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[quote=Anonymous]I think the problem, OP, is that the job descriptions for "assistant" vary so widely these days, and ultimately, it also very much depends on who you work for. I have worked in BigLaw, MediumLaw and a non-profit in DC. My BigLaw boss was wonderful and I was highly motivated to go out of my way to make his life easier, in addition to executing the things that were part of my job description. He assigned a lot of personal tasks, which was sometimes annoying and sometimes fun. My non-profit boss was a horrible nightmare who was terrible at communicating her expectations and delegating even simple tasks. My impression was that the organization had not really figured out what they wanted the person in that position to actually be doing - she would have me place calls for her but was not okay with me answering her phone, she wanted me to schedule meetings for her but wouldn't share her calendar, she wanted me to book travel for her but didn't want to share her personal details. My MediumLaw bosses have vastly different expectations of me, which are based on their individual practices and tailored to my specific skills. They are respectful and professional.

I will say that I am automatically skeptical of employers who flat out say "thou shalt not surf the Internet while at work". I agree that you shouldn't be shopping online all day, but there are times when there really just isn't anything to do. I've already filed everything. I've already done all the billing and all the time entry and all the expense reports. Your calendars and contacts are all up to date. I've wiped my desk down and refilled the printer paper and stocked up on pens and paperclips. It's 2pm and you're in a meeting for the next hour and a half. What, exactly, would you want your assistant to be doing in that scenario? I ask because I am literally in that scenario right now, at 10am on the day after the 4th of July.[/quote]

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