The above list is not exhaustive because the scope of the Personal Assistant role can be wide and varied.Īs mentioned above, the Personal Assistant title and the Executive Assistant title are sometimes used interchangeably. sourcing and ordering stationery and office equipment, managing and reviewing filing and office systems, taking action points and writing minutes, delegating work in the manager's absence, preliminary drafting of correspondence on the manager's behalf, answering calls and liaising with clients competently, reading, monitoring and responding to the manager's email, Maintaining confidentiality is a fundamental requirement for PAs because ultimately, building a strategic relationship with their manager is only possible if their manager trusts them enough to keep them in the loop about what is going on in the business.Ĭorporate Personal Assistant positions demand competence and skill in the following areas: They should be confident enough to delegate upwards to their manager's direct reports in order to effectively manage their manager's time and workload. PAs should be capable of competently managing the office in their manager’s absence. This makes the PA role a highly stressful one, as PAs also have to accommodate special projects and deal with shifting priorities. Private secretaries, Celebrity Personal Assistants and PAs who work for high-net-worth individuals typically work for one person, but corporate PAs often acquire more and more managers over time, and the diary and inbox management pressures that accompany them. Gone are the days when PAs worked exclusively for one manager. They typically support senior managers, executives and teams. Personal Assistants are calm under pressure and capable of thinking on their feet in a crisis. PA refresher training and Advanced-level PA training are all essential for continuous professional development, which should be considered essential maintenance for the PA role. They also need to keep up-to-date with the latest apps and gadgets, and with professional best practice. PAs manage and source resources and conduct research so they need to be well informed about many things. MAINTAINING PERSONAL ASSISTANT DEVELOPMENT And at least an intermediate-level knowledge of Microsoft Excel.

At the very least, PAs should have advanced-level skills in Word for Windows and Microsoft PowerPoint. One of the most important requirements of the PA skill-set is IT literacy.

Presentation assistant comparison