[ Do make the assistant your ally. It's important to make sure the boss received your paperwork, so do inquire about that. (If the answer is no, offer to fax or e-mail another copy.) Even beyond that,] the assistant can be a great help, ... Sometimes you can get the person handling the phone to set up a meeting for you, by saying something like, 'I'd really appreciate a few minutes of Ms. Jones' time, and I'm wondering if you could help me out with that. Do you arrange her schedule?' Richard Bayer