Product Description

Today's executive assistant has become a crucial member of every organization's support staff--a key business ally with diverse responsibilities, from overseeing employees to making strategic decisions. Here is the first step-by-step guide specifically designed to help you thrive in this fast-paced profession. Developed by nationally-known business consultatnt and author Melba Duncan, this leading-edge resource provides all the up-to-date information you need to manage information technologes, deal effectively with abrupt organizational changes and office politics, handle stress, resolve conflicts, motivate workers and forge a team mentality, master public relations and the media, capitalize on opportunities emerging from corporate restructuring, and more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #258388 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From the Back Cover
It's no longer just making coffee and scheduling appointments. The New Executive Assistant contributes to strategic decision making, alerts top management to competitors' efforts, and helps implement new technology. Tapping into her unique experience as both a former top executive assistant and as the current head of a search and consulting firm specializing in this market, Melba Duncan shows the 19 million people who currently hold administrative support positions how to find and succeed in a lucrative job at the top as a valued executive assistant. This proactive guide shares the proven tactics jobseekers need to develop and market the key skills today's employers are looking for. The author includes expert advice on writing resumes and cover letters that get good jobs, managing the interview process, networking for success, and much more.

Customer Reviews

Ms. Duncan has written a mentoring masterpiece!
"The New Executive Assistant" is a must-read for aspiring or seasoned executive assistants, their bosses, and everyone in between.

Ms. Duncan doesn't just advise you to develop a proactive rather than a reactive approach to your administrative career, she guides you to discovering both what you want out of life and what your career can provide. She covers all the important bases for surviving in today's fast-paced world: learning to adapt to change (technical and cultural); mastering the fundamentals of communicating what you really mean; tapping into your management and leadership potential; handling both yourself and others in conflict situations; promoting yourself, your boss, and your company; and regaining your spiritual "center". Most importantly, however, Ms. Duncan asks wether or not you are cut out to be an executive assistant. Life is too short to just have a job; whatever it may be, find a career that works for you, challenges you, and fits your personality.

Packed with objective insights, advice, and enjoyable witticisms, "The New Executive Assistant" delivers. I found in this one book what countless seminars and 50-minute training series have not been able to provide; I found truely usable, relevant insights and information. Ms. Duncan has created a mentoring master piece for executive assistants (and anyone who wants to understand them)!

Very disappointing
Melba Duncan offers some sound advice and a few good tips but what a shame the book is so shabbily finished off. The self-test section at the end of the book gives questions and answers on English grammar and usage, vocabulary, spelling and proof-reading skills. Many of the questions are omitted altogether (this became evident when I came to check the answers) and instead of indicating the correct answers, a large chunk of the answer pages contain only a copy of the questions.

I work for a published author myself so I know how much effort is involved in the checking and correcting processes. Obviously Ms. Duncan, despite writing at length about the importance of excellent proof-reading skills, does not practice what she preaches. She is not “detail-orientated”, nor has she “gone the extra mile”. Or perhaps she needs a new executive assistant herself?

In consequence, the book loses a great deal of its credibility and leaves the reader – this one anyway – feeling rather like a victim of fraud.

I would like to think that Ms. Duncan would at least “assume complete responsibility”. But, considering the book was written some ten years ago and this incorrect version is still being sold in 2006, I don't hold out much hope.