When Granny Ina goes shopping she makes a list and comes back with everything she needs.
Grampa Jack, on the other hand, is happy to explore the aisles with only his curiosity as a compass . . . while he might find a jar of Mongolian marmalade, he always forgets what he went out for.
Figuring out what we need to do – before we need to do it – is a must in our working lives too.
That’s especially true if you work in admin, where being prepared and organised are must-have qualities.
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Afraid you won’t land a top admin role on s1jobs because you plum forget to do stuff?
Don’t worry: the answer is to make a To-Do list.
Make it simple and easy-to-follow by writing down tomorrow’s or even this week’s admin tasks, then tick off each one as it’s done.
This will help remove worries that you might miss something, as well as make your job easier.
If you want to get noticed as a diligent and super-efficient admin, here are our top tips for creating the perfect To-Do list.
Be Realistic
Unless you’re Dr Who’s assistant, there’s only so much time you can cram into a typical working day. So be realistic about how much you can actually achieve.
It may be tempting to plan a complete office overhaul on Friday afternoon but you need to factor in your daily duties, too, then create a workable timetable.
That overhaul will happen – Rome wasn’t built in a day, but a series of To-Do lists helped lay the foundations.
Stay Focused
The very act of listing tasks has already made you more effective as an admin but make sure there’s a logical timeline for completing them.
Adopting a scattergun approach for each of your bullet points will see you flit from one job to another without making any real progress.
So it’s first things first and last things last.
Get Connected
Once upon a time scribbled notes could cut it. Today we live in a digital world and there’s no excuse not to have your daily, weekly and even monthly To-Do lists all synchronised and interlinked to your phone, tablet or desktop computer.
There are even voice-activated AI systems to help you – although never ask Alexa what you should be doing next just as the boss is walking past!
Make It A Date
One of the major tasks in admin is to schedule meetings and travel arrangements for senior members of the company. This means a To-Do list must always include checking the diary at the start of each day. You wouldn’t want the CEO to miss her surprise birthday bash!
Of course, if you want to enjoy a brand new career, one item that’s a must on your daily To-Do list is to visit s1jobs for all the latest Admin vacancies.