Personal Assistant

Marion McLeod
604 Harmony Lane
Pleasantville, CA 94588
(925) 555-1234

Personal Assistant • Technical Support • Office Manager

Top producing IT and office management professional with a career reflecting progressive advancement, superior accomplishments, and talent for building/retaining client and team loyalty. Motivated by challenge, and inspired by the power of technology to streamline time-intensive, repetitive tasks. A perfectionist and rapid-fire learner; expertly train people at all levels of understanding—exhibiting high performance standards, patience, and integrity. Acknowledged for capacity to multitask independently, and coordinate demanding administrative operations.

Key Credentials
Ÿ IT Training: Group and Individual Instruction
Ÿ Basic Computer Maintenance
Ÿ Critical Problem Solving
Ÿ Conflict Resolution
Ÿ Technology Desktop Support
Ÿ Confidential Record Keeping
Ÿ Workflow Planning
Ÿ PC Network Installations
Ÿ Website Development & Maintenance
Ÿ PC Inventory Management
Ÿ PC Operations/Data/Back-ups
Ÿ Database Management & Updates
Ÿ Inventory Control
Ÿ Document Management
Ÿ Efficiency Improvements
Ÿ Desktop Publishing
Ÿ PC Installations & Configurations
Ÿ Office Machine Maintenance
Ÿ Mail Merges & Distribution
Ÿ Executive Liaison & Support
Ÿ Itinerary Planning
Ÿ Sales Support
Ÿ Data Entry/Typing
Ÿ Dictaphone Transcriptions
Ÿ Accounts Management

Technology: Office XP Professional (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, FrontPage); Microsoft Works; HAMBS2, MS Project, MYOB Accountants Office, Lotus Notes, ClarisWorks, PageMaker, Internet and email.

Business Experience

DEFENSE HEALTH, Melbourne
2003–Present
Personal Assistant to CEO
Position Summary: Travel arrangements, event management, meeting minutes, complaint handling, executive reporting, inbound/outbound correspondence, building security, office maintenance arrangements, document/report/presentation creation, invoice payments, and research. Communications conduit.
Appointed during a period of significant organizational change with the appointment of a new CEO, several seasonal event projects in progress, and work backlogs. Quickly mastered procedures and company practices despite the lack of operational manuals or training.
· Revamped office procedures for streamlined operations. Redesigned internal memos, manuals, and reports; transformed archives to a modern, user-friendly and easy-to-retrieve filing system.
· Assumed control of stalled special event arrangements. Researched protocols and processes and successfully coordinated the staff Christmas function, executive and board luncheons, and formal dinners.
· Identified tardy uniform supplier, 6-months overdue in delivering goods. Established an evaluation committee to cut existing ties with existing supplier, scrutinize alternate vendors, and select new uniform garments and “look.” Initiative saved costs, and boosted staff morale with a fresh new appearance.
· Boosted flagging staff morale by launching a series of activities and fundraisers in collaboration with the social club. Spearheaded merge between company and social club Christmas functions to stretch funds.
· Act as management buffer and CEO’s representative, juggle inbound and outbound communications diplomatically and professionally with management team and staff.
· Proofread and edit all submitted documentation for CEO’s review ensuring all information is both accurate and to a high professional standard.
· Improved customer service levels by logging complete details of enquiry and steps to resolution.
· Relieved other departments’ work overflows by assisting with claim backlog processing, business development activities, proofreading, and more.

YWCA of England & Wales, Oxford UK
2002–2003
IS Support Assistant
Multifaceted technical, training and support role resolving hardware, software, and network configuration issues across the England/Wales region.
Quickly won reputation as the first point of contact for all end-user system issues from providing basic software training to novice users, through to fault identification and resolution of PC breakdowns, dialup and ADSL issues, and preventative maintenance on telecommunications and peripheral hardware from printers and faxes, to photocopiers and telephones.
As the resident “system guru,” professional expertise became a sought-after commodity throughout the organization, prompting travel to regional offices—training staff from company directors to caregivers, computer novices to intermediate end users on the salient points of software and hardware operations; provided step-by-step information on methods to resolve basic system and software issues prior to calling desktop technical support, minimizing the burden on technical support staff, and allowing faster return to productivity for regional personnel.
· Conducted detailed audit organization-wide. Surveyed end users’ understanding of personal computers, software, and network operations, and used findings to construct multi-level training sessions for one-on-one or group instruction.
· Collated technical assistance data that exposed old equipment, machinery, and software incompatibilities as the primary cause of technical support calls. Won management approval to upgrade office equipment, software, and personal computers, alleviating productivity issues for end-users and lessening the burden on internal and technical support.
· Coordinated stock levels, streamlining system to assure greater availability of “in-demand” stock.
· Personally devised and presented seminar to girls aged 11–16 on “Using the Internet” at the “It’s a Girl Thing” conference, YWCA, Leeds. Seminar attracted 80–100 young women, with feedback highly positive on the presentation and content.

MYOB AUSTRALIA, Blackburn
2001–2002
Technical Support Specialist
Distinguished from colleagues as the only non-accountancy qualified team member recruited to provide advanced technical support on the company's flagship software product—MYOB's Accountant's Office.
Cited by end users, team members, and management for technical troubleshooting talents in resolving reported application issues including program/user errors, and hardware/software incompatibilities. Evaluated and tested beta software for potential desktop conflicts, and composed help guides/instructions published online.
Volunteered to assume multi-tiered customer service and sales roles, processing new orders, creating client license files, and registering new client details.
· Reshuffled time and resources to juggle technical support calls building to a peak of 2000 daily by end of tax year 2001. Dramatically improved call volumes and customer service responses through rapid issue identification and standardized resolution.
· Reduced team members' “time-on-call” by conducting informal training sessions on product features, standard support questions and fixes, and customer service methods.
· Devised incisive interviewing techniques to drill down to core customer issues, adapting style to communicate at each client's level.

CABLE & WIRELESS OPTUS
1998–2001
Customer Service Representative, Telephony & Entertainment, South Melbourne
2000–2001
Relocated from Sydney to assume dual front-line customer service and administrative role, resolving customer conflicts/disputes. Acknowledged for efforts in developing a successful customer “win-back” repertoire integrating components of problem ownership, active listening, rapport building, and reasonable compensation offers.
Ÿ Overhauled customer database plagued by inaccurate information and sporadic data update checks. Established general templates and standards to restore order, assure easy access to customer records, and standardize data entry functions.

Systems Administrator, Finance Department, North Sydney
1998–2000
Embarked upon rapid familiarization curve to learn complex SAP integrated system modules, and evolved to offer knowledgeable technical assistance to the support team and business manager. Independently coordinated training for all modules, set user profiles and security levels, and maintained email registers. Over time the role grew in both complexity and accountability, expanding to accommodate the intensive executive support needs of the business manager.
Launched upon a comprehensive revamp of systems and security for privacy protection and system integrity. Redesigned all security forms, established new security measures, and spearheaded new procedure for all forms/user securities and permissions.
· Pioneered innovative online education system for all users, detailing modules, features, help guides, and information on projected maintenance downtimes and upgrades.
· Slashed time spent on training with new hires and dramatically reduced potential for error, by creating a new procedure manual detailing step-by-step procedures for completing routine tasks.

ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED HOSPITAL, Neurology Department, Camperdown NSW
1998
Receptionist/Personal Assistant
Selected for challenging multi-tiered role over several high quality candidates despite no previous experience in the medical sector. Provided top-level executive support to the Professor of Neurology; managed travel plans, personal diary, and shouldered the administrative burden to free time from excessive routine tasks. As the first point of contact for patients, provided an assuring, professional and comforting presence; scheduled and confirmed appointments, recorded payments, and answered general enquiries. Juggled multifaceted administrative tasks, managing supply ordering, transcribing dictated medical records from tapes, and typing correspondence.

ADECCO AUSTRALIA
1996–1998
Personal Assistant, United International Pictures, Finance Department
1997–1998
Temporary assignment included data entry, multi-line telephone management, and sales support.

Office Administrator, Victorian WorkCover Authority, Investigation Department
1996–1997
Supported major project to prepare a large brief of evidence for court submission.

PRIOR EXPERIENCE

· Accredited Seller, TAB, 1993–1997
· Clerk, Video Times, 1995–1996
· Volunteer/Youth Worker: Doncaster & Templestowe Youth Services; Bulleen Special School; St Hillary's Anglican Church. (1993–1995)

Education & Training

Bachelor of Arts
Psychology & Computer Systems
Monash University (Deferred)

Additional Training:
Fireworks Customer Service Training Course • Time Management Course • Introduction to HTML • Medical Terminology Program • Youth Ministry Training Seminar
• Summer School of Youth Leadership
PRWRA
Gayle M. Howard -getinterviews@topmargin.com - Top Margin - http://www.topmargin.com