...and soft skills, because you are self-employed and running a business:

VA's have to learn to cope with isolation, as they work almost exclusively by themselves. However, the advantages include flexibility to work when you want, no need to purchase work clothes, more time to spend with family and you don't have the boss looking over your shoulder!

For more information, contact www.canadianva.net or www.mjva.ca

E-Business Re-Shapes Administrative Profession

"The use of the Internet for business purposes is already having a profound impact on the largest non-managerial occupational group in the workforce - office support workers. E-business practices are changing the tools office workers use, where they work, who they are employed by, and their relationships with clients, customers, suppliers, managers and colleagues." That's a central conclusion of research by the Office Workers Career Centre to evaluate the impact of e-business on administrative and clerical workers.

The research report Impact of E-Business on Office Work prepared by Alice deWolff focuses on the emerging picture of e-business so that office workers are fully in view, and counters a rather long tradition of undervaluing their contribution. As "information" processors, office support workers will be significant participants in e-business work environments, and they need to develop related skills and a new labour market savvy. They need to stay ahead of the learning curve.

E-Business Work Processes Electronic business or "e-business" is the building of an infrastructure on the Internet to do all types of business to business (B2B) administration: communication, accounting, purchasing, bidding, and handling employee payroll and benefits. The network of businesses that can be linked on-line is global, less expensive and more reliable than in-house systems.

While the Toronto region is poised to launch into B2B, most workplace web sites are not interactive and among those that are, very few have integrated data from the web site into the rest of their systems. This latter step is the one that most profoundly affects administrative support work processes. Workplaces, which have begun to work with interactive and integrated systems, are learning that projects take longer, develop serious implementation problems and cost more when support staff have not received sufficient training.

More Complex Skills and Knowledge Required

The report of e-business practices and related administrative work processes shows that office workers in these environments have increased responsibilities, knowledge and skills. They are:

The complexity of e-business work varies depending on the size of the workplace. Jobs in smaller offices tend to require a wider range of knowledge and skills.

Job Gains or Job Losses?

As the construction of the e-business administrative infrastructure continues, job losses are anticipated. The accessibility and low cost of e-business applications begin to make it possible for a wider range of workplaces to manage significant administrative reductions. They can contract out all their non-core business to Internet companies and non-core business is office administrative work e.g. payroll, HR, accounting.

Office workers have already experienced, during this transition period, a growth in contract, part-time and temporary work in Canada. The following chart identifies administrative jobs that are more vulnerable, and jobs that are less vulnerable to e-business downsizing.

More vulnerable jobs	Less vulnerable jobs
accounts payable and receivable inventory maintenance purchasing materials, components and supplies payroll mail preparation reservations	communications and reception customer service data processing and analysis office coordination research scheduling, event and travel arranging shipping and receiving writing, editing and text production

The above work crosses all industrial sectors. There may be some sector specific impact, including continued losses in finance and administrative services and significant potential for losses in the public sector. A large proportion of office workers is employed in non-profit and government services where e-business practices are also being adopted. The best example is the move of non-profits and charities to on-line fundraising.

What Office Workers Can Do

The report summary points to the following recommendations for office workers:

For office support workers presently employed, they need to ensure that their employer is developing a state of the art work environment which includes new business practices, work time to explore creative uses, and employer sponsored training. Without this, the employer is disadvantaging them and their ability to stay current in the field. If currently seeking a job, they need to ask if the employer provides opportunities to explore new work processes and technologies. Office workers are second only to technicians in their need to be able to use applications and to assist others in their use.

Office workers know knowledge is power and lifelong learning is the goal. Today more than ever, learning will keep them positive and in control of an ever-changing labour market.

Article adapted from The Impact of E-Business on Office Work by Diane Strong, Executive Director, Office Workers Career Centre.

International Association of Administrative Professionals The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is a professional association consisting of more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide.  They have chapters in most major cities in Canada and the U.S., and have a network of more than 35 international affiliated associations located in countries all over the globe.   IAAP was established in 1942 with a mission that still holds true today:  “To enhance the image of the administrative profession and to inspire and equip all office professionals to attain excellence.”  For over 50 years, IAAP has provided opportunities and resources to help their members become more effective contributors to their organizations.  As the leading association for administrative professionals, they help to set the standards of excellence for their profession.  IAAP membership allows administrative professionals to keep well informed and be knowledgeable about the latest trends in the workplace, and offers an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and "how to" information to stay on the cutting edge of change.  Organizations should be continually looking for ways to stay in the forefront of current events and technology, IAAP can be considered as another valuable resource to help you and your organization stay competitive in our global business environment. For instance, at the International level, IAAP's award-winning magazine, OfficePRO, published nine times each year, is an outstanding source of information on a wide variety of topics and issues.  The association's membership newsletter, IAAP Bits & Bytes, also keeps its members informed on the latest tips and trends in the workplace.  Their state-of-the art Home Page on the Internet provides a very popular international forum and exchange of ideas and information. IAAP offers many opportunities for personal and professional development.  Their Annual International Convention and Education Forum, held in a different city each year (Chicago, Illinois in July 2000) offers more than 80 different workshops on such subjects as Time Management, Office Communications, Desktop Publishing, Presentation Skills, and Meeting Planning.  There are several regional conferences and seminars held at different times throughout the year.  Their local chapters also hold excellent educational programs and seminars usually on a monthly basis. With "Skills Standards" being a hot topic in the corporate world today, it's interesting to note that IAAP has had an excellent standard-setting certification program in place since 1951 - The Certified Professional Secretary program.  For an administrative professional to attain the CPS-rating is comparable to an accountant becoming a CA.  More and more employers are seeking administrative professionals with the CPS rating because it sets a high standard of excellence and it's an effective benchmark to measure individual competency.  More than 53,000 administrative professionals currently hold the CPS rating. IAAP is also in the forefront of business and government efforts to define and develop the roles of tomorrow's office professionals.  Their World Headquarters helps many Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, media outlets, and other international organizations seeking "bench-marking" information for administrative professions.  As a clearinghouse for information about administrative careers, IAAP is a valuable resource for all types of businesses and organizations. For more information on IAAP check on their website www.npiec.on.ca/~iaapcda (Ontario Division) or at www.iaap-hq.org (International).