Category Archives: Tips

Tips for Success

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I’ve had a lot of jobs. So I don’t know if that makes me qualified, or if after a lot of hit and misses I can just tell you what not to do, but overall, I’d say I’m a good administrator. I’m glad to no longer have ‘Receptionist’ as my work title, but I know how it’s done. That’s for sure.

Here are my top ten tips to keeping your job as a Receptionist:

  1. Be on time. The occaisional late day is acceptable and happens to everyone, but everyday? The traffic won’t change, you have to change to suit the traffic.
  2. Listen. If you don’t understand an instruction, or you didn’t hear it correctly. Ask again. Repeat that phone no. back. You might feel stupid at the time, but you won’t feel as stupid in the long run.
  3. Take your lunch break out of the office. Don’t sit at your desk. This basically goes for all roles but especially for receptionists. It looks unprofessional to eat at your desk and when a client arrives in Reception, you can’t swallow and tell him/her ‘Sorry I’m just on my break, let me find someone to help you’.
  4. Keep a working to-do list and calender. If the system you have doesn’t work, change it.
  5. Prioritise. Complete one job at a time and unless you are the BEST multitasker ever.
  6. Know your staff and your clients. You should know which staff accept telemarketing phone calls and which can’t stand it. You should know what clients to put straight through and which to grill for more information.
  7. Don’t take lots of sick days. Receptionists are normally young and people assume the worst. Better to be sent home than to be at home and have them in the office assuming. I’d say a working goal is no more than half the amount you are allocated per year.
  8. Limit your personal chatter, internet use and phone time. Companies only have a certain amount of tolerance, if any, for these things. Learn your company quick, don’t always follow other employee’s examples.
  9. Proof. Nothing worse than a typo in a phone message or on a contract. Double check who you send that email to. Things can always get awkward.
  10. Breathe.Some people just don’t understand how important Receptionists are. You run that office.

    An ideal desk from www.affordableoffice.com.au

 

Worth the effort

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Despite normally being a ridiculously busy person, while I’m on uni holidays, there isn’t a whole lot for me to do at work. So I fill my time with lots of different websites, blogs and online communities. It’s a bit crazy how many different username and passwords I have to remember. The mind does indeed boggle. Here’s a handful of my favourites at the moment.

Shelfari is really great if you’re really into books.

Best thing about Shelfari is being able to organise all of my reading from years past to current readings.

Toni Snell’s Blog is a fairly new discovery.

I like it because she photographs weddings so beautifully, and has done a fair few people that I know

Chictopia is a website for people who are really into fashion, those willing to share their insight, or those willing to gain insight.

The worst thing about Chictopia is feeling the need to upload photos of yourself in very fashionable clothing and sometimes feeling a little, well, unfashionable.

I discovered youversion.com because Sarah Starrenburg showed me how great it was for online journalling.

Greatest features on the website would probably be the ability to make journal notes or contributions private or public, and being able to choose which version of the bible you’d like

This is a favourite because despite the exchange rate, I still find shopping for books and dvd’s online a lot easier

The worst thing about amazon.com is forgetting to think about postage costs and paying more than you thought

I enjoy lauraandfriends because it is regularly updated, varied, funny and helps to keep me up to date with the inner workings of Laura

The thing that would make it a better website would be more frequent posts.

Great website

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Hi ladies!

Men.. feel free to read.. but I don’t know how interesting this site will be to you.

I’ve recently joined chictopia. It’s great. It’s essentially like flickr but for clothes and fashion. People join, upload pictures of themselves (or just inspirational pictures of models/fashion icons) in their day to day outfits.. and then people comment and you get to have a browse around at what different people are doing with different items of clothes.

I am yet to upload anything.. but I’m really enjoying looking around at what is ‘fashionable’ and I’m getting lots of wardrobe ideas. Yes.. it’s another online community to join.. but for those really interested in fashion. This is a good one!

Office Etiquette – A thorough guide

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After nearly 3 years in an office admin position (Yes — I’m suprised I’m still here too) I’ve learnt a few things about how an office does and doesn’t run smoothly. The one key to avoiding stressful deadlines, cat fights and overal office mayhem is and maybe always will be, office staff.
I’ve developed a few key principles that if adhered to — could solve almost all workplace tension.
Obey and enjoy.
Principle No. 1 ~ An awareness of office smells
This principle pertains to any smells that arise in the office.
  • The food that is consumed by staff members on site. Garlic, tuna etc should be avoided at all costs. While you may enjoy your tuna sandwhich, 90% of the staff HATE the smell of tuna and you will remove yourself from their ‘good books’ for the rest of the afternoon while your lunch stinks out the lunchroom and perhaps the rest of the office.
  • Ladies, even though your killer stiletto’s are giving you blisters — you might be unaware of the peutrid odour which your workmates can now smell after you have kicked off your shoes under your desk!

Principle No. 2 ~ An awareness of stationery supplies and people’s attachments to said stationery.
Something to note…. For some unknown reason people are very fascinated and attached to some, if not all, stationery items. While you may not give two hoots about pens, or bulldog clips, or staple removers or post it notes — others do.

  • Keep an eye on your own stationery requirements — it’s not the receptionist’s fault if she hasn’t come and given your stationery a personal audit every couple of days. If you are about to run out of pens — do something about it. And don’t be upset when the stationery company has something on backorder. You should have handled this a while ago to avoid being without staples.
  • In regards to borrowing/stealing others stationery. Depending on your relationship with the colleague the general rule is to NEVER BORROW STATIONERY. Unless you are adament about returning your borrowed items — most people find it frustrating to have post its stolen without their knowledge and people are still frustrated if you asked to borrow a pen, but still never returned it.

Principle No. 3 ~ An awareness of people’s feelings

We all know that feeling when you walk into a room and you can tell that the conversation topic has just been altered because of your presence and it’s not a nice feeling.

  • If you must gossip about other people in the office — always always do it outside of the office, on a lunch break (not in the tea room). NEVER on email.
  • There is no reason to treat people “below you” as if they are below you.
  • Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Being sensitive to political, religious etc discussions as your “views” could be quite offensive.
  • Being aware and considerate of staff members dietry or similar conditions when you offer chocolate/lollies around
  • “Fundraising” Lollies and chocolate etc — please do not peer pressure us into buying them.

Shouldn’t be too hard to follow right?


P.S Keep desk mess to a minimum… you will send your neat freak colleagues crazy just by looking at what you call ‘an ideal working condition’.