From Wax Sculptures To Botox Parties

From Wax Sculptures To Botox Parties - Administrative Professionals Go Beyond The Call Of Duty To Get The Job Done

Versatility is the key to success as an administrative professional, according to research undertaken by Hudson. The research was undertaken as part of the Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand (AAPNZ) Day, which falls today.

Some of the more unusual requests received by respondents included 'To get a wax sculpture bronzed' or 'To arrange a Botox party for my boss and her friends'. (More unusual requests can be found at the end of this release).

Almost half (49%) of those surveyed saw being an administrative professional as a long-term career path. When asked what their most valuable skill to their employer was, 46% ranked organisational skills as the most appreciated. Almost a quarter (24%) believed relationship-building i.e. meeting and greeting, as well as phone manner was the most important skill, followed by administrative and typing skills (15%).

Of the professional administrators surveyed, 44% had undertaken formal training for their career. Hudson is experiencing increasing levels of demand for candidates that have a breadth of skills and are trained and experienced in using IT packages, such as Word, Xcel and PowerPoint.

"Administrative professionals are often the unsung heroes in the work place," said Marc Burrage, Office Support/Customer Service National Manager at Hudson. "Sometimes their hard work is taken for granted because it happens behind the scenes. Administrative Professionals Day is a chance to celebrate and thank all of those involved for their contribution to the success of businesses all over New Zealand."

Hudson has successfully placed more than 12,000 administrative professionals during the past year and is a sponsor of the Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand (AAPNZ) breakfasts in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Administrative Professionals' Day was originally established as 'National Secretaries Week'. It was established in a bid to recognise secretaries for their contribution to the workplace and to attract individuals to administrative-based careers. In 2000, the Association of Administrative Professionals changed the name to Administrative Professionals' Day to reflect changing job titles and the expanding responsibilities of today's administrative workforce.

Below are some of the requests asked of the administrative professionals who took part in the Hudson survey:

"Find a welder to fix the rhino's nose"

"Find a costume for a cross-dressing ballerina"

"To figure out how to transport a 4X4 tyre from NZ to India"

"Where is the closest swimming pool? - a phone call at 10pm at night"

"Model a costume for a clients' advertising campaign"

"To buy chocolates for Elizabeth Hurley"

"To follow a competitor and report why he was in town"

"To deliver a live goldfish in a cardboard box"

"Being asked to hold a dinosaur bone"

"To track down gluten-free muffins"

"To cheerlead the company team"

"Be in a photo shoot for a bus advertisement"

"Picking rugby players for training"

"To wake my boss from a 10 minute power nap"

"Lock out an aggressive client"

"To courier dogs and cats ashes out"

"Rescue a girl from a locked room by using a ladder"

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