It's no big secret that administrative assistants are using different tools today than they did 10 or 20 years ago. It's also no big secret that as technology continues to evolve, the work of the admin will continue to change. To be able to change with the times, admins need to keep up on what's new.

`The Times, They Are A Changin'

"We have gone from the manual typewriter to the electric typewriter to computers with one megabyte hard drives and green screens to the computers we have now," says Yvonne Arendt, president of the St. Paul chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). "Now I do a lot of my work on a Blackberry and bring little jump drives to presentations."

And it isn't just the act of typing documents that has changed. Business processes have changed - fueled by many factors, including technology.

"A lot of executives do their own correspondence," says Arendt. "They type it up and e-mail it to you and ask you to put it on letterhead."

Arendt says there is an increasing need for virtual assistants - assistants who use technology to serve clients remotely. For instance, thanks to wireless technologies, Arendt can do her work almost anywhere.

"I can be in a conference call while out of the office," says Arendt.

When looking to technological upgrades, it's important the admin be able to train others - including managers - on the new equipment. Happily, equipment is becoming easier to use.

"One of the key pieces is to look for something that is very simple to use," says Arendt.

The Future

OfficeTeam conducted a study called "Office of the Future: 2020," which examined trends that may change the workplace in the next 10 to 15 years. The survey showed that technology will have an impact on the sort of work admins do in addition to how they do it.

"Technology will continue to reshape the workplace, changing how and where we conduct business," said

Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "As a result, flexibility and adaptability will be sought-after attributes in employees at all levels."

Robert Elsenpeter is a freelance writer from Blaine.