Tales Of A Receptionist Chapter 3: I Hate Being An Administrative Assistant

There are people who find their work to be rewarding. I'm failing to find mine.

Since the age of 13, I have held a job. I've worked as a camp counselor. I've interned at museums and production houses. I've worked at a Library (my favorite job) and at Rental Management (my least favorite). Within these places, I was some form of assistant: 

• Office Assistant
• Receptionist
• Client Services
• Operation Assistant
• Administrative Assistant

No matter what the title is called, I am a babysitter to a bunch of supposed adults.

It's infuriating.

It's disrespectful. 

I feel like I'm taking up space. What the job entails isn't difficult, but you hope a challenge will occur, but it never does. I am a person who gets bored very easily. If I am left idle for more than five minutes, my mind wanders to find something better to do.

Then why not find things to do within the office to occupy your time?
I have. I do. It doesn't take me that long to complete. Ten to thirty-minute projects are nothing. Also, you can only organize a closet so many times.

The first hour of my day is already complete and I'm left catching up on personal projects that I would like to finish. Yeah, for me, but you're paying me eight hours to:

• write a chapter in a story
• construct a graphic for an Instagram post
• organize my website
• plan out a new or existing story
• look for a new job

I don't like feeling useless, but I also don't like being asked to perform a task that you feel is not worth your time. It usually builds up to anything that's IT-related.

When the fuck did I become an IT expert?!
Let's face it. Anyone who is an Administrative Assistant are hired because they possess some basic computer skills. Basic computer skills that somehow translate to if the printer or phones aren't working accordingly, I should know how to resolve the issue.

No, the fuck it doesn't. I mean I do, but that's not how it fuck'n works.

My basic knowledge of computers is just the same as yours. I might be slightly more knowledgeable, but that depends on the programs I've used personally as well as professionally from other jobs. My knowledge is no different than yours. So, why is it that when your computer crashes or when the sound is no longer working, you come to find me? Did we not all learn about trial and error? The plug-in, plug-out method? Why the fuck am I the first line of defense?

Every employee who uses a computer, a printer, or any electronic device should know how to use it and how to troubleshoot. I should not be the only person that holds the key to the answer.

It's bullshit!

Walking 20 paces from your desk to mine to hand me a document, to scan to yourself. Bitch! You're closer to the printer.
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Everything that you're asking for my assistance on, takes two minutes of your time to figure out. Forget me trying to teach you how to do it, because you don't have the patience nor the ability to retain that shit.

Adding to the insult of being the unvolunteered IT expert, I'm also a housekeeper.

I'm Not Your Mother!
I understand part of my task is to make sure the office looks presentable and I will routinely check, but everyone should do their part.

If you make a mess, clean it up. Stop leaving your empty cups throughout the office. Wipe up your crumbs from off the counter after you've made your lunch. Leave the room the way you met it. Every time I see a light left on in a room or chairs scattered around after a meeting, all I hear is my grandmother's voice asking, "Wamek de room look so?"

Being courteous is not hard. Don't leave it for someone else to take care of (ie: me) just because it's not in your job description. Being respectful is in everyone's job description.

The longer I left alone with nothing to do, the more I realized that I hate people. Being an Administrative Assistant creates hatred for others. Your tolerance for others wanes and you become cynical. It's sort of like when the previous generation looks at the current with disgust and wonders, "what is wrong with them?" It's that kind of irk that creeps up inside me.

In all this frustration, I don't ask for much. All I ask is that you:

• take the time to locate and resolve the issue before looking for me
• clean up after yourself
• be true to what you're looking for in an Administrative Assistant

If all you need is someone to only answer the phones eight hours of the day with the occasional one-hour task thrown in, don't hire someone with two to three years' experience. Just look for a recent high school or college graduate. They will likely have minimum working experience for the minimum task you will provide.

If you liked this post, here are parts 1 + 2:
Tales of Receptionist Chapter 1: Phone Etiquette 
Tales of Receptionist Chapter 2 : Respect
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