Guide for office managers on asking for pay raises (2023)

5 Rockstar Office Managers Reveal How To Get Promoted, Earn More Respect, And Make More Money Today

"I felt unappreciated, unappreciated."

We've heard this phrase many times after talking to hundreds of managers, executives and office assistants over the years since SnackNation launched.

We found this fact in our annual State of the Office Manager report, the first survey of its kind among office managers in the United States. Our research found that office managers earn an average annual salary of $52,082, with 42% earning between $25,000 and $50,000.

However,33% of respondents said negotiating their own salary was a “major challenge” or one of the “major challenges”This makes it the highest rated challenge of the coming year.

That's why we're curious...

What techniques, strategies, and approaches work best for this role that others can replicate and use to their own advantage?

How can other managers, administrators, and office assistants make small changes that lead to big results in their careers?

We went looking for answers.

We interviewed five office managers (some with different titles, but all of whom performed tasks traditionally assigned to 'office managers') to find out the 'secret' to their success.

Things like how they make appointments with their boss to discuss compensation, how they prepare for those meetings to get what they want, how they schedule their days to stay organized and manage their time better, even the techniques they use to enter into difficult collaborations. Employee.

Each of our case study participants has a different background, company size and environment, and level of experience, so gathering answers will be helpful no matter your situation.

Free bonus:Download het PDF-rapport State of the Office Manager 2018. We polled 572 office managers to find 10 tips you can use to achieve goals and overcome challenges. Plus, find out what other office managers are earning (and how you can earn more)!

Here's a summary of what we found:

1. Prepare salary data.Use sites like Payscale, Indeed, LinkedIn, and job boards to find out what the market rate is before negotiating salary with your boss.
2. Keep a very detailed record of everything you do.all. Everyone we interviewed had a long list of responsibilities when it came to salary negotiations.
3. Collaborate with as many departments and people as possible.This will help you gain additional skills, advance your career and further strengthen your case when negotiating a higher salary.
4. Anticipate your boss's needs before he asks.Your boss will love you for it, which makes you irreplaceable.
5. Don't take everything personally.This is very important to hold the position for a long time.
6. Keep everyone in the office happy.Keeping everyone happy is one of the hardest parts of being an office manager/administrative assistant, but also one of the most important.

Without further ado, let's meet our 5 Rockstar Office Managers who will help you learn how to move up the ranks, gain more respect from your boss and colleagues, and start earning more.

Chelsea Wagmaker

Current role:Office supervisor

Number of office workers:35

Years with the current company:2.5 years

Total years of experience as an office administration/administrator/assistant:16 years of administrative work experience, of which 10 years in office management

report to:president

Chelsea has many years of experience and knowledge in the field of office administration and management. In fact, Chelsea has the most experience of any office manager I've spoken to.

One of the first things we talked about was how happy she was to work closely with a very important person in the company: the CEO.

Reporting to the president was a good experience for her, she said:

Because I work so closely with [the president] every day, he sees my work and he knows what I'm doing, and now, two years later, he's kind of dependent on me.

The thought of demanding compensation from your boss makes most people sick.

Chelsea knew her boss was busy, so before the annual review, she knew it was the perfect time to make sure he knew she wanted to talk about her salary:

I asked him "when can we make an appointment for an hour to sit down and talk". The nice thing about a work anniversary is that you promise (if not sooner) that we'll make time for that day and deliver.

She admitted that it was easier for her to talk about compensation because of her relationship with the president:

For me it's approaching him and telling him I'm doing a great job so he doesn't bargain with me too much when I ask for a slightly higher salary because he understands I'm a valuable person to the company.

At the same time, Chelsea understands that others in her position may not always have a direct relationship with those responsible or this level of transparency:

I know that in some cases it's quite difficult for executives and even managers if you don't report to the head of the company, who sees your value.

Still, there are some important steps you can take to have a conversation with your boss if you're thinking about a promotion or talking about salary.

Here's how Chelsea did her homework and made sure she was prepared for the salary meeting:

In fact, I got a raise my first year at Kennedy. I got a raise and a promotion, so I was promoted from office manager to office manager.

Last year, my second salary increase came as I supported more employees. I support more people and take on more responsibilities.

When I discussed it with [our president], I did two things. I conducted online surveys of other administrative and management professionals at PayScale and several other sites.

Basically, I take this data, I take the average amount that administrators and executives receive, and I go to him and say, "You know, this is what people do." Of course I also include my knowledge. Level of experience and some of the jobs I've had.

I added what a mid-level HR rep would get, and I added what a senior office manager or an assistant director would get, and then I showed him all these different things.

[Our president] does respond to numbers and logic, so it helps me to know him as well.

That last part of what Chelsea said is crucial. She understands the language the boss speaks, so she is willing to talk to him in that language.

But Chelsea didn't stop there. She then took it a step further and described (at length) the many roles she played and the responsibilities she carried:

The second part is I bring a list of duties and responsibilities and say:

"These are the things you give me. These are the things I do, and I do them well. That is the reason for my request if I ask for a raise of more than 10% or 12% (which is the standard)."

I get no response at all. [Our president] said:

"Looks great, sounds great. Let's go one step further and make this change for you.

It's like I can show you why I'm an asset, and then I hope, at least as far as I'm concerned, it will be a lot easier. "

Another interesting insight Chelsey shared in our interview was the way she uses the annual review to set the tone for the new responsibilities she plans to take on over the next six to 12 months.

So as far as I was last year, I wanted to take on more responsibility for HR, so when I did my annual review, my HR role was on the list of things I took on. After this year's summary, we concluded that:

"Okay, now that we've added these things. What else do you want to do? What else do you want to explore?"

This year is about the technical side and my further development because I want to do more with Photoshop and I want to do more with Adobe Creative Suite.

This is also useful for the next review. It says, "I'm making more money because I learned more this year." It makes it easier for us to ask for a raise.

To wrap up our conversation, I asked Chelsea a few quick questions. Here's her answer:

What is your greatest strength for success in your position?

As an office manager, I believe the best way to get things done is to reach a kind of zen state where you can be polite but not feel overwhelmed. Everyone around you is stressed, so you need to keep a calm voice and be able to say:

'Yes, I'll be fine. Yes, I can arrange it.

By keeping people away from their problems and from what they need to do, you can take responsibility and make sure everything gets done. A lot of that has to do with being able to put aside what's going on in your head and say, "I can get you what you need, when you need it."

It's a certain personality type. Managers are usually the kind of people who like to be in control, but we don't necessarily like being the ones doing the work either. It's a behind the scenes role.

Building this information network is also helpful. I have a number of websites that I visit regularly when I travel. I can go to different places to answer my questions. I think it's also valuable to build this little network for yourself and have your own tools to make your life easier.

What tips and strategies do you use to better manage your time?

I think when a new manager comes in you have to figure out where those priorities are, and you have to stick to those priorities and let your team know that those are your priorities.

In fact, I have a table on my desk with my top 5 priorities. Then you just have to figure out where people fall.

When they come to me and say:

"I have this project" and then I can refer to the form and show what I'm working on today... that's my top priority. You'll be here somewhere. I will contact you this afternoon, at the end of the day or at the end of the week.

See Also

Salary Small Business Manager Australia - Average salary

That way they know what's going on so no one feels stressed about unfinished business.

Communication with the team is also important to me, so when I try to prioritize, they also need to know my priorities.

How can you minimize distractions?

I'm an office manager, but I also do the front desk, so my biggest obstacle is usually the phone. It's one of those things you just can't get away with. The phone rings and you have to stop what you're doing and answer the call for whoever.

My desk is littered with brightly colored Post-it notes, so when I need to stop what I'm doing, I literally grab a Post-it, stick it where I need it, and answer the call. It's an old technique, but it keeps me focused on the task at hand, and I know where I left off so I can get right back to it.

These breaks are just part of the job. The main thing is not to get nervous about it. You write down the information you need and you're done. If it's urgent, do it as soon as possible and get back to the current task.

There is always something to do. Treat everything as it is and prioritize if necessary. I think the most important thing is to make sure everyone is disclosing information so that you can address them when they are no longer in your presence.

What is the most difficult part of your job? How did you learn to excel in this field?

Time management is a challenge. Everyone has a tough day and everyone has 14 top priorities, so it's still a tough balance.

Currently I am managing a ground floor construction project while my team of 10 people is travelling. Things are piling up. While my system is great, this element of time management is still not foolproof.

The only thing I encountered at my last job was that this colleague was not very nice and not easy to work with. I've met people with demanding personalities who think I'm their personal assistant, not everyone else's manager. Also a bit tricky.

You certainly don't want to cause trouble, but at the same time, if the troublemaker looks down on you, or doesn't see you as a class, you need to find someone he can fix. Really respect those who can listen and say:

"You know, you should really consider showing more respect and gratitude."

Summary of the best Chelsea tips:

1. Use PayScale and other sites that display average salary ranges to see what other people in your position are earning. Knowing these numbers will make it easier to talk to your boss.
2. In your comments, leave a clear plan for new areas where you want to contribute and take responsibility for the next 6-12 months. This will help you in next year's negotiations as you can point out the issues that were discussed and show how you achieved them.
3. Keep your priority list organized. This way everyone knows what you do and no one can manage you.

Kelly's not coming back

Current role:Senior Operations Sales Coordinator and Office Manager

Number of office workers:15

Years with the current company:2 lata

Total years of experience as an office administration/administrator/assistant:5 lats

report to:3 Modacto directors/owners

Kelly started her career as an administrative assistant to the two heads of a television production company for HGTV. She is lucky enough to only work for small, private startups.

Kelly has made rapid progress in her career and has gone out of her way to show her employers that she is driven and determined.

I worked outside of my original position as an administrative assistant, so I was promoted quickly. I give 100% for both parties and show my bosses that I will not only work for them, but excel. This allows me to get there faster.

She likes the broad experience and skills she has gained in this role.

I have worked in many different roles, giving me a very wide range of skills that I can use in any other area I will develop in my career.

So I think being an administrative assistant would be a great benefit to anyone, allowing them to acquire a wide range of skills and learn many different things about how an office is run and how the company culture works.

I also think that you can achieve a lot of mastery when you are in that position. You are the one who goes to that person. You are the face of the company. It's a big responsibility that I certainly don't take lightly, and I'm sure other office managers won't take it lightly either.

In a way, you are the first point of communication for potential new external customers, people who visit your company, and you want to show your best side because it will impress the company.

Therefore, office managers have many responsibilities that can be overlooked by others because many people think that office managers may not have such responsibilities, and we do. In fact, we are the crux and heart of the company.

Kelly has been very proactive, going beyond her duties as an office manager and focusing on other parts of the company that piqued her interests. This, in turn, makes her more valuable to the company.

I am responsible for marketing and sales. So when we had a marketing manager, I took over a lot of her work and helped her with whatever help she needed, opening me up to the world of marketing.

They didn't have to hire someone new to manage social media or handle post-production on the blog until she left. I just dealt with it because I worked with her and knew what to do.

Getting involved in inside sales, managing accounts with the sales boss, taking on some marketing responsibilities, getting more involved in social media, blogging, marketing events... it all gave me more skills to take to the next level. job more interesting because once I mastered office administration, kind of like office operations for the position, I was ready to take on more.

I am willing to take on more responsibility and responsibility. I don't want to sit there and go to work and be the office manager.

For me, in this role I want to shoot as many arrows as possible and gain as much experience as possible that will make me more attractive as an employee.

Acquiring skills beyond one's role has been critical to Kelly's career advancement. She thinks this is the main reason she got promoted and made more money.

Once I had a basic understanding of my position, I became interested in more things. My bosses saw this, they saw what I was capable of. Not only do you have to master the job, you also have to show them that you are going to great lengths because if they don't trust you to do small jobs, they won't give you more responsibility.

If the office manager shows that he wants to go to the next level, take more responsibility, and map out a path to get there, chances are [the company] will help you get there.

So if that's what you want, don't sit and pray. do something about it.

If it's marketing or sales, or if it's not even something you're necessarily interested in, give it a try. You never know, I think it just gives you more influence and opportunities.

Here's another piece of wisdom Kelly shared during our conversation:

What tips and strategies do you use to better manage your time?

I am a very planned person. I just schedule my time.

Everything can seem overwhelming when you have a list of 20 things to do, but just divide that list into your weeks.

At the beginning of the week I always give a general overview of what I need to do, and yes, that can be scary at times. You have a million things to do and only five days a week, but it will help you a lot more if you plan your time and actually sit down for 15 minutes and plan your week.

Not only will you be able to prioritize what needs to be done earlier in the week and what can wait until later, but it will also relieve stress. By doing this, I make a good impression in the eyes of my boss.

Set reminders for these things in your calendar, sticky notes, and more. Whatever you need to do to break through it and make your week less hectic, those are the most important time management tips I can give you.

Do you have a general rule of thumb for prioritizing your to-do list?

Anything that requires a boss fight or is time sensitive is obviously pushed to the top. But those little things that can be done in five minutes, just do it. Get this done.

Don't push it away. Don't say, "Okay, it'll only take five minutes," because by the end of the week you'll have ten things left to do, and those five minute things will seem more tedious, you'll even be more time consuming, and in the long run you will only die at a loss.

So my advice is to definitely take care of the low-hanging fruit. Work on what your boss thinks is time sensitive, then prioritize based on what you see fit or what you see working in your calendar and schedule.

What is the most difficult part of your job? How did you learn to excel in this field?

Make everyone happy.

As an office manager it helps to stay positive every day, but you can never please everyone. People complain all the time. People will always want more.

Unfortunately, as office managers, we often bear this burden. However, there are ways to deal with it. This positive attitude will help you move forward and reduce your unhappiness.

Often, the office manager, along with all other staff, is responsible for everything such as making sure people enjoy lunch options, venues for Christmas parties, etc.

You can never please everyone, so the sooner you understand and get over this, the happier and more successful you will be in your role.

As a sensitive person, this is by far the hardest part. You can't make everyone happy, people expect you to make them happy, and if they don't like something they will take it out on you...

“Oh, I don't like snacks in the break room. I don't like this new rule.'

So you will be a source of a lot of negativity, but don't take it personally.

How did you learn to deal with demanding managers?

The attention to detail really goes a long way because these executives demand perfection, and while they're nice, they want things done right, and it's your job as an office manager to make their lives easier.

So keeping that in mind will go a long way in this role, where it's all about details, accurate management of agendas and getting things done ahead of time.

If you can stay one step ahead of your boss, eg.

"I accepted this booking for you because I saw you were blocked in my calendar."

This anticipation and above average willingness will make you stand out in their eyes and make you an asset an office manager should be.

The office manager can be a supervisor's best friend, and if he's one step ahead of him, you'll come out on top.

Kelly's top tips summary:

1. By involving yourself in multiple departments (sales, marketing, customer service, etc.), you can create more influence and opportunities for yourself.
2. At the beginning of the week, take some time to plan for the rest of the week. You have a million things to do and only five days a week, but planning your time correctly can make a huge difference.
3. If you can stay one step ahead of your boss and anticipate his needs, you will stand out in his eyes.

Megan

Current role:Senior Administrative Assistant

Number of office workers:There are 50 positions and thousands of employees in the company

Years with the current company:5 lats

Total years of experience as an office administration/administrator/assistant:15 lat

report to:Finance Director

Given Megan's many years of administrative experience, it was a pleasure to speak with her.

She started her career in the office of a non-profit organization that advocates for the human rights of people with disabilities. Meghan had an office job there, but unfortunately had a car accident that prevented her from working full-time for several months. Fortunately, she was able to recover and return to full-time work.

She then joined a Fortune 50 company as an administrative assistant.

Years later, life took her to an insurance company. She went to work in the applications department, entering life insurance applications on behalf of corporate agents.

He has been working at his current company for 5 years now and the number is still growing.

She told me she got a promotion last year and I wanted to know more.

When I asked her how to negotiate a raise, she explained:

I think it's because I know my worth and what price other people pay. The question is whether you pay or leave.

First I went to an employment agency, which helped me find this job. Then I check their salaries in the New York area on Indeed.com. I also visited Payscale.com.

I started because I was connected on LinkedIn. I got a lot of job offers with higher salaries. I just presented it to them. I showed them what people had to offer me.

I said, "It's true. Let's talk about it, because I wouldn't appreciate it if you didn't want it somewhere.

How has management responded?

I would say that my immediate supervisor is very supportive of me as a woman. I found it very difficult for me to work with men.

I currently work in a male-dominated industry. They just don't care. They don't want to hear it. In their minds they believe they will just find someone else and pay less.

I asked Megan about other best practices she uses in preparing her annual review:

"Write down all your achievements and present them in a simple and clear way to whoever you want to present your speech to."

Drawing on her wealth of experience, Megan offers some great tips and insights for our blitz rounds (including a free downloadable template):

What is your greatest strength for success in your position?

Understanding and empathizing with people's feelings, understanding the work of the people I support is difficult. They are under a lot of pressure and I don't take anything personally.

I'm not impatient or anything. I didn't even notice.

I know it's not personal, it's just, 'I'm busy right now. I can not talk right now. I have to. I have six thousand other things.

What tips and strategies do you use to better manage your time?

I have saved and updated some things online.

When someone sends me an email asking me to do something, I put them on this list. I have set this as my task.

At the top I have some open tasks. I have recurring tasks, what is their status, what is the task, what is their status, when is the due date, who is responsible, who should be delegated to, and then I have ongoing tasks. Everything is outdated. That is it. I just update it, that's all. I do this every week.

I create a new spreadsheet every week so I can flip through the old ones.

It's just a matter of taking care of it and updating it. I also print out email requests and keep this stack of papers with things to do. Then I compare it to my list to make sure it's there, and you're done.

Megan has provided us with the excel spreadsheet template that she wants to share with you.You can download this template here。

What is the most difficult part of your job? How did you learn to excel in this field?

I think the hardest part is getting people to get along. Everyone comes to me with everything. I am just like mother.

"I have a problem with this man, what do you think? Why do you think this is?"

I am like a church pastor.

However, I believe everyone is better able to work as a team when everyone else is happy and content. We do not know such conflicts.

Currently I support the main breadwinner in our office. I was told that only I could bring him peace and happiness. If he is happy, everyone else is happy too. It's easier for other people.

A summary of Megan's best tips:

1. Keep a detailed record of everything you do and are responsible for. By clearly demonstrating them, you can prove your worth.
2. Use Indeed, Payscale, and LinkedIn to help you negotiate your salary. If you know what others are doing in your situation, you can demand justice.
3. use copyMegan templateManage your tasks better.

Mika

Current role:Office manager and event coordinator

Number of office workers:75

Years with the current company:3.5 years

Total years of experience as an office administration/administrator/assistant:3.5 years

report to:CEO/co-founder

Mika put in a lot of effort.

She coped well with her role and took on her new responsibilities. As the end of the year approaches, she feels she deserves a raise.

As many people (especially large companies) know, Miki's company conducts a financial review only once a year.

That is why Mika wants to highlight all new initiatives in which she is actively involved in the Annual Review:

What I want to emphasize is change. In my last review I was more involved and committed to events that were part of my role, so I really tried to highlight all the things I do as an event handler.

Although I report directly to the CEO, I do many things myself. I am very independent in my role, so I have to tell him a lot about what I do.

It really shows what I do in Office Manager, but also shows that I want to focus more on the events part of my job. That's all I did at the event, and I want them to see that there's more to it, and that it's really worth watching.

I asked Mike if there were any other best practices in preparing the annual review.

This is what she said:

Keep track of everything you do, even if it's very small, because especially in the office manager position, those little details that people don't seem to have much work to do really add up.

If you list everything you do on a daily or weekly basis, you end up with a long list. Sometimes I think it's really helpful to see these bullet points.

We also talk about initiatives you want to undertake or programs you are trying to run, or would like to be able to run if you get more support in the area. So let your boss know that you have such ideas or are working on them and are working towards them.

I think it shows enthusiasm even if you already have a bulleted list of 20,000 other things. You showed them 10 other great things you were trying to do.

Finally, be organized and in control. They never had reason to say:

"Something happened this time."

Hide any stressful moments. Learn how to make them look perfect.

Let's go ahead and take a quick shot:

What is your greatest strength for success in your position?

Organized and goal oriented. I think what I dislike most is pointless meetings or meetings that go on for too long. I like to think that I lead meetings very effectively.

In general, when organizing an event, it's very clear that these are the dates, these are the things I have to do, these are the people I have to do it with, and this is when I have to do it. There is no room for negotiation.

What tips and strategies do you use to better manage your time?

For bigger tasks I make my own version of a bullet journal. I have a page for a week and put every item in this list. I check this list several times a day and find:

"Okay, what can I do now?"

Then, as with most Office Manager items, little things pop up right away.

Depending on the situation, I do it right away, or the clerk assists me, so I can usually leave the ordering of snacks, drinks, or supplies to them if needed.

How can you minimize distractions?

Our office layout is very open and I am on top of it. You will see me when you enter the office.

Minimizing distractions is a bit tricky, but I can only improve it if someone asks me, and all I have to do is say to them:

"You have to text or email me or I'm lost."

This gets them off me right away, I know if they sent it the right way I'll have to deal with it later.

What is the most difficult part of your job? How did you learn to excel in this field?

Balance everything, especially since the office management doesn't really have a schedule. This is something that can come up now and need immediate attention, even though I've been working on something without knowing how long.

So they are just surprises, there is no specific person to whom I have to pass them on. I haven't always had someone like that

'Oh, of course so-and-so can handle that.

Sometimes something goes wrong and I can report it to the administrative assistant, or not. I hope I can.

My solution is to keep really good lists and write everything down. Personally, I consider myself very similar, so I have to keep physical lists or notes. For me personally this is much better.

Summary of Mika's best tips:

1. Keep a log of everything you do, even the "little things." Small details that people don't want to pay attention to require a lot of work.
2. Highlight your growth and what you've done since your last review. Extra responsibility and initiative = higher pay.
3. Disruption is inevitable. If someone comes to you asking for something, try to get them to email or message you so you can add it to your to-do list later.

Selena wit

Current role:Director of Happiness

Number of office workers:50

Years with the current company:7 months

Total years of experience as an office administration/administrator/assistant:2.5 years

report to:Merkmanager, CEO at COO

Selena has an inspiring story of being promoted within 3 months of joining Emazing Group.

I asked her how she did it, and she replied:

At first I was just doing my daily routine like making coffee, running errands, taking breaks, etc. Now I help with HR, recruiting and paperwork, and social media marketing for the iHeartRaves team.

So I got more positions, which allowed me to gain more experience, which allowed me to grow in this company.

I don't have any HR experience, so I really feel like I can take on more tasks, and I'm a fast learner. I really want to come and work for this company, I want to grow here. I'm very positive every day, I put everything in the foreground and I think [the company] sees that in me.

It is very good that they trust me to handle different situations.

It's a constant topic for everyone I've talked to. If you find a way to expand your role and cover more departments, people will notice and good things will happen.

There was only one person in HR, so instead of hiring someone new, they asked me if I wanted the position too.

When asked what advice she would give office managers to co-workers looking for a promotion or raise, Selena got some good advice:

to communicate. You have to be honest and open with them. I always say you can't keep your mouth shut, so if you want a raise, if you think you deserve something, you should talk about it.

Your boss may be wondering at night which employees should be paid more, so it's often up to you to be proactive.

Here are Selena's answers to some quick questions at the end of the chat:

How can you minimize distractions?

We use a tool called Basecamp here. When people need something urgently, they add more tasks to me so people don't have to come to my desk and bother me.

They put it in my to-do list, date the task, and tell you what needs to be done. If I have questions, I can contact them.

What tips and strategies do you use to better manage your time?

I write letters - letters are my best friend. I prioritize what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and how long I think it will take. That way I know I can plan and make sure I'm not late or behind on anything.

I also use a calendar a lot. I have alarms to check that I am meeting deadlines and that I am not forgetting them. This is how I work.

Do you have a general rule of thumb for prioritizing your to-do list?

If I get a message from a colleague that it should be done today, I ask him: "Are you sure it should be done today?" If so, I will respond. I have little things that can obviously be pushed into the background, so I prioritize the bigger, more important things. I put them at the top of my list and get to work.

But sometimes they think about it and say:

"Well, I wanted to do it today, but you know, tomorrow is fine."

It helps me to organize the most important and urgent things.

Author's Note: This simple question from Selena is of great value. Pay attention to how he addresses the person so that he or she really takes into account the urgency of the task. This usually gives Selena more time to complete projects/quests. excellent.

What is your greatest strength for success in your position?

Just be positive. Especially if you are dealing with a lot of people, because everyone wants something different.

Everyone expects something different from you. You just have to stay positive and ask questions. I think that's what gets me through the day.

How do you deal with so many people in the office at the same time?

When I feel overwhelmed or something, I usually go for a walk outside. People don't want to be negative or anything, they just are.

I just don't let anything pass me by. Just go for a walk and then I'll get back to doing what needs to be done.

What is the most difficult part of your job? How did you learn to excel in this field?

Everyone has a different personality.

When you talk or work with someone, you have to adapt to their personality and the way they behave. I have trouble with it. Simply because I have never worked with so many people.

After all, this is a workplace and something needs to be done here. I have learned to accept criticism instead of letting it sink in. It's a business and they want to make sure everything runs smoothly, don't make mistakes and correct them if they do.

Summary of Selena's top tips:

1. You cannot eat with your mouth closed. Be open and honest about your goals and aspirations. If you want a raise, if you think you deserve something, you should mention it.
2. The next time you are asked to do an "urgent" task, try asking, "Are you sure you need to do this today?" You may be able to extend the deadline a little longer.
3. Stay positive and don't take everything personally. If you want to cool down, go for a walk. Many people depend on you, so maintaining good posture will help you in the long run.

Free bonus:Download het PDF-rapport State of the Office Manager 2018. We polled 572 office managers to find 10 tips you can use to achieve goals and overcome challenges. Plus, find out what other office managers are earning (and how you can earn more)!