Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, 4th Edition

Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, 4th Edition

by James STROMAN, Kevin WILSON, Jennifer WAUSON
Released September 2011
Publisher(s): AMACOM
ISBN: 9780814417614

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Book description

An administrative professional’s job requires a diverse range of abilities. From managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and fielding calls to planning events, deciphering legal documents, and creating PowerPoint presentations, today’s administrative assistants are expected to effortlessly and efficiently juggle it all. Professionals looking to improve their performance—and enhance their value to employers—should turn to the fourth edition of Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook. With 250 pages of new or completely revised material, the handbook provides thorough, practical instruction on: Web conferencing • Creating graphics, charts, and presentations • Microsoft Office 2010 • Business math • Managing e-mail and schedules with Outlook • Organizing computer files • Research skills • Time management • Customer service skills • Troubleshooting computer problems • Event planning • and much more. Administrative jobs are constantly changing, but with the latest edition of this best-selling guide, professionals everywhere can stay ahead of the curve.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Section One General Procedures
    1. 1 Overview for the New Administrative Assistant
      1. Why Are You Needed?
      2. What Do Employers Want?
      3. Interview Tips
      4. Your Apprenticeship
    2. 2 Daily Routine
      1. Your Office
      2. Your Workstation
      3. Office Supplies
      4. Reference Works
      5. Work Planning
      6. Dictation and Transcription
      7. Dictation Equipment
      8. Transcription
      9. Your Employer’s Office
      10. The Intangibles
    3. 3 Telephone Usage
      1. Telephone Manners
      2. Taking and Transferring Calls
      3. Taking Messages
      4. Screening Calls
      5. Protecting Your Employer
      6. Courtesy
      7. Telephone Etiquette Tips
      8. Often-Used Numbers
      9. Telephone Companies
      10. Domestic Long-Distance Calls
      11. Domestic Information
      12. Domestic Area Codes
      13. International Long-Distance Calls
      14. International Country Codes
      15. Voice-Mail Etiquette
      16. Answering Services
    4. 4 Mail Services and Shipping
      1. Beyond a Letter and a Stamp
      2. Addressing for Success
      3. How Your Company Can Receive The Benefits
      4. Postal Automation: Encoding for Business Mailers
      5. Metering
      6. Packaging
      7. U.S. Postal Service Mail Services
      8. Forwarding First-Class and Other Mail
      9. Other Special Mail Services
      10. Information on the Internet
      11. Alternatives to the USPS
      12. Other Shipping Services
    5. 5 Travel Arrangements
      1. Today’s Business Traveler
      2. Getting the Trip Under Way
      3. Hotel Reservations
      4. Transportation Reservations
      5. Using a Web-based Travel Service
      6. Using a Travel Agency
      7. The Itinerary
      8. Before-the-Trip Checklist
      9. International Travel
      10. Languages Spoken in Foreign Countries
      11. Time Zones
      12. International Currencies
    6. 6 Meetings
      1. Anatomy of a Meeting
      2. Types of Corporate Meetings
      3. Scheduling Meetings
      4. Meeting Agendas
      5. Meeting Minutes
      6. Conferences
    7. 7 Time Management
      1. Overview of Time Management
      2. Controlling Procrastination
      3. Maintaining an Activity List
      4. Creating Action Plans
      5. Keeping a To-Do List
      6. Scheduling
    8. 8 Keeping Accurate Records
      1. A Critical Duty
      2. Getting Ready
      3. Basic Filing Systems
      4. File Cabinets
      5. Organizing Your Computer Files
      6. Backing Up Your Files
      7. Viewing Files
      8. Using Recent Items
      9. Using More Than One Computer
  8. Section Two Office Equipment and Computers
    1. 9 Office Equipment
      1. Typewriters
      2. Copy Machines
      3. Calculators
      4. Other Office Equipment
      5. Telephones
      6. Voice Mail and Answering Machines
      7. Special Telephone Services
      8. Cellular Telephones
      9. Smartphones
      10. Fax Machines
      11. Office Computers
      12. Computer Input Devices
      13. Computer Output Devices
      14. Storage Devices
      15. Laptop Computers
      16. Maintaining Your Computer
    2. 10 Using Microsoft Windows
      1. Operating Systems
      2. How Does Microsoft Windows Work?
      3. The Windows Desktop
      4. Starting a Program
      5. Resizing a Window
      6. Minimizing, Maximizing, Restoring, and Closing Windows
      7. Using Scroll Bars
      8. Using Explorer to View Files and Folders
      9. Files and Folders
      10. Windows Help
      11. Menus
      12. Dialog Boxes
      13. Saving Files
      14. Printing Files
      15. Finding a File
      16. Shortcuts
      17. Deleting Files, Folders, and Shortcuts
      18. Control Panel
      19. Keyboard Shortcuts
    3. 11 Using Apple Macintosh
      1. Overview of the Apple Macintosh
      2. Navigating with Mac OS X
      3. Opening and Closing Programs
      4. Working with Files
      5. Creating an Alias
      6. Saving Files
      7. Copy, Cut, Paste
      8. Printing
      9. Mouse and Keyboard Commands
      10. Spotlight Functions
      11. Print to PDF
      12. Keyboard Shortcuts
    4. 12 Email
      1. Email Accounts
      2. Passwords
      3. Email Programs
      4. Managing Email
      5. Sending Attachments
      6. Hyperlinks in Email Messages
      7. Organizing Your Emai
      8. Email Address Book
      9. Signature Files
      10. Returned Mail
      11. Instant Messaging
      12. Email Protocol for Administrative Assistants
      13. General Email Guidelines for Business
    5. 13 Using the Internet
      1. The World Wide Web
      2. Connecting to the Internet
      3. HyperText Markup Language
      4. Web Pages and Websites
      5. Internet Addresses
      6. Using a Web Browser
      7. Bookmarks
      8. Printing a Web Page
      9. Saving a Web Page
      10. Downloading and Uploading Files
      11. Cookies
      12. Search Tools
      13. Conducting a Search
      14. Error Messages
      15. Plug-Ins
      16. Websites of Interest to Administrative Assistants
    6. 14 Computer Networking
      1. Connecting with Other Computers
      2. Modems
      3. Wireless Connections
      4. Networking
    7. 15 Web Conferencing
      1. Overview of Web Conferencing
      2. Web Conferencing Software
      3. Organizing a Web Conference
      4. Planning Your Web Conference
      5. Presenting at a Web Conference
    8. 16 Data Security
      1. Information = Profit
      2. Determining What Is a Crime
      3. Threats from Outside
      4. Threats from Inside
      5. Software Piracy
      6. Apprehending Criminals
      7. Protecting Your Company’s Data
      8. Computer Viruses
      9. Maintaining Your Computer’s Security
      10. Coping with Disaster
    9. 17 Troubleshooting Computer Problems
      1. Microsoft Windows PC Troubleshooting
      2. Windows PC Software Troubleshooting
      3. Apple Macintosh Troubleshooting
    10. 18 Office Ergonomics
      1. Recognizing Signs of Discomfort
      2. Your Desk and Chair
      3. Positioning Your Computer Keyboard and Mouse
      4. Positioning Your Computer Display
      5. Arranging Your Workstation
      6. Sustained Work
      7. Keyboarding Techniques
  9. Section Three Using Microsoft Office
    1. 19 Common Microsoft Office 2010 Features
      1. The Ribbon Bar and Command Tabs
      2. Smart Tags
      3. Screen Tips
      4. Help
      5. Customizing the Ribbon Bar
      6. Quick Access Toolbar
      7. Cut, Copy, Paste
      8. Spelling and Grammar Checking
      9. Using Clip Art
      10. Using Smart Art
      11. Using Word Art
      12. Drawing
      13. Converting Documents
      14. Adobe Acrobat PDF Files
      15. Keyboard Shortcuts
    2. 20 Using Microsoft Word
      1. Creating Documents
      2. Editing Documents
      3. Formatting Documents
      4. Printing Documents
      5. Saving and Loading Documents
      6. Advanced Word Processing Features
      7. Creating an Address List
      8. Creating and Printing Address Label
      9. Printing Envelopes
      10. Printing and E-Mailing Mail-Merge Letters
      11. Working with Templates
      12. Tracking Changes and Revisions in Documents
      13. Adding and Removing Draft Watermarks
    3. 21 Using Microsoft PowerPoint
      1. What Is Multimedia?
      2. Presentation and Authoring Programs
      3. Using Microsoft PowerPoint
      4. Normal View
      5. Notes Page View
      6. Outline View
      7. Slide Sorter View
      8. PowerPoint Templates
      9. Working with Slides in PowerPoint
      10. Using Fonts and Color in Your Presentations
      11. Using the PowerPoint Masters
      12. Inserting Visuals
      13. Planning a Presentation
      14. Making Your Presentation
    4. 22 Using Microsoft Excel
      1. What Is a Spreadsheet?
      2. Navigating Around a Spreadsheet
      3. Spreadsheet Data
      4. Editing Your Spreadsheet
      5. Other Spreadsheet Functions
      6. Creating Charts and Graphs
      7. Creating an Organizational Chart
    5. 23 Using Microsoft Publisher
      1. Overview of Microsoft Publisher
      2. Working with Publisher Tools
      3. Setting Up Columns
      4. Adjusting Line and Character Spacing
      5. Adding Pages
      6. Using Master Pages
      7. Working with Graphics
      8. Setting Up Styles
      9. Using Templates
    6. 24 Using Microsoft OneNote
      1. What Is Microsoft OneNote?
      2. Creating a Notebook
      3. Saving a Notebook
      4. Printing a Page of Notes
    7. 25 Using Microsoft Outlook
      1. Tabs and Ribbon Bars
      2. Navigation Pane
      3. Using Email with Outlook
      4. Using the Calendar with Outlook
      5. Contact and Distribution Lists
      6. Using the Tasks Feature in Outlook
    8. 26 Using Microsoft Web Applications
      1. What Are Microsoft Web Applications?
      2. Creating an Online Document with Microsoft Web Applications
  10. Section Four Business Documents
    1. 27 The Business Letter
      1. Appearance
      2. Paragraphing
      3. Parts of a Business Letter
      4. Beginning the Letter
      5. Contents
      6. Closing the Letter
      7. A Last Look
      8. Letters Written by the Administrative Assistant
      9. Routine Letters
      10. Interoffice Memorandums and Emails
      11. Paper Selection
      12. Envelopes
    2. 28 Other Written Communications
      1. Reports
      2. Documenting Sources of Information
      3. Report Templates
      4. Press Releases
      5. Tables
      6. Editing and Proofreading
    3. 29 Forms of Address
      1. Handy Reference Chart
      2. Some Additional Guidelines
    4. 30 Legal Documents and Terms
      1. Grammalogues
      2. Document Formats
      3. Notary Public Forms
      4. Codicils to a Will
      5. Agreements and Contracts
      6. Proxy
      7. Glossary of Legal and Real Estate Terms
  11. Section Five Language Usage
    1. 31 Grammar
      1. The Parts of Speech
      2. Nouns
      3. Verbs
      4. Adjectives
      5. Adverbs
      6. Pronouns
      7. Prepositions
      8. Conjunctions
      9. Articles, Determiners, and Quantifiers
      10. Interjections
    2. 32 Language Usage and Style
      1. Subject and Verb
      2. Predicates
      3. Objects
      4. Complements
      5. Modifiers
      6. Phrases
      7. Clauses
      8. Sentence Fragments
      9. Sentence Variety
      10. Sentence Types
      11. Compound Sentences
      12. Transitions
      13. Avoiding Redundancies
      14. Phrases and Words to Omit
      15. Clichés
      16. Unbiased Language
    3. 33 Common English Usage Problems
      1. Language: Key to Your Success
      2. Verbose Expressions
      3. Correct Usage
      4. Problem Pronouns
      5. Dangling Participles
    4. 34 Spelling
      1. Dictionary Uses
      2. Plurals
      3. The Suffix
      4. Irregular Spelling
      5. Capitalization
      6. Confusing Homonyms
      7. American English and British English Differences
      8. Compound Words and Hyphenation
      9. Negative Formations
      10. Commonly Misspelled Words
    5. 35 Pronunciation
      1. Perfecting Your Speech
      2. Word List
    6. 36 Punctuation
      1. Purpose of Punctuation
      2. The Period
      3. The Comma
      4. The Question Mark
      5. The Exclamation Point
      6. The Semicolon
      7. The Colon
      8. Quotation Marks
      9. Italics
      10. The Apostrophe
      11. The Dash
      12. Ellipses
      13. Parentheses
      14. Brackets
      15. The Hyphen
      16. The Slash
    7. 37 Numerals
      1. Words or Figures?
      2. Dollars and Cents
      3. Time
      4. Dates
      5. The Hyphen
      6. Ages
      7. Dimensions
      8. Weights and Measures
      9. Percentages
      10. Numbers
      11. Roman Numerals
  12. Section Six Financial Activities
    1. 38 Bookkeeping and Accounting
      1. Financial Record Keeping
      2. Assets
      3. Liabilities
      4. Effect of Business Transactions
      5. Accounting Statements
      6. The Account
      7. Payroll
      8. Travel and Entertainment and Auto-Expense Records
      9. Cash Budgets
      10. Records for Lenders
    2. 39 Business Taxes
      1. The Secretary’s Role
      2. Federal Business Income Taxes
      3. State Business Income Taxes
      4. Franchise Tax
      5. Sales Tax
      6. Employment Withholding Taxes
      7. Self-Employment Tax
      8. Employee or Independent Contractor?
      9. Property and Net Worth Taxes
      10. Business Licenses
      11. Tax Assistance
    3. 40 Banking
      1. The Company’s Bank
      2. Checking Accounts
      3. Savings Accounts
      4. Trust Services
      5. Other Banking Services
      6. Checks
      7. Deposits and Withdrawals
      8. Special Situations
      9. Reconciling Bank Statements
    4. 41 Business and Financial Information for Small Businesses
      1. Frequently Asked Questions
      2. Trading with Other Countries
      3. Sources of Financing
      4. The Small Business Administration
      5. Selling to the Federal Government
    5. 42 Weights and Measures
      1. U.S. Weights and Measures
      2. The International System (Metric)
      3. Conversion Table
    6. 43 Business Math
      1. Using a Calculator
      2. Using a Spreadsheet
      3. Fractions, Decimals, and Percentages
      4. Graphs and Charts
      5. Business Calculations
  13. Section Seven Career Advancement
    1. 44 Your Future
      1. Growing as the Company Grows
      2. Learn About the Business
      3. Upgrade Your Skills
      4. Recognizing a Time for Change
      5. Finding a New Job
      6. Your Résumé
      7. The Interview
    2. 45 Presentation Skills
      1. Why Make Presentations?
      2. Good Preparation
      3. Solid Delivery
      4. Group Presentations
    3. 46 Communications Skills
      1. Giving Feedback
      2. Listening Well
      3. Nonverbal Communications
      4. Customer Service
      5. Interviews
    4. 47 Office Management and Supervision
      1. Organizational Structure
      2. The Role of the Office Manager
      3. Building Trust with Your Team
      4. Ethics in Business
      5. Conflict Management
      6. Workplace Law
  14. Index
  15. About the Authors

Product information

  • Title: Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, 4th Edition
  • Author(s): James STROMAN, Kevin WILSON, Jennifer WAUSON
  • Release date: September 2011
  • Publisher(s): AMACOM
  • ISBN: 9780814417614