The Rules of Successful Administrative Professionalism

Over the past few years, I have had what some might call a "shaky" employment history. From being fired to being sexually harassed, I have left several jobs for a variety of reasons. Before I sound like I'm complaining, let me say that every one of these positions has been great in that they each gave me something different as far as life experience. Here are some basic secrets on surviving as an administrative professional.

The first secret is to learn to "suck up." Narcissus left a small part of himself in each of us. You inflate your boss's inner superego, and who knows? They might just inflate your salary. Either way, your life is easier if the boss barking orders at you thinks you have something in common with him or her, that being a common appreciation for their hard work and effort.

The second secret I'll share is to find a friend in a supportive coworker. There are going to be times when you get tired of metaphorically kissing executive posterior, and you're going to want to share your pain with other people in a station similar to yours. This rule saved my sanity once when a boss had me in the ladies' room screaming and literally pulling my hair out. A fellow administrative assistant came in after me and said, "You look like you need something chocolate, wrapped in bacon. You want to talk about it?"

This leads me to my next secret: When you're stressed, nothing helps more than to eat something high in fat and/or sugar. I do not have a sweet tooth by any stretch of the imagination. I don't crave or necessarily like chocolate, but put me in a stressful situation and I'll go through a whole bag of Dove Promises chocolate truffles within the next five minutes. Ask my boss.