Q: This is my first serious job after graduating. My boss puts a lot of trust in me and lets me do almost all of her writing. I do her business letters to other executives, create ideas for promotions at some events and I get to attend as her assistant. What I am not allowed to do is to say that I wrote or came up with the ideas for anything. She signs all the correspondence and takes credit for literally everything. I am introduced as her assistant, which sounds like I'm some sort of administrative helper.

I was excited when I got the job because I was told I could do a lot of the writing and creative work. I've worked for her for a year and I am tired of others treating me like I'm a secretary, even though I know some make good money. That is not who I am, and I did not go to school and work my butt off to do well for someone else to take credit. What can I say to her? I think a year of tolerating this is enough.

A: You've done well so far — doing well in school and graduating, getting a job where the boss has confidence in your ability and allows you to take on her work, completing tasks to the boss' satisfaction, enough so that she wants to claim credit for them, and working in the job for a solid year to show your commitment. Now, all you need is a little more patience and an understanding of job positions, and you'll do well.

First, don't worry about overtly taking credit for your work product. You'd be surprised how observant and aware employees are of who is the figurehead and who does the work. You should email to yourself a copy of all your finished projects. Don't use your company's email for anything personal. That email belongs to the company and it holds the rights to communication made from that email address. You do have the right, though, to build a portfolio from your assignments, even if they hold your boss' name. It sounds like she has hired you as an administrative assistant and has given you more responsible tasks because of your ability. Be thankful she is allowing you to gain actual work experience, instead of using you as a secretary. You are in your first year of work, and this is a time to prove yourself. Maintain a great relationship with your boss and be happy she likes the results of all she has given you to do.

Following the chain of command in a company is rule number one. As an assistant, your goal is to make your boss look good. When you have solid experience, you can start searching for a job with the title you want. Be aware that many jobs don't offer byline credits to the employees. Perhaps that's why so many people create their own personal blogs, which is also valid as a credit to you.

Yes, you could likely get another job, but it is not likely that it will be a better job after only one year in the workforce. Take advantage of the fact that your boss likes you and your work. If you can continue to build your portfolio for another year before leaving, you will increase your chances of getting a better job than the one you now have. Though millennials think job-hopping is not important, repeatedly leaving jobs after a year will not help you build a career. Patience and looking at the big picture is difficult for many, but compared to the number of years you will be working, a year is minimal.

Email all questions to LindseyNovak@yahoo.com. For more about her, visit www.lindseyparkernovak.com or follow her on Twitter @TheLindseyNovak and Facebook at Lindsey.Novak.12. For past columns, visit Creators Syndicate Website at www.creators.com.