management that since people have been working hard, a treat to say thank you may be in order. by using your social skills, you can possibly prevent a small issue (like people feeling unappreciated) from becoming a big one (like half a department quitting).what kind of money can one expect to make at your job? or, whats an average starting salary?an office managers salary can be between $27k and $100k. since thats a huge range, its really important to take a few factors into effect to determine what is accurate. where you live will usually be the biggest determinant, followed by your experience, the office size, and the industry youre working in.if you are curious, check out the expected salary from spotlight administrative assistant .how do you move up in your field?the best way to move up is to work hard, always offer to help, and be someone that people can rely on. i also believe owning up to mistakes is always better than trying to hide them. if you offer a solution to your mistake and can fix it, thats even better.find a need within your company, and work to fill it. create a list of the steps youll need to take to accomplish the goals, and create a timeline. if you have a list of deadlines for the goals you wish to accomplish, its much easier to track. when the date you set for yourself comes up, you can ask questions like am i on track with what i wished to achieve? if the answer is no, figure out where your plan derailed and to get back on track. when its time to evaluate your professional growth, you can show your manager the goals you had and the steps you took to achieve them. always keep notes of your biggest accomplishments. when it is review time a year later, it can become difficult to remember al l the things youve donebefore creating your resume and applying to jobs, think about the tasks you enjoy doing most. highlight those in your resume and look for jobs that match your skills.what do people under/over value about what you do?i think they undervalue the level of organization required. it takes effort to create a routine to know exactly when to order which items so that youre not overflowing from the cabinets or bone dry. i feel that most people dont understand everything an office manager does until they are not around. when i get back from vacation, everyone tells me how they missed me and how much i am appreciatedas for overvaluing, i find it a bit comical when someone tells me im a lifesaver because i told them where the staples are, but i do appreciate their gratitude.what advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?before creating your resume and applying to jobs, think about the tasks you enjoy doing most. highlight those in your resume and loo k for jobs that match your skills. take into account the work environment of a company and your personality and try to find something that suits you.for instance, i love start-ups because they are always changing and conversation is encouraged. i dont feel that i would thrive in a super corporate environment where my hours must be billable and i had to stay at my desk. above all, always try to keep a positive outlook, no matter what is happening. if you start to feel frustrated, take a breath, step away for a moment, and come back with fresh eyes and a clear mind.are you ready? apply for office manager jobs here.catherine sarlis is an office manager at realmatch. sheloves cats, crafts and watching disney movies on lazy saturdays. you can connect her on linkedin and instagram.

6 Ways Career Coaches are Adding Value with Jobscan - Jobscan Blog

6 Ways Career Coaches are Adding Value with Jobscan - Jobscan BlogPosted on May 24, 2018November 11, 2019 by Jon Shields Career coaches and employment specialists have been using Jobscans resume and LinkedIn optimization tools for years to supplement their coaching and provide more value to their clients.We reached out to five coaches and specialists across North America to learn about the different ways theyre using Jobscan, whetzu sich it be apersonal free or Premium accountorenterprise-level Jobscan Premium or Coach accountsLise Stransky,private and contract career coach and facilitator based in Calgary, AlbertaBob McIntosh, LinkedIn and resume consultant at the Career Center of LowellRuth Kunstadter, Career and Transitions Coach at New Pathways Coaching, LLCHannah Morgan, Assistant Director of Simon Business Schools Career Management Center at the University of RochesterJen St. Pierre, Warriors to Work Specialist at Wounded Warrior ProjectI am not a resume writer, said Lise Stran sky, who uses the Jobscan resume optimization tool right off the bat to ensure herbei clients are bringing a quality resume to the table before she gets to work. She tells her clients, I would really recommend you customize your resume before you send it to me and pay me for a review, and heres a tool to binnensee how well youve already customized it.Bob McIntosh, on the other hand, likes to utilize Jobscan to put the finishing touches on a clients resume.When we have their resume to what they think they like, I will pull up Jobscan and paste their resume as well as their job description. Thats when they can really see how successful they are in terms of keyword match and the percentage.Here are a few ways advisors are providing value to their clients and students with Jobscan1) Jobscan is a wake-up call for job seekersIts eye-opening for people, said Ruth Kunstadter. People think they have a good resume for what theyre trying to apply for, but a lot of them dont.When it comes to he lping a job seeker improve their resume, sometimes the first step is proving to them that there is room for improvement. When a job seeker sees a Jobscan Match Report with a low rating for the first time, it can cause them to take notice.The Match Rate percentage at the top of the Match Report indicates how much work there is to be done. Jobscan recommends raising your score to 80% before applying, if possible.Usually their Match Report grades arent that great and theyre really shocked, said Lise. Shocked that their resume is so, what they would say, poor. I say, No, its not poor. Its not targeted.Whatever it takes to shift that mindset, said Hannah Morgan, because this has been going on for years where the student job seekers would send that same unmodified resume to every job without customizing it like it was 1980.2) Jobscan validates what coaches are teachingIts an eye opener because its a tool that shows them what we try to tell them, which is spielblttchen out the keywords in a job posting, said Jen St. Pierre. Thats the employers language.Career specialists have known for a long time that carefully tailoring your resume to a specific job description leads to more opportunities. Getting buy-in from clients who dont want to put work into each resume is the hard part.Jobscan really becomes an advocate for us as job coaches to show the realism of it, that were not just making this up, continued Jen. Many of us have backgrounds in recruitment. We used to write job postings so we know. Its one thing to tell somebody, its another to send them a link to a detailed report that shows it in black and white.Its a good validation in terms of what Im trying to say about tailoring resumes, said Bob.The numbers are right there, said Ruth. Its not like a person telling you that. The machine is going to look at your resume and this is what the machine is going to see. Its objective.3) Jobscan motivates and holds clients accountableBecause the resume is scored with hard n umbers and objective facts, job seeking clients can build clear cut goals around resume improvement.Lets get that number up, Jen tells her clients. It gives them more of a challenge and a reason.She continued, I can do two or three rescans and theyll feel the pride of watching that number go up.As a Warriors to Work specialist, Jen can analyze resumes on a veterans behalf through her unlimited Jobscan Premium account. They dont have to pay, she said. Its already included in my contract. I love that I have unlimited because it gets me to teach them and have them come back for more.At the University of Rochesters Simon Business School, Hannahhas installed enterprise-level Jobscan Coach accounts for the staff advisors through Jobscans University program. Through Coach, Hannah and the other advisors are able to provide Jobscan Premium accounts to students, interact with them directly through Jobscan, and monitor their progress. This promotes accountability in the students and ensures th at everyone is using the resources available to them.I wouldnt know how many of the students were using Jobscan if I didnt have the Coach platform, said Hannah. With Coach, Hannah can offer better direction to the advisors she works with. For example, Hannah said she might tell an advisor of an inactive student, If theyre asking to meet with you, I would expect you to find out how many jobs theyre applying to and then find out why theyre not using Jobscan because its a tool that were giving them for free and its going to make a difference.I can also see how high they have been able to get their scores in an easy visual graph, continued Hannah. It shows the different scores that theyve had when theyve uploaded their resume.4) Jobscan helps job seekers understand applicant tracking systems (ATS)One of the things I see all the time with people that Im working with in job search, they cannot understand applicant tracking systems, said Hannah.fruchtwein companies, including 99% of Fortun e 500, use an ATS to manage, search, and filter applicants.I think students really still believe that recruiters are looking at every resume that comes through the applicant tracking system, Hannah continued.Instead of reading each resume, recruiters can search for resumes based on keywords, or allow their system to automatically rank applicants by comparing the resume to the job description. Because of this, coaches know that job seekers increase their chances by transferring keywords from the job description directly to their resume.Most people are shocked that technology has done this to job search and they dont quite get that a resume has to be customized and targeted every single time, said Lise.I think that Jobscan makes it super simple for anybody to understand what theyre supposed to do, concluded Hannah.The Hard Skills section of the Jobscan Match Report shows exactly which skills are missing from your resume.5) Jobscan saves time for job seekers and coaches alikeOne of the reasons I was excited to use Jobscan at this point in the year is that students are in a mad dash to try and find jobs, said Hannah. As a result, they dont think they have time to customize their resume. Theyre afraid and dont want to miss out on the opportunity, so they just keep sending out the same old resume. We know that thats not effective, especially since these students are only using the applicant tracking system process. Jobscan gives them the tools to apply to more jobs more quickly and be a better match.The majority of the advisors and student workers who were using it said, Yeah, this is definitely going to save time for the students and for me, continued Hannah. If theyve been using Jobscan before they meet with me, I can look at a resume thats a much better version of what it should be and it makes it easier for me to analyze and help the student modify.What we used to do before we had Jobscan is font that all out in an email, because if I did it over the phone it ju st goes in one ear and out the other, said Jen. I would type it all out dont use the same action word, measurable results it would take me forever because every resume was different. Jobscan has really made me more efficient and effective in what I do. Im not having to take the time to type this all out in an email. I literally cut and paste and send them a link.6) Jobscan goes beyond ATSI really like it not just for the ATS stuff, said Ruth. It makes people reframe their view of how theyre presenting themselves and how menschenwrdig eyes would view it.Focusing the resume for human readersThe process of optimizing for ATS can also make a resume read more clearly for a human recruiter.I always tell people, you need to give recruiters the 3-year-old connect-the-dots version, said Ruth. If its human eyes looking at your resume, theyre going to have between 3- and 6-seconds to decide if you meet their needs.Part of what Im doing is training them on how to approach employers and the job search process from a value proposition point of view, said Ruth, linking themselves to the employers needs rather than bringing a three-page resume listing every single job. Its not about what they did, its about what they can do for the company. I think that using Jobscan is a really good way for them to see how theyre seen by a person looking at the resume.LinkedIn optimizationJobscan isnt just about resumes. Coaches and employment specialists can also use Jobscan to guide their clients to a more effective LinkedIn profile.Most of our students are not really embracing LinkedIn, said Hannah. Im trying to be that advocate and say, You need this tool for the rest of your career. So its gonna pay to start investing in learning how to nurture relationships and how to present yourself now. I think that LinkedIn Optimization is a phenomenal asset of Jobscan, and Im so glad that you have introduced that tool.Jobscan loves coaches. Coaches love JobscanLise Its a visual representation that a lot of people understand. Im very happy with it.Ruth Its so user-friendly that I dont need to walk them through the first part of it at all.Jen I just love it. It continues to get better and better. Theres just so many facets to it.Hannah Overall its helping our staff level-up.Jobscans mission is to provide the best tools for job seekers. If youre a career coach, employment specialist, or university advisor, learn more about how you can empower your clients or students at these pagesPartners Bring Jobscan to Your OrganizationCoach Provide Premium Accounts for Your ClientsIndividual Get a Jobscan Account for YourselfFacebook Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important