Hello Susan

Most companies request a month's notice.  If you have not had a contract from your current employer, I think it's reasonable to assume a month's notice is required.  If you have holiday entitlement that you have not yet taken, you may be able to tack this on the end, but this is something you can negotiate as and when the time comes to hand in your notice.  It's always wise not to upset a former employer too much.  If nothing else, you might need a reference from them in future.

By all means go see this other company.  If they are an honourable company, they will understand that you have to give a month's notice, and if they really want to hire you they will wait for you to work out your month's notice.

Good luck, and hope this helps.

Akara

I have been asked to find out 'the best' (i.e. five star rating) hotel in London, for some very important visitors.

This is new for me, as our small company normally does things on a budget (I suspect we're not paying for this one)!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the best hotel in London is?

Akara

Does anyone know a company in the London area that repairs office chairs?

The seat adjust mechanism on one of ours has broken.  It was bought before my time, so it won't be under guarantee and no one can shed any light on where we bought it from.

Can anyone help?

Akara

As i have mentioned before, I work for a very small company.  Most of the time it's just my boss and me in the office.  He's not very organised and has a very bad memory, and as far as he's concerned all admin matters in the office are my responsibility.  That's fine - I'm not disputing that.

The office works on files - every issue has a clear plastic folder with all the papers relevant to it inside.  I try and label them so we can find them.  Every day his desk has at least two piles of stuff he has to sort out, a pile of 'pending' things he's waiting for phone calls on and several other piles which appear to be things he has to deal with eventually but aren't urgent.  There is also a bring forward system - if he's deferring something a week or so it goes in here, and every day I bring him the files in the relevant day's pocket.

THe problem is, my memory isn't much better.  When he asks me for a file, he hasn't got a clue where it is and expects me to find it for him.  I then waste at least half an hour looking for it - if it's not in the bring forward file then I have to start searching through the piles on his desk, where it usually turns up, but not always.  I feel I waste a lot of the day doing this, and there must be a better system.

The fact that my boss is a busy man with a bad memory is not under dispute.  The fact that I have a bad memory also is, unfortunately, also inescapable.  My boss does not adapt to change easily, but I really want to implement something that will help me find files faster - thus making me more efficient and causing him to get less stressed (because I will be able to find things more quickly).

Any ideas?

Akara

The printer is now fixed, at least.  It's one of those ones that also copies and scans, but had stopped copying and scanning.  Since we are such a small office without a proper copier or scanner, we rely on the printer!  I am also the entire IT department as well as the entire admin department, so there's no one else to fix these things.

I eventually took the printer apart and discovered a loose connection, and was able to fix the scanning/copying function by securing it.  And reinstalling the software...anyway, now it's fixed.

No help on any of the other problems, alas.

Only Monday morning, and already it has the hallmark of a REALLY BAD week.

Already I've dealt with 2 people this week who told me something last week and are now steadfastly denying all knowledge.

The printer still refuses to work, and I have no idea what's wrong with it.

On top of that, I have to tell bossie - who apparently has food poisoning today - that we have lost a very important customer.

What else can go wrong today??

akara

I totally agree with you, peana.  It's the sequence of events that are leading to war that I am opposed to - and I find Bush a very disturbing man.  However, what also disturbs me is the fact that our UK leader is joining him.  The UK and US are going to war with Iraq - no question.  And I think the repercussions for that will be far-reaching.

More immediately, I'm worried about the fact that half the British Army appear to have stationed itself around Heathrow airport, particularly since I'm getting on a plane to Thailand from Heathrow on Saturday.  The government tell us they are acting on a real and serious threat 'on the scale of 9/11'.  Just exactly what is this threat?  Shouldn't we be told?  Or is it so serious they fear mass panic if they tell us?

Should I really be thinking about getting all my affairs in order before I leave for my holiday - just in case I get blown out of the sky??

Akara

OK,  similar problems have been posted before here.

It's the dreaded filing again.  Yes, I hate filing.  Consequently it tends to build up.  And I know the answer is to set aside a time to do it, every week.  But here is the problem:

I work in a very small office.  Most of the time it's just me and the boss.  Bossie is very disorganised and has a very bad memory, relying on a bring forward system to remember things.  Fine - it works for him.  But my memory is not much better.  When he gives me something to file, it goes in my 'filing' tray.  He doesn't concern himself with the filing - as far as he's concerned it's my responsibility (I don't have a problem with this - he's probably right.  But it would help if my memory was better).

Then two weeks later he'll ask me for a piece of paper with someone's address/phone number/etc on that he insists he gave me.  I have no recollection at all.  After much frantic searching, said document invariably turns up in my filling tray, waiting to be put away, and I have no memory of putting it there.

At the moment things are very busy at the office - we have a trade show coming up, and I'm away next week so I'm trying to get through everything.  I am already working through several lunch hours to get the important stuff done, and  I have no desire to stay in the office till 8 o'clock to catch up on the filing.  I have a life outside of work.

Filing gets left because it's not 'urgent' - bossie wanting a,b and c yesterday is urgent, then the stuff that's left over from last week.  Since that cycle appears to be unending, the filing simply doesn't get done.

The company can't afford to take on another admin at this stage, so I have to cope.  Any suggestions?

Akara

jadegrniiz:

Ultimately no one can answer this question but you.  The fact that you are thinking about moving on suggests that you're not happy.  We all have bad weeks at work.  In the long run, though, maybe that unhappiness will never go away completely unless something at work changes.  Or you leave.

On the other hand, I have known people who have left a job because they are unhappy, only to discover that they are even more unhappy in the new job, and have eventually gone back to their old job.  Such people realise that although there are negatives about the job, there are also things that they really enjoy.  These could be things as simple as having friends at work that help make your day more enjoyable - to move into a new job where you don't know anyone might be difficult for someone who likes socialising with work mates.

You have to decide what's important to you.  That might help you decide whether or not it's time to move on.

Akara

Don't know how things work in the US, but over here in the UK, companies are normally happier about interviewing people who are already employed.  The general attitude is the 'best' people are employable.  If a company interviews someone who's not got a job, they start to wonder why this person hasn't got a job - perhaps they're a problem employee.  And most companies understand the need to be discreet when phoning a potential candidate at work, and will ask if it's OK to speak.  So, don't worry about putting your work number down.

I an assuming you don't have a cell phone?  Most people in the UK do, and often give that number out if they don't want to use the work one - it also means you can be contacted any time, no matter where you are.  It's useful when you're arranging interviews.

THey will ask you why you want to leave your current position, but it sounds like you've got valid reasons, so that's OK.

Getting a hotmail address or yahoo address is a good idea, too - you can access these email addresses from any computer, so if you have friends and relatives who will let you borrow their PC, you can check your emails regularly, without having to do it at work.

Akara

I have always had a problem lying - I am so bad at it, I just don't bother.  When I go for interviews I have to take holiday - then I don't have to think of a reason.

It does make me somewhat gulilble!  I tend to believe what people tell me, because it doesn't occur to me they might not be telling the truth.

When I was young I used to get into trouble for being tactless - but when people asked me a question, they used to get the honest answer!!

Of course, with age comes wisdom, and the lesson that if people don't want to hear the truth, sometimes it's best not to say anything at all.

But it irritates me.  I really don't understand why people feel the need to lie.  Why not be honest with each other?  It makes life much easier.

Akara

I keep finding myself working for people (mainly older men!) who are used to using 'Dear Sir' which I refuse to type, as I consider it sexist!  So I automatically put 'Dear Sir/Madam' instead when someone asks me to put 'Dear Sir'.

But with email being more informal, perhaps 'Dear all' is better and less gender-specific.

Akara

'Dear Sir/Madam' should be acceptable for an email letter, as it is for a regular letter.

'Ladies and Gentlemen' is more common in America than the UK.

Akara

execsec,

As I understand it, Executive Assistant is the US equivalent of a PA (Personal Assistant).  PAs are expected to do much more than just the typing - because PAs tend to work for very busy directors, we are normally expected to organise the boss's life for them.

But as has been pointed out already in this post, since PA is a fairly modern term, many 'older' bosses really don't uderstand the difference.

Akara

I think too much emphasis can be placed on titles.  My boss refers to me as his secretary, too; I am not only his PA, but Office Manager, IT Manager, Customer Services Manager and numerous other roles.  I know what I do, and I know he couldn't run the office without me!

As long as your boss understands the value of the work you do and gives you the remuneration you deserve, what does it matter what he calls you?  Old fashioned (male) Bossies do not understand the difference between a secretary and a PA and are are usually too set in their ways to change.  I've worked for plenty of them in my time.  Try not to let it get to you; be content in the personal knowledge that your role is a valuable one.

Akara