Last week I started a new job in administration (though my main task is making phonecalls it seems). Everyone keeps congratulating me on it (I was unemployed for 2 months) while I'm internally FREAKING OUT. I have ADD and social anxiety, I do NOT have the skills or experience to do this job, but I got hired through a job agency somehow. I haven't been able to sleep well because I know I have to work the next day. Meds aren't helping. I feel nervous, tired and irritated all day and night.
Sent June 28, 2019
Okay, deep breath. I worked in administration for years and it is a pain in the ass, but it is do-able.
Things that will help a lot:
Routines. Things you do every morning when you arrive and every afternoon before you leave for home. I recommend checking and updating your to-do list at both times.
Time Blocking/Task Batching. This is a technique where you divide up your day and put particular tasks in different blocks of time, kind of like your timetable when you were in school. For example, in my job as a church secretary, my task batching might have me working on a fundraising campaign mailout in the morning, answering e-mails before lunch, updating the parish web site after lunch, making phone calls after that, and working on service leaflets until the end of the day.
To-Do Lists. I’m sure you are doing this, but definitely make a master to-do list. Note repeating tasks (e.g., checking the mail every day, publishing the newsletter every month, checking the storage room and placing an order for stationery supplies every week). Whenever a new project or ongoing responsibility gets added to your plate, add it to your master to-do list. I recommend keeping this list in a digital format so you can easily sort the one-off projects by due date.
Project Folders. Whenever you have a new project assigned, take the time to create a physical folder for that project. Make a project page that includes all of the details about what the project is, how it needs to be completed, who it’s for, and when it’s due, and stick that inside the folder. When you acquire physical materials for this project, you can put them in the folder. Then when you go to work on it, you can pull out the folder and have everything you need right there.
For more help with this stuff, I highly recommend Julie Morgenstern’s book Time Management from the Inside Out. I read it partway through my time as a church secretary, and it had a huge impact on how I did my job. When I left, it took them three tries to find someone who could do what I did.
Good luck!
-J
