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Just wondering if anyone is planning to go to the Office Show? I think it's a new show but it looks really good - do you know if you have to pay to visit?

I studied for the London Chamber of Commerce "Private Secretary's Certificate" which encompassed business studies, deportment, finance, and other secretarial duties. I think a nationally recognised PA qualification is most beneficial.

I'm looking forward to a good snooze this lunch time to see if I get inspiration for the event I'm working on. I will let you know how it goes!

Sounds like you have a challenging boss. But from your comment about the "domestic", it sounds as though this is a wider issue in his life. Whilst I dont know the background to how you might have approached your boss in the past, one thing that strikes me is that if he is unchallenged about his double booking then he will continue to do it. You say that you are "generally" blamed for diaries being double booked. I would ask you to think about the times when you are not. What happens then?
With regard to the double booking - find a time to sit down with your boss and ask what are the pressures on him with regard to putting things in his diary, i.e. explore why he feels he has to put things in the diary without telling you. Find out what is going on for him. If you tackle the conversation as an exploration around what is happening in his worklife, and how you may be able to help him with that, you may get a more open and constructive reaction.

How to organise your boss ...

Trouble is I am organised, but my boss (he) isn't and I generally get blamed for diaries being double booked. His wife is even better, you put things in her diary and invite her to meetings, she ignores invites and doesn't turn up and goes and has her hair done instead. Then they have a domestic in front of you afterwards!!

A perfect step towards a CIPD qualification. Even better if CIPD certified it. There are just so many PA's about who don't know what is available out there, what their peers are doing or not doing and what kind of pay one can expect from this.

I think this is a great idea and not before time. The varied demands of the job mean require an understanding of skills from marketing to project management. The take up would be very high and should be something PAs could get support from their employers.

a sample reader comment " I think that the role and reponsibilities of a PA vary from company to company. Some companies expect more and some less, so I think that a course that recognises what a PA can do would benefit me both in my current role and in the future"

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