Types of Administrator # 1: The Useless PA

The role of PA is much underrated. In fact, you often hear the job title prefaced with the word 'just,' as in 'she's just a PA.' This does a great disservice to the entire profession, which essentially keeps the University of Cockleton going. It's only due to them that academics not only turn up to meetings but actually have a clue as to what they're about.

You only realise how invaluable PAs are when you've experienced the Useless PA. The Useless PA is in no way personal and is damned if she's going to assist anyone. Oh sure, she wrote that she has 'IT skills' on her CV but that doesn't extend to anything complicated like Outlook. She's utterly bemused by these people who ring her and email her questions about Professor Bluster's diary: how the hell is she supposed to know what he's doing? And she really wishes they would stop cc-ing her into Prof Bluster's emails. She doesn't need her Inbox getting clogged up with all his shit. Well, at least she imagines it's getting clogged up because she doesn't actually know how to get into it...

If I stack files in front of this thing, will that stop the emails coming through?