Catch up on news and see what's planned over the next couple of months. No Images? Click here Time for a career ‘spring clean’? ☝ We're regularly contacted by organisations looking to recruit PAs, and also by members and PAs relocating to the area looking for roles. There have been occasions when we've been able to connect a PA looking for a role, and an organisation looking for a great PA, which is very rewarding. That said, we should stress we are not a recruitment agency! There's definitely been an increase in these types of enquiries just recently, with the majority of those looking for a new role citing lack of training and progression opportunities in their current role as being the reason they are looking to jump ship. As you know, we have been working long-term with companies to understand the importance of this and whilst we have made some progress, there is still much work to do. So, if you're thinking it might be time for a change, the following resources are definitely worth checking. FUTURE-PROOF YOUR CAREER: Free e-book by The Executive Secretary Executive Secretary also recently shared a FREE e-book, as part of their Administrative Professionals Week celebrations, which looks at the future of the profession, what skills are going to be needed and how to future proof your career. LET YOUR SKILLS SHINE! Free key skills cheat sheet by the Practically Perfect PA Practically Perfect PA (Nicky Christmas) recently shared a great article looking at the key hard skills to include in an EA CV. Download her 'cheat sheet' of 35 key skills with examples of how you can phrase these skills in your CV to showcase these attributes to best effect. We hope these resources will prove useful. Even if you're not looking to move roles—it's still a great idea to keep up to date with what's happening in the profession and what skills you should be looking to develop to ensure you stay at the top of your game. Best of luck! Monthly Business Breakfast / Th 16.05. / 7.30amDevon & Cornwall Police's Cyber Protect Office, Laura Cowie, will tell us how we can protect ourselves against the growing cyber threat. Easy Car Maintenance Class ★ Special offer: free event ★ / Th 30.05. / 7.00pmLearn how to check levels, understand dashboard warning lights, how to check your tyre tread and change a wheel at this fun - and free- workshop! Outlook Masterclass with Paul Pennant / We 10.07. / 9.00amA repeat of the Masterclass we held in February by popular demand. Spaces are very limited. This course will deliver 156 productivity hacks to save you an hour a day! Check out the Eventbrite page by following link below to see the amazing testimonials from our February cohort. Email Management Masterclass / We 07.08. / 5.00pm-8.00pmJoin us at Froginwell Vineyard with Dr Monica Seeley for this interactive masterclass for PAs and EAs who want to save time dealing with email to improve their own and their organisation's productivity. Cost £25. Word, Excel & Powerpoint Masterclass with Paul Pennant / We 25.09. / 9.00amAs with all computer-based office tools, we tend to use familiar features and functions and ignore the rest. You will learn how to really use these effectively to produce amazing professional documents, spreadsheets and presentations, and with the use of Paul's breath-taking shortcuts, it needn’t take you hours! He'll share 420+ time saving tips with you. Sharing food to combat loneliness : Age UK initiativeHave you seen this fantastic initiative by Age UK Exeter which was featured in Grow Exeter Magazine? It's the brainchild of Fundraising Manager Jacqui Cornish, who told a gathering at the Devon & Exeter Institute recently that for many of the older people they work with, the thing they miss the most is sharing food with other people, and that more and more elderly people are skipping meals to avoid eating alone. She also revealed some startling statistics of the negative impact that loneliness can have on health. Did you know that loneliness is as bad for health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day? Or that loneliness can increase the risk of death by 29%? The aim of the initiative is to encourage us to organise get-togethers, dinner parties—you name it—to raise money, which in turn will support Age UK to run a number of social support projects that bring people together to share the company of others. Read the full article in Grow Magazine to learn more and find some great ideas for fundraising events to support this fab initiative: Have your say: ‘Today's PA’ survey Please take a moment to complete this short questionnaire—so that Paul Pennant can pull together results and share them with us in his article. — the Leaders Club by Sampson Hall — Exclusive dinner at Britannia Royal Naval College An opportunity for just 40 guests to attend a very special dinner at the prestigious Britannia Royal Naval College with tour and after dinner speech by Phil Sampson. Sa 08.06. / 4.30pm - 12.45am — the Leaders Club by Sampson Hall — Talk: Creating Success Organically Karl Tucker, the Executive Chairman of Yeo Valley and a member of The Leaders Club will headline the event. He will discuss the history of Yeo Valley and how they have become one of the UK’s largest organic food brands and one of the biggest independent, family owned, dairy businesses. Great networking over wine and canapes. Tu 09.07. / 6.30pm - 8.30pm ★ EPAN Special offer ★ 50% off ticket price Use code EPAN50 to get ticket Stay tuned in for the latest info: Watch out for our next newsletterIn the meantime, please do share ♥ this newsletter with colleagues and contacts who you think would enjoy being part of our network - or encourage them to subscribe to our updates through our website (www.exeterpanetwork.com). Take care y'all and hope to see you at an event soon! Kim Glover |