I started my career as an Administrative Professional in 1977.  A few months after completing secretarial school, I got a job in Word Processing at the Montgomery Ward corporate office in Chicago.  I absolutely loved it!  I'd found something I was good at that people were willing to pay me for.  I used the IBM Mag Card I typewriter, graduating to and becoming proficient on more advanced mag card equipment.  By the time I left Wards after 5-1/2 years, I had mastered the Wang.   After Wards, I worked in other several word processing environments, mostly as a temp.  I didn't actually become a "secretary" until I started working for the American Bar Association in 1984.  I worked as a temp for the Resource Development department.  They liked my work so well they hired me full time.  I was at ABA for 3-1/2 years, left there and went back to temp work.  I ended up at the American Hospital Association where they liked my work so well, they hired me full time.  (Can you see a pattern developing, here?)  I was secretary to four attorneys for 5-1/2 years, in which time they converted from Wang to WordPerfect 5.0 on a Unix network.  I had already taught myself WordPerfect on the single personal computer in the department, so I'd learned a little DOS in the process as well.

I made my move to California on a Sunday.  I got a temp assignment at a credit union in Pomona that same week.  I almost got hired there full-time, but the offer was rescinded when my boss got demoted.  I declined to continue there.  Perhaps not such a wise decision as I was unemployed for 5 weeks afterwards, the longest in my career.  I learned that the pay for Administrative Professionals was MUCH better in Los Angeles, so I went there.  Two temp jobs later, I was offered the job full-time after four days, a personal record.  And so I have been with Baxter Healthcare Corporation ever since. I became a member of IAAP in April.  I've known about the CPS exam for years, but was always afraid the exam would be too hard.  Well, I've learned a lot and seen a lot of changes; I'm ready, now.  I'm studying to take the exam in November.  When I pass, it will be the culmination of all my experience throughout the years.