The New Executive Assistant: Advice for Succeeding in Your Career [Paperback]

Melba Duncan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1997

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

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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.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070182418
• ISBN-13: 978-0070182417
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Boating

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read, July 19, 2000

By 

Rebekah M. Wolf - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Executive Assistant: Advice for Succeeding in Your Career (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Duncan's book. I found it an easy read, packed with lots of excellent information.

As with the other reviewer I was extremely disappointed in the skills test in the back of the book. Missing questions, answers to questions that weren't printed.

I wonder if Ms. Duncan has read her own book? Did she review the skills test information in the back before it was published? If the fault lies with the publisher, I hope she got her money back. I also hope she'll do a re-print with the skill test corrected because I found it very helpful in identifying weak areas in my own skill set.

I've been an Executive Secretary/Assistant for the past ten years. Often a good assistant is taken for granted. I appreciated Ms. Duncan's affirmation that my job is more than a job, it's a career and that not just anyone can be a good assistant.

If you can get past all the problems with the skill test in the back of the book, I think you'll find the content extremely interesting, insightful, and motivating.

55 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Talk About Ironic!, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The New Executive Assistant: Advice for Succeeding in Your Career (Paperback)

I just finished reading this book about the "new executive assistant". Of course it emphasizes attention to detail, checking your work, accuracy, etc. Upon completing the extensive skills test in the back of book, I was horrified to find the following blatant errors: 1. In the vocabulary section, the questions skip from #56 to #61, yet in the answer section, these questions do appear. 2. The proofreading section fails to point out periods that are missing at the end of two sentences. Here's the kicker: 3. When I went to check my answers for the spelling section, I discovered that there were only two answers out of 110 questions. To top, there were answers for #110 - 122, which didn't exist in the first place.

OK, can anyone find a proofreader at McGraw Hill to catch these types of errors? How can anyone take this book seriously? The other person who reviewed this book obviously did not read the whole thing. What a disappointment! I do recommend another book that I read. It's called The Valuable Office Professional by Michelle Burke. She is right on the money. There are some more in-depth self-evaluation tests, which go much further than vocabulary and grammar skills. I also got some information about her consulting service, which I am trying to convince management our company needs. That's my summary of this book. Good luck with your administrative careers no matter who you are or where you live!

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Duncan has written a mentoring masterpiece!, February 5, 1999

By 

Antoinette Cirone ([e-mail]) (Roy, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Executive Assistant: Advice for Succeeding in Your Career (Paperback)

"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)!