What is a personal assistant?
A Personal Assistant (PA) works with senior staff to provide one-to-one support. Unlike an administrator who tends to look after a team, a personal assistant typically carries out administrative work on behalf of one individual.
A Personal Assistant needs to have a deep understanding of the company and know who the key personnel are, as they are representing a senior member of staff.
How to become a Personal Assistant
To become a personal assistant, you could take a college qualification to help you get a job as a junior personal assistant. Courses include:
- Level 2 Certificate in Business Support
- Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration
You could do an intermediate or advanced level apprenticeship in business administration before working your way up to a personal assistant position.
For the entry requirements, you’ll usually need:
- Some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Personal Assistant Duties:
There are many roles and responsibilities of a personal assistant, including:
- Monitoring a reporting manager’s email and responding if required
- Preparing communications on behalf of a manager
- Answering phone calls
- Act as the point of contact between the manager and internal/external clients
- Handle requests and queries appropriately
- Organising events and conferences
- Typing, compiling and preparing reports, presentations and correspondence
- Implementing and maintaining procedures/administrative systems
- Liaising with staff, suppliers and clients
- Deputising for the manager, making decisions and delegating work to others in the manager’s absence
- Booking and arranging travel, transport and accommodation
Personal Assistant Skills:
To be an effective Personal Assistant, you’ll need certain skills and competencies. The following are often cited in job vacancies:
- Excellent administration skills
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Honest and reliable
- Discretion and an understanding of confidentiality issues
- A calm and professional manner
- Time management skills
- Ability not to flap in a stressful situation
How to find a personal assistant job
Personal assistant jobs are advertised online, in local newspapers and at your local jobcentre. To find all the personal assistant jobs near you;
- Search for Personal Assistant jobs on popular job websites such as; Indeed, Total Jobs and CV Library
- Use the DWP’s Find A Job Service
- Check local newspapers and local Facebook groups, especially groups dedicated to local jobs
Personal Assistant Job Titles
When you search for a personal assistant job online, be aware that the jobs might be advertised using a different job title. Popular job titles for personal assistant jobs include;
- Personal Aide
- Personal Secretary
- Administrative Assistant
- Executive Assistant
- Office Assistant
- Administrative Coordinator
- Administrative Secretary
What does a personal assistant do?
The day-to-day tasks of a Personal Assistant include;
- Taking notes and writing minutes during meetings
- Conducting or preparing any research that the reporting manager may require
- Various ad hoc requests
- Source office supplies
- Produce reports, presentations and briefs
- Devise and maintain office filing system
- Organising events and conferences
- Reminding the manager/executive of important tasks and deadlines