what is a personal assistant?
As a personal assistant (PA), you support an executive or manager in an administrative capacity. However, unlike other admin assistants, you also complete personal tasks on behalf of the senior-level manager. You focus on one individual and help them with their routines. Hence, you are the managers' first point of contact with other employees. You also relay information from the senior manager to the team.
As a PA, you handle repetitive tasks for managers so that they can concentrate on strategic duties. Your duties involve dealing with phone calls and responding to emails on behalf of the manager. You also relay information and prioritise correspondence. You manage diaries and organise meetings or appointments, helping to control access to executives and managers.
As well as working for a company, a personal assistant can work for a private individual to help them organise their schedule. When you work for an individual, you plan their professional and personal routines. Your duties extend to maintaining your employer's daily routine, like making sure their financial obligations are paid, hiring cleaners or home employees, and ensuring they attend their appointments.
Whether you work for an individual or a company, the role often requires irregular work hours, depending on the level of support the manager needs. Working as a personal assistant requires excellent time management and organisational skills.
Would working as a personal assistant suit your time management and organisational skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a personal assistant role.
personal assistant jobsaverage personal assistant salary
According to the Economic Research Institute, the average earnings of a personal assistant in Greece is approximately €20,000 per year or €10 per hour. The earnings depend on various factors, including work experience and the scope of your role. In an entry-level position, you start with a salary of almost €14,000 annually. As you improve your experience and educational qualifications, your earnings also increase gradually, and you can take home over €24,000 per year.
what factors affect the salary of a personal assistant?
Your compensation package as a personal assistant depends on your competencies and work experience. When you work in an entry-level position, you have minimal experience and skills. Your salary is lower compared to personal assistants with extensive experience. Having additional credentials also improves your earning potential.
The complexity of your duties affects your earnings as a personal assistant. Working closely with senior-level executives makes your work complex since you juggle multiple tasks. However, when you work for a middle-level manager, you have less complex tasks and are likely to earn a lower salary.
types of personal assistants
Some of the types of personal assistants include:
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administrative assistants
As an administrative assistant, you support managers. However, your role also involves managing office workers or the administrator's team. You handle phone calls and complete clerical tasks to ensure the executive's office runs smoothly.
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executive assistants
This is a personal assistant with a more complex role. Unlike a standard personal assistant, who organises schedules and meetings, an executive assistant has additional responsibilities, like hiring and firing employees. Executive assistants are also involved in developing strategies for running the office and managing other administrative assistants.
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chief executive assistants
A chief executive assistant is like a personal operations officer for an executive. They know all the players in the business and advise managers on the best strategies to pursue. They also take meetings on behalf of senior-level executives and have more authority.
working as a personal assistant
If you're interested in a dynamic career working with senior management in the top echelons of a company, consider becoming a personal or executive assistant. Your decision-making skills will be challenged as you juggle keeping your employer on schedule and working with company staff, clients, and suppliers on multiple projects and events.
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what does a personal assistant do?
Some of the tasks of a personal assistant include:
- Receiving phone calls and correspondence: as a PA, you act as the first point of contact with the manager. You are in charge of receiving phone calls from internal or external clients. You also read emails and prioritise communication for the manager. All correspondence and communication with the manager go through your desk.
- Managing work schedules: as a personal assistant, you organise diaries and manage the executive's work schedule. For instance, you record the meetings, events, and appointments the manager needs to attend and remind them before the meeting.
- Taking meeting minutes and transcribing: as a personal assistant, you take minutes during appointments or meetings to ensure the executive has accurate records. You also take dictations from the manager and transcribe them.
- Making travel arrangements: as a personal assistant, you are in charge of organising a manager's logistics and travel arrangements. You plan transport and accommodation by booking flights or rental cars and arranging accommodation, if necessary.
- Planning events and conferences: if your executive is planning a conference or event, you complete most of the tasks and run errands to prepare for the event. Organising an event can involve sourcing vendors, budgeting for various items and sending invitations.
- Preparing and filing reports: a personal assistant writes reports, sends emails and prepares presentations on behalf of the manager. The role also involves filing reports and maintaining the database by backing up important office records.
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work environment of a personal assistant
Most personal assistants work in an office environment, but there are exceptions. Personal assistants who work with wealthy families, politicians or celebrities work in homes rather than offices. Construction contractors sometimes employ PAs to help with paperwork and deal with clients. This role requires you to travel to work sites, work with labourers and meet with clients.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the company you work for, you interact with professionals from various industries. You work alongside office managers, operations managers, marketing managers and sales managers. In construction, you work with project managers, construction managers and site managers. Other professionals you are likely to interact with include administrators, housekeepers and caretakers.
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personal assistant work schedule
Most PAs work regular business hours. That means you work from 9 am to 5 pm during the working week, usually up to 40 hours a week. However, it is crucial to be flexible when deadlines are looming or during peak seasons. Many employers offer flexible time and work-from-home options. There are also part-time opportunities in this field. You can sometimes work remotely from home since many tasks are computer-based.
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career opportunities as a personal assistant
Most personal assistants advance to higher roles or specialise in particular sectors. For instance, some personal assistants develop their skills to become executive assistants before moving on to office manager or administrator roles. Some specialise in business sectors, like becoming legal assistants and progressing to paralegal roles.
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advantages of finding a job as a personal assistant through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help
- a range of jobs in your area
personal assistant skills and education
While most employers focus on work experience when hiring a personal assistant, it is important to have some educational qualifications. These include:
- Education: you can start with an apprenticeship or complete vocational training in business to improve your knowledge of business operations and administrative tasks. Alternatively, to improve your competitiveness in the job market, pursue a bachelor's degree in a business-related course, such as business administration or business management. Some roles require specific technical knowledge. For instance, if you are a personal assistant to the construction manager, you need a background in construction to provide effective support. Human resources (HR) personal assistants may require knowledge of employment standards and regulations as well as other labour laws.
- Work experience: to work as a personal assistant, you require extensive experience in administrative tasks. Your proficiency in using Microsoft Office applications, customer relationship management (CRM) systems or project management software is important in the role.
competencies and characteristics of personal assistant
In addition to administrative experience, having specific skills, talents, or natural abilities will help you become a successful PA. They include:
- Organisation: as a PA, you are required to multitask. Multiple projects in various stages of completion rely on your organisational ability and knowledge of project management methodologies. Hence, the ability to prioritise is an important asset.
- Flexibility: things rarely go as planned. This is true in business as well as in life. As a PA, you should be able to think quickly and make decisions to keep projects on track. Your flexibility helps you accomplish more tasks and handle any issues that arise.
- Oral and written communication: any instructions you provide to junior staff, clients, and suppliers should be clear and concise, whether the instructions are spoken or written. Your writing skills help you prepare reports and minutes for meetings.
- Time management: to be a successful personal assistant, your manager should trust in your ability to complete all assignments on time and efficiently. One of the main reasons managers employ PAs is to avoid getting bogged down with administrative duties.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the role of a personal assistant.
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what exactly does a personal assistant do?
As a personal assistant, you help managers or public personalities in their homes or organisations. Your job is to keep the executive organised and on schedule by running errands, taking notes and managing their calendars. You also handle correspondence and respond to emails and phone calls, highlighting them for the manager's attention.
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what is the salary of a personal assistant?
As a PA, you take home an average salary of €20,000 annually. When you have minimal experience, you start with a salary of €14,000 per year. As you improve your experience and qualifications, your earnings increase to over €24,000 yearly.
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what skills do you need to be a personal assistant?
You require good time management skills to manage executives' work schedules and appointments. You also rely on your organisational skills to keep up with deadlines and prioritise tasks.
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how do you prepare for a personal assistant job?
If you are a first-time personal assistant, you should learn how to set priorities. Since your job is to keep someone else organised and on schedule, it is important to be organised yourself and learn about the boss's likes and dislikes.
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how do I find a job as a personal assistant?
Finding a job near you as a personal assistant is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Then log in or register an account to send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
