Redundancy – Can the secretary avoid it?

Everyone employed asks the same question: Is it possible to avoid redundancy? The question is not a simple one because at the end of the day it is often outside the control of the employee. However, often, it may not be possible to see the timeframe of redundancies but it is often possible to predict when the storm is about to hit.  

For the secretary or PA, as soon as the individual realises that there are problems on the horizon, they should dig out their last appraisal and start to look at it. There are two reasons for this: firstly, to try and secure their future with their current employer but secondly, to place themselves in a position to secure employment with an alternative employer.

What the secretary is looking for is possible training opportunities. The secretary or PA must maximise whatever training which has been referred to and approved in their appraisal so that they can increase their responsibility or value to their current employer.

If you can justify further secretary courses under your appraisal the message is clear: do not waste time. Go for it.

If you cannot find anything on your appraisal which enables you to take a further secretarial course or even an Executive PA Diploma, then the individual must start thinking of a business case to take such a course. 

This business case would be even stronger if the secretary or PA was able to contribute a certain amount themselves to secure such training. The point the secretary or PA must bare in mind is that they are securing their future and their earnings.  When viewed against their salary, secretarial courses are rarely expensive.

If it is not possible to secure training opportunities, then the individual needs to manoeuvre themselves into a position within the organisation that is doing well. The place will be obvious: which department is struggling to cope with existing demand? Which department is having to do constant overtime? These are the departments where redundancy is less likely.

Mike Connolly is a well known author who writes on the topics related with secretarial courses and secretarial training and other administration and vocation courses. See http://www.pitmanhammersmith.com/ for more such articles.