Be the Ultimate Assistant: A celebrity assistant's secrets to working with any high-powered employer - Softcover

Bonnie Low-Kramen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0976326817 ISBN 13: 9780976326816

Publisher: Nk Publications, 2012

Synopsis

5th Edition release date August, 2012 Foreword by Olympia Dukakis. A must-have insiders guide! Real life tools and advice for every professional assistant and their high-powered employers. A first-hand look at the world of a celebrity assistant, and its application to the larger realm of all professional assistants. Enlightening and entertaining, this book is filled with true stories and lessons from author Bonnie Low-Kramen's 25+ years working with Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. Low-Kramen is also a co-founder of New York Celebrity Assistants (NYCA). THE AUTHOR COMMENTS... I love being an assistant. In fact, I strive to be an ultimate assistant, someone who seeks excellence and improvement - not just on some days, but every day. I don't always succeed, but this is what I try to do. Are you so inclined? Ultimate assistants are like that, and I am privileged to know quite a few, including some whose experiences are in the book. I wrote the book for three reasons. The first is that this work is frequently misunderstood and has been subject to warped misconceptions by the media. The second is that there are too few resources for assistants, and certainly not only those who work for celebrities. Third, there is a tremendous curiosity about the work. I decided that I was in a unique position to set the record straight and tell it the way it really is to those who actually want to know the truth of it! 18 chapters include: How do you find a job? Glamour, Glitz and other perks. Salary & Benefits. Stories & quotes from assistants. Skills & Qualities Needed for the Job. Public Speaking. Event Planning. Resources-To-Go.

About this title

About the Author

Ms. Low-Kramen is a passionate spokesperson on issues concerning professional assistants and enjoys setting the record straight. As a result, she has been quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NY Post, and Vanity Fair, and interviewed on Entertainment Tonight and Good Day New York among others. She is a guest speaker at assistant conferences in throughout the US, Canada and the UK. Ms. Low-Kramen worked to create NYCA in 1996 with seven fellow celebrity assistants. It is the only organization of it s kind on the East Coast. In 2003, she was honored by her peers for career achievement at a ceremony in Beverly Hills. Ms. Low-Kramen's work with Olympia Dukakis has included close involvement with the Academy Award win for Moonstruck, the 1988 presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, travel around the world to places such as Sydney, London, Alaska and Prague and numerous awards shows and benefits. A New Jersey native, Ms. Low-Kramen holds a B.A. degree from Rutgers University in English and Theatre. She worked in public relations and marketing for not-for-profit theatres in Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston before returning to New Jersey where she became Public Relations Director at Olympia Dukakis Whole Theatre in Montclair, NJ. Her latest venture in sharing her knowledge is as the instructor of weekend workshops for assistants in major cities in the US.

Review

Bonnie's book is such a great accomplishment! She fully describes the often misunderstood role and day-to-day experiences of a celebrity assistant, which most definitely translates to the world of all administrative professionals. Any individual who interacts with high-powered people - or wants to - will truly benefit from the information that Bonnie shares in this book. --Hope Rippere, former CEO Communications Manager, Hewlett-Packard Company --Hope Rippere

Be the Ultimate Assistant is a must-read for assistants and employers alike! Bonnie's years of experience with Olympia have served to create the ULTIMATE resource for any assistant looking to develop a successful and long-lasting relationship with an employer. An employer myself, this invaluable guide provided me with the perfect blueprint to follow in my search for a personal assistant. Bonnie clearly demonstrates the do's and dont's of a productive rapport in bite-sized and entertaining anecdotes, and in-depth personal experiences. This book finds it greatest success by debunking the myth of the employment hierarchy by spelling out the reality of every successful working relationship - teamwork. --Anonymous employer-New York, NY --Anonymous

If you are interested in becoming a professional assistant, this is a must-read. It defines all the skills you'll need to be successful, gives a historical and future look at the profession, and includes humorous anecdotes that will keep you entertained. The paradox is that it is both an instruction manual and a page turner. The author's realistic approach can inspire those who were meant to be a successful professional assistant. As a former NY personal assistant and current certified Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor supporting assistants, my specific interest in reading the book was to learn more about the technology challenges professional assistants face. Not only did I discover an author who has undeniable expertise, but one with a sense of purpose to help others succeed in this extremely competitive area. While many people in the business hoard information, Bonnie demonstrates a refreshing collaborative approach. --Vickie Evans CEO Redcape Company- Dallas, TX --Vickie Sokol Evans

About this edition

• Publisher: Nk Publications
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0976326817
• ISBN 13: 9780976326816
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 176