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Help with a new job!!

  • 16-08-2010 11:50PM
    #1
    Alex_xXx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭


    Hey guys,

    I'm looking for some advice. I am 20 years old and I have recently moved to New York for a year to do an internship. My role in the office is basically P.A. to the CEO (something I was not fully aware of an application). A lot of the work directed to me from the CEO is dictations, IE he dictates letters, emails etc to me, I write them down and type them up. This sounds pretty simple but I am finding it very difficult and often I end up getting stuff wrong, which I think is starting to irritate my boss. I know the obvious answer is a dictaphone but I don't think that would be possible in our office.

    I would really appreciate any tips any of you may have on how I may improve my dictations.


Comments

  • #2
    finisklin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,524 ✭✭✭finisklin


    Get one of those digital, electronic dictaphone's, one that is fairly compact. Become an expert in its use.....I appreciate this will take time so take it home with you and familiarise yourself with it.

    Alternatively, take copious notes or have a netbook that you can type as he talks to use later. Work on your shorthand as this may help also.

    Is there anyone in the office that can assist or point you in the right direction? As this is a new experience for you so both culturally and career wise, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for help to becoming more effective.

    Not sure if this helps but best of luck with it.......


  • #3
    TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan
    Company Representative Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭TheCostumeShop.ie: Ronan


    A dictafone with dragon speech recognition software seems the obvious solution, not sure why it wouldn't be possible.

    Second option is to become a master at shorthand, CEO's tend to work at a very fast pace and the best assistants i've come across are masters as shorthand. Don't be shy about taking a course maybe even let your boss know and he could be impressed at your initative.


  • #4
    Alex_xXx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2 ✭Alex_xXx


    Thank you for your suggestions.

    The problem with a dictaphone is as I am in an open plan office it make distract my colleagues.

    I am planning on confronting my boss about it and I have spoken to my co-workers who assure me it will get easier....I hope there right!!


  • #5
    PaulPinnacle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 447 ✭✭PaulPinnacle


    Alex_xXx wrote: »
    The problem with a dictaphone is as I am in an open plan office it make distract my colleagues.
    If you're using speech recognition software (as suggested by Ronan) the playback will be minimised and only required for the tidy up of the (increasingly less common, but always possible) mistakes. Using some headphones for playback would seem to remove the 'distraction' issue too, so again, can't see it being a large issue.

    Unless you mean that the background noise would be too much for it to work effectively? Or something that we're missing.

    It really comes down to what the fundamental issue is causing the problem.

    If it's simply the speed at which the CEO is dictating, your options become improving your shorthand (vital in a role such as that), finding a dictaphone solution that works for you or requesting the CEO to slow down (I'd certainly not suggest going with that one), or a mixture of those.

    If it's more a matter of content (e.g. due to you not understanding/being familiar with the technical content of the dictations), you just need to hit the steep learning curve head on and improve your knowledge as fast as you can.

    Your boss has to have realistic expectations. If you show you're keen to develop your skills and improve your performance, he will probably be keen to help. If you show you're using your initiative and make him aware of any steps taken to resolve the issues, he might even support those efforts or offer advice of his own specific to your situation.


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