Do you know the signs of spring? Robins return, snow melts and the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) sends out news releases to announce Administrative Professionals Week. The annual observance happens from April 20 to 26 this year — a full seven days to honor the women and men who handle all the administrative duties in your company.

According to the IAAP, today's administrative professionals can be expected to do tasks such as preparing spreadsheets, purchasing office equipment and participating on project teams.

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And, while some still may be called secretaries, others doing this work have titles such as administrative specialist, office coordinator, executive assistant and office manager. More than 4.2 million people worked as administrative professionals in 2006.

With all those admins, there's a pretty good chance that some are reading this column. If so, welcome; this one's for you. The following are seven tips for career and job management that I provide for administrative professionals.

1. Keep up with technology. In most departments, the administrative professional is the hub of all activity. Information flows through this important post, but not always in the same form. Hence, the admin must master office software, design programs, Web languages and intranet technologies.

In a small company, this person also researches and purchases the computer equipment and may even network the workstations. If you're an administrative professional who is not comfortable with technology, you may need to consider a career change sooner rather than later.

2. Manage your own training. Your company may offer tuition reimbursement, but that doesn't mean that someone is looking out for your training needs. Admins, in particular, can be overlooked when it's time to send people to conferences or classes. The solution is to watch for training opportunities and present the information to your boss yourself — maybe during Administrative Professionals Week.

3. Commit to doing only 80 percent on some tasks. Admins are known as great perfectionists — and even control freaks. While those qualities are strengths in this job, things can get out of hand. Regularly review your assignments and look for things that you can do less comprehensively.

For example, do the handwritten notes you took at yesterday's meeting really need to be retyped and then e-mailed to everyone? Perhaps you could type a quick summary, with a message that the full notes will be photocopied for anyone making the request. Chances are that no one will ask, which may indicate that perhaps the notes aren't necessary.

AMY LINDGREN

WORKING STRATEGIES

4. Learn to say "yes." When invited to work on high-profile projects and committees or to join a cross-disciplinary team, the proper answer is "Yes, thank you." These are career- and skill-building opportunities that put you in contact with key people in the company.

5. Learn to say "no." To whiners, time-wasters, energy-sappers . . . In some offices, the admin's desk is right in the flow of traffic, which means he or she can't escape all the passers-by who want to chat a minute. This is a special social challenge, but you can overcome it. Find a way to communicate that you're too busy to talk or that you'd rather chat later, when you both have more free time. Just don't let the situation continue, or you'll be exhausted before the day even gets started.

6. Request your reviews. For whatever reason, administrative professionals often get overlooked for performance reviews. Perhaps they work so closely with their supervisors that the reviews seem redundant, or maybe the lack of upward mobility makes the exercise seem pointless. Even so, the review is an important meeting at which both parties can clear up misunderstandings and refresh themselves on common goals for the position.

7. Ask for your raises. In most offices, the admin's role is so essential that the group couldn't function without him or her. Talk about a blank check! Of course, the budget may not hold the money for a raise, but you'll never know unless you ask, right?

Looking for more information about careers for administrative professionals? Check the IAAP Web site: www.iaap-hq.org.

Enjoy your week!

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecaree rservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.