Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

General Procedures -- Overview for the New Administrative Assistant -- Why Are You Needed? -- What Do Employers Want? -- Interview Tips -- Your Apprenticeship -- Daily Routine -- Your Office -- Your Workstation -- Office Supplies -- Reference Works -- Work Planning -- Dictation -- Transcription -- Dictation Machines -- Your Employer's Office -- The Intangibles -- Telephone Usage -- Telephone Manners -- Taking and Transferring Calls -- Taking Messages -- Screening Calls -- Protecting Your Employer -- Courtesy -- Telephone Etiquette Tips -- Often-Used Numbers -- Telephone Companies -- Domestic Long Distance Calls -- Domestic Information -- Domestic Area Codes -- International Long Distance Calls -- International Country Codes -- Special Calls -- Voice Mail Etiquette -- Answering Services -- Mail Services and Shipping -- Beyond a Letter and a Stamp -- Addressing for Success -- How Your Company Can Receive the Benefits -- Postal Automation: Encoding for Business Mailers -- Metering -- Packaging -- Important U.S. Postal Service Mail Services -- Forwarding First Class, and Other Mail -- Other Special Mail Services -- Information on the Internet -- International Mail -- Alternatives to the USPS -- United Parcel Service -- FedEx -- Airborne Express -- Other Shipping Services -- Travel Arrangements -- Today's Business Traveler -- Getting the Trip Underway -- Doing It Yourself -- Transportation Reservations -- Using a Web-Based Travel Service -- Using a Travel Agency -- The Itinerary -- Before-the-Trip Checklist -- International Travel -- Languages Spoken in Foreign Countries -- Time Zones -- International Currencies -- Meetings -- Anatomy of a Meeting -- Scheduling Meetings -- Scheduling Meetings Using Microsoft Outlook's Calendar -- Scheduling Meetings Using IBM Lotus Notes -- Meeting Agendas -- Meeting Minutes -- Conferences -- Keeping Accurate Records -- A Critical Duty -- Getting Ready -- Basic Filing Systems -- File Cabinets -- Office Equipment and Computers -- Office Machines -- Typewriters -- Copy Machines -- Calculators -- Other Office Equipment -- Telecommunications Equipment -- Telephones -- Voice Mail and Answering Machines -- Special Telephone Services -- Long Distance Services -- Cellular Telephones -- Personal Data Assistants -- Pagers -- Facsimile Machines -- Computer Hardware -- Office Computers -- Hardware -- Memory -- Input Devices -- Output Devices -- The Monitor -- Storage Devices -- The Hard Drive -- Laptop Computers -- Hand-Held Computers -- Maintaining Your Computer -- Computer Software -- The BIOS -- Operating Systems -- How Does Microsoft Windows Work? -- The Windows Desktop -- Starting a Program -- Resizing a Window -- Minimizing, Maximizing, Restoring, and Closing Windows -- Using Scroll Bars -- Using Explorer to View Files and Folders -- Files and Folders -- Windows Help -- Menus -- Dialog Boxes -- Saving Files -- Printing Files -- Finding a File -- Shortcuts -- Deleting Files, Folders, and Shortcuts -- The My Computer Icon -- Formatting Diskettes -- Control Panel -- Applications Software -- Database Management -- Creating and Using a Database -- Fields, Records, and Files -- Sorting and Searching -- Types of Databases -- Applications -- Computer Networking -- Connecting with Other Computers -- Modems -- Communications Software -- Networking -- The Physical Setup -- E-Mail -- E-Mail Accounts -- Passwords -- E-Mail Programs -- Microsoft Outlook Express -- Microsoft Outlook -- IBM Lotus Notes -- Managing E-Mail -- Sending Attachments -- Hyperlinks in E-Mail Messages -- Organizing Your E-Mail -- E-Mail Address Book -- Newsgroups -- Mailing Lists -- Signature Files -- Returned Mail -- NetMeeting -- E-Mail Protocol for Administrative Assistants -- Addressing Your E-Mail -- Using the Internet -- World Wide Web -- Connecting to the Internet -- Browsers and HTML -- Web Pages and Web Sites -- Internet Addresses (URLs) -- Using a Web Browser -- Bookmarks -- Printing a Web Page -- Saving a Web Page -- Downloading and Uploading Files -- Cookies -- Search Tools -- Conducting a Search -- Effective Search Strategies -- Boolean Searches -- Searching Within a Site -- Error Messages -- Plug-Ins -- Web Sites of Interest to Administrative Assistants -- Spreadsheet Software -- What Is a Spreadsheet? -- Navigating Around a Spreadsheet -- Spreadsheet Data -- Editing Spreadsheets -- Other Spreadsheet Functions -- Data Security -- Information = Profit -- Determining What Is a Crime -- Threats from Outside -- Threats from Inside -- Software Piracy -- Apprehending Criminals -- Protecting Your Company's Data -- Computer Viruses -- Coping with Disaster -- Keyboarding Skills -- Keyboards -- Using Typewriters -- Word Processing -- Creating Documents -- Editing Documents -- Formatting Documents -- Printing Documents -- Saving and Loading Documents -- Advanced Word Processing Features -- Popular Word Processing Software -- Desktop Publishing -- What Is Desktop Publishing? -- Desktop Publishing Software -- Types of Desktop Publishing Documents -- The Desktop Document -- Desktop Publishing Software Tools -- Typography -- Page Layout -- Graphics Formats -- What Is PostScript? -- Scanners -- Digital Photography -- Multimedia and Presentation Software -- What Is Multimedia? -- Multimedia System Requirements -- Presentation and Authoring Programs -- Using Microsoft PowerPoint -- Using Views -- Getting Help in PowerPoint -- Moving Through Slides in Slide View -- Using Zoom -- Working with Multiple Presentations -- The AutoContent Wizard -- Working with Outline View -- Adding a New Slide -- Moving Text -- Adding Text to a Slide -- Demoting and Promoting Lines -- Rearranging Slides -- Deleting Slides -- Using Transitions -- Using Build Effects -- Saving a Presentation -- Switching to Slide View -- Notes Page View -- Running the Slide Show -- Using Fonts in Your Presentations -- Changing Fonts -- Changing the Font Size and Color -- Changing Alignments -- Shading the Background -- Changing the Color Scheme -- Using the Slide Master -- Notes Master -- Handout Master -- PowerPoint Templates -- Changing a Template -- Inserting Visuals -- Moving and Sizing Clip Art -- Inserting Charts -- Organization Charts -- Creating Artwork -- Drawing with AutoShapes -- Using Videos -- Using Sound Media -- Planning a Presentation -- Presenting Your Presentation -- Office Ergonomics -- Office Ergonomics -- Your Desk and Chair -- Positioning Your Computer Keyboard and Mouse -- Positioning Your Computer Display -- Arranging Your Workstation -- Sustained Work -- Keyboarding -- Glossary of Computer Terms -- Business Documents -- The Business Letter -- Appearance -- Paragraphing -- Beginning the Letter -- Closing the Letter -- A Last Look -- Letters Written by the Administrative Assistant -- Routine Letters -- Interoffice Memorandums and E-Mails -- Paper Selection -- Envelopes -- Labels -- Other Written Communications -- Reports -- Documenting Sources -- Report Templates -- Press Releases -- Editing and Proofreading -- Forms of Address -- Some Additional Guidelines -- Legal Documents and Terms -- Grammalogues -- Document Formats -- Case Titles -- Notary Public Forms -- Codicils to a Will -- Agreements and Contracts -- Proxy -- Legal Glossary, Including Real Estate Terms -- Language Usage -- Grammar -- The Parts of Speech -- Nouns -- Verbs -- Adjectives -- Adverbs -- Pronouns -- Prepositions -- Conjunctions -- Subordinating Conjunctions -- Articles, Determiners, and Quantifiers -- Interjections -- Language Usage and Style -- Sentence Subject -- Subject-Verb Inversion -- Subject-Verb Agreement -- Predicates -- Objects -- Complements -- Modifier Placement -- Noun Phrases -- Prepositional Phrase -- Appositive Phrase -- Absolute Phrase -- Infinitive Phrase -- Gerund Phrase -- Participial Phrase -- Clauses -- Independent Clauses -- Dependent Clauses -- Sentence Fragments -- Sentence Variety -- Resumptive and Summative Modifiers -- Modifier Placement -- Other Ideas on Sentence Variety -- Sentence Types -- Compound Sentences -- Transitions -- Avoiding Redundancies -- Phrases and Words to Omit -- Cliches -- Unbiased Language -- Common English Usage Problems -- Language: Key to Your Success -- Verbose Expressions -- Correct Usage -- Problem Pronouns -- Dangling Participles -- Spelling -- Dictionary Uses -- Plurals -- The Suffix -- Irregular Spelling -- Capitalization -- Confusing Homonyms -- American English and British English Differences -- Compound Words and Hyphenation -- Negative Formations -- Commonly Misspelled Words -- Pronunciation -- Perfecting Your Speech -- Word List -- Punctuation -- Purpose of Punctuation -- The Period -- The Comma -- The Question Mark -- The Exclamation Point -- The Semicolon -- The Colon -- Quotation Marks -- Italics -- The Apostrophe -- The Dash -- Ellipses -- Parentheses -- Brackets -- The Hyphen -- Slash -- Numerals -- Words or Figures? -- Dollars and Cents -- Time -- The Hyphen -- Age -- Dimensions -- Weights and Measures -- Percentages -- Page Numbering -- The Abbreviation for Number -- Plurals of Numbers -- Roman Numerals -- Financial Activities -- Bookkeeping and Accounting -- Financial Record Keeping -- Assets -- Liabilities -- Effect of Business Transactions -- Accounting Statements -- The Account -- Payroll -- Travel and Entertainment and Auto-Expense Records -- Cash Budgets -- Records for Lenders -- Business Taxes -- The Secretary's Role -- Business Taxes -- EFTPS -- State Taxes -- Franchise Tax -- Sales Tax -- Employment Taxes -- Self-Employment Tax -- Employee or Independent Contractor? -- Property and Net Worth Taxes -- Business Licenses -- Tax Assistance -- Banking -- The Company's Bank -- Checking Accounts -- Petty Cash -- Savings Accounts -- Trust Services -- Other Banking Services -- Checks and Deposits -- Special Situations -- Reconciling Bank Statements -- Special Business and Financial Information for the Small Business Administrative Assistant -- Frequently Asked Questions --

Trading with Other Countries -- Sources of Financing -- Small Business Administration -- Selling to the Federal Government -- Weights and Measures -- U.S. Weights and Measures -- The International System (Metric) -- Conversion Table -- Career Advancement -- Your Future -- Growing as the Company Grows -- Learn About the Business -- Upgrade Your Skills -- Recognizing a Time for Change -- Finding a Job -- Your Resume -- The Plus Element.

Whether you're making travel arrangements, creating a PowerPoint presentation for the next board meeting, or handling confidential information -- or doing all of them simultaneously -- it's pretty clear that you don't have much time to learn how. Fortunately, there is a definitive resource that can answer all your questions, a one-volume treasure trove of practical and valuable tips for performing countless job responsibilities quickly and well. The Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, now in a thoroughly updated second edition, is a comprehensive guide for administrative professionals looking to significantly improve their skills -- and enhance their value and career potential at the same time. Written in a down-to-earth style and organized for easy reference, the all-new edition features 10 more chapters -- almost 200 more pages -- than the original, covering every conceivable work-place challenge. The Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook keeps you up to speed with rapidly changing business technologies, from e-mail and Web use through networking issues, online data storage, and information security. Software tutorials come complete with illustrations, examples, definitions, and other tools to help you master programs completely and quickly.

You'll learn how to design and implement more productive daily administrative routines, organize your workspace and schedule for optimum efficiency, and keep yourself comfortable and healthy with a properly adjusted, ergonomically correct workstation and equipment. As you become more and more skilled at your job, you become more crucial to your boss's (and your organization's) success. But you're also building a foundation for your own career growth! The Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook gives you the skills you need whether you plan to stay put or move on, along with valuable insights on how to make that choice when it presents itself. Efficiency and versatility -- that combination is the essence of the ideal administrative professional. With The Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, you'll have the skills and know-how you need to make your job easier and more rewarding, give your boss peace of mind, and set the stage for a rewarding and lucrative career.