Advancing Your Career through Administrative Assistant Seminars and Conferences
- Sarah Gurr
- •
- 4 Min Read
- •
As an administrative assistant, you’ve got a lot going on. You want to thrive in your role and meet your career goals. So that means building your skills and experience wherever you can fit it in. Administrative assistant seminars and conferences are great opportunities to learn. And they provide a venue to network with people in similar roles.
When it means booking a flight (or taking a long drive) somewhere, potentially on your own dime, you want to find the right seminars or conferences for you. There are plenty specifically designed for your role. And there are others that may not be targeted directly at your profession, but are relevant to the skills you’d like to acquire. You need to first evaluate your skills gap, and then find the right one for you.
Here are a few places to start your search, from administrative assistant seminars to a sampling of skills-based conferences.
Administrative Assistant Seminars and Conferences
When checking out a conference or seminar specifically designed for admins, first look to see who is hosting. Is it a credible organization? Even if you’re not sure at first, take a look at the agenda and speakers. Are there sessions that speak to your skills gap? Any conference, seminar, or workshop has to be interesting to you. After all, if you are disengaged you probably won’t retain the information.
Here is a list of some of the top administrative assistant seminars and conferences to consider:
Administrative Professionals Conference
Started in 1992 by the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP), this conference provides education on management, technology, communication, leadership, and technology. But that’s not all. Stay on top of the trends affecting admins today with advanced and relevant training.
Hosted by ASAP, this summit takes place concurrently with APC’s Administrative Professionals Conference. Network with like-minded EA’s and elevate your career with sessions specific to the needs of assistants working directly with senior executives.
The Conference for Administrative Excellence
Hosted by Office Dynamics, this conference boasts sessions that will help you sharpen teamwork, networking, and leadership skills, and keep you engaged. Plus, you’ll have your chance to meet the founder of Office Dynamics and well-known author, Joan Burge.
The Administrative Assistants Conference
Looking to hone your negotiation skills or communicate more effectively? This conference, hosted by SkillPath, features two learning tracks you can choose which suits your professional development best.
This annual conference strives to keep you on top of the ever-evolving admin role. With multiple days of sessions and networking hosted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals, you’ll gain new skills and renewed excitement for your role.
Management Skills for Administrative Professionals
Emotional intelligence is an increasingly important skill for employees to have, according to the World Economic Forum. Learn to better lead, partner, and manage your coworkers, manager, and customers with this three-day session hosted by the American Management Association.
Designed for Executive Assistants, this two-day workshop gives you the opportunity to learn from prior celebrity assistant Bonnie Low-Kramen. The curriculum is packed full of topics, covering skills like technology, communication, career management, and organization.
Are you responsible for your company’s blog or newsletter? This conference, hosted by SheKnows Media, gathers together, celebrates and inspires female content creators. Hear from top content creators to hone your content creation skills.
Started by a disengaged engineer who wanted to change his company culture from the bottom up, this conference is all about building a culture you want to work in. Walk away with strategies for changing and refining your company’s culture and the tools to make the change.
This Forbes’-hosted conference features panels, interviews, and keynotes with female leaders focused on five pillars, leadership, philanthropy, health, education, and entrepreneurship. Leave feeling with the inspiration to lead at your organization and make a change.
Paying for Conferences
Actually paying for one of these events can be a big challenge. If you’re lucky, your company will pay for you to go. But if your organization is tight on cash, or doesn’t feel comfortable sending you to a conference, be ready to present a case as to why you should attend. You will be learning different skills and hearing from other organizations’ experiences. Think about how you can share that knowledge with your team when you return. What ways will it help improve communication or efficiency in the office? The knowledge transfer makes you invaluable to your organization. And, it shows that you’re eager to take on new responsibilities beyond your role. These are the things that people notice and remember when thinking of promotions.
Want to learn more about how to advance your career as an administrative professional?