I can completely understand the rules about any odors.  I have a real problem with people making popcorn, in particular.  You know, that's a great smell when you make it yourself, but when you are still full from lunch and have no desire to eat anymore, it can be nauseating.

The same goes for perfume and cologne.  I swear people literally bathe in it sometimes.  I'm particularly sensitive to scents and on the occasions when I've used one myself, barely use one spritz.  I think if you should only be able to smell a persons' perfume if you are withing kissing distance!

I would love to have my bosses that close.  I sit outside one of their offices, and then I support one person down the hall, another one who sits around a corner and down a hall and one who is on the 8th floor, while I'm ont he 4th.

At my last job, I was the direct support to the President who sat on 5 while I sat on 2.

Personally, I head to the office and slow down as I approach to listen in for conversation.  If I hear nothing, I head on it.  I figure I can always apologize and scoot on out of the room quickly.

Wow, I'd like to thank everyone here for their input.  It has given me a lot of food for thought.  When I turn off that 'dreamer' in me, I am quite happy in my role as an admin.

I wish I could let go of my dreams, but some stubborn part of me just can't.  I feel I'm doing a diservice to myself by not getting a job waiting tables to scrape buy while I desperately try to work on stage.  But, I just know that my psyche can't take that.

Anyway, Thanks again to all!

So, nobody grew up wanting to be a Doctor, Lawyer, Police-person, Business person, Nurse, Veterinarian etc...?  I can imagine a young woman growing up in the 1940's having the dream of being a "Career Girl" someday, and having that career mean Secretary in a big business, but in this day and age, that same girl (or boy, such as myself) can grow up to be the person who hires an assistant.

Maybe I feel differently because I am a man in this profession, which has long been held by women.  I feel that when the mostly male corporate world sees me, they wonder, why is he doing that job?  

Hello all,
I'm new to the site and am so far finding it invaluable.  I have been working either in a temporary or full-time capacity as an Admin/Executive Assistant for 8 years now.  I've made it to relatively high level, supporting multiple high level managers at a Finance Firm.  I've never had any official training in business or assisting.  Everything I've learned, I have learned on the job and quite frankly, have never thought of this as my career.  

Are there folks out there who really thought, when I grow up I want to assist others for a living?  I mean, I do like helping people, but I can't help but look around sometimes and think, I could do what they're doing if I had the same education as they did.  Problem is, I'm a singer who is putting so much energy into my day job that I'm too tired to pursue my real passion.

I guess I'm looking for encouragement and a way to view this as a career rather than a job.  

That is great!  My favorite clips on America's Funniest Home Video's are of when this happens.  It is such a "human" thing to do.  

I'm so aware of it now that I always test before I go through a suspect doorway that could be glass.