Career of Executive Personal Assistant

Part I. What is profession of a Executive Personal Assistant ?

The Personal Assistant of today is someone who is Smart, Quick on her feet, Resourceful, Diplomatic, Lifelong learner, is Open to new experiences, and Thrives on new challenges.

The Personal Assistant is always changing, growing, and evolving….

Working environment: Don´t expect a typical day (everything is changing day by day, you must be adaptable!)

Demand of the job:

• Thinking ahead is one of the many talents of a good Personal Assistant.
  
• A good Personal Assistant is NOT afraid to get her hands dirty while working. (you should to know replace screw, a light bulb, move furniture, buy flowers, change the oil in a car, etc.)it directly amazes your bosses when a good Personal Assistant is able and WILLING to do these things by herself…
  
• A good Personal Assistant tackle any situation without any handholding.....
  

Part II. Become a „Indispensable“ Personal Assistant

• Your personality must be in match and very similar to your boss´s, and that your skill set compliments the duties of position.
  
• When you are on the job, you must find most creative and resourceful ways to get a task done as soon as possible.
  
• „Standart Assistant work“ implies that they do not have a great grasp on what Personal Assistant does because each job and every boss is different and has different needs.
  
• Skills / Features of a good Personal Assistant:

ALWAYS REQUEST A CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT

When you need to speak „directly“ to your boss, whatever in the case, you must be: TACTFUL, CALM, ARTICULATE, AND BE PREPARED. You will need to be able to delegate, you will have to be organized, and you will need to be someone that people want to follow…

Part III. Preparing and looking like a Pro

You need to become a diplomat and show that you too are a team player and that you respect and appreciate their job, and duties.

• Be Punctual…

Another important criterion of a good Personal Assistant is to be on time!

• Dress code

Always dress nice…..having clean, nice smelling clothes…..always be prepared.

• Friends and family connections

Keep collecting and gathering as much info as possible. Always treat everyone with courtesy and respect, even if it is not returned in kind.

• Documents

Create filing system that allows you to quickly find a document. Including date, title, and summary.

• Private info

Any private info MUST be protected.

• Remember – if anything can fall through the cracks, it will!
• You are expected to know everything .....

A lot will be asked and expected of you. A great deal of which you may not know how to do or do not know where to begin. To be successful you must to be resourceful.

(A big part of your position will be delegating to others who do knot how to handle a specific task. You are not always expected to do everything by yourself, but you are expected to get it done.)

Part IV. Keeping your Value

Keep in mind being assertive never means being rude, being a bully, belittling someone, or just plain being mean.

Never take „NO“ as the final answer. Be creative, be vigilant !

Keep in mind that a big part of your job is keeping your boss as stress free as possible.

Keep the golden rule: „Do not speak unless spoken to.“

Learn to be sensitive to your employers needs and try to work on accommodating their desires even if sometimes it´s unspoken.

• Travel

You will still have to handle all aspects of the travel and be well prepared to deal with any changes or last minute surprises.

• Last minute change of Plans

You will need to keep a specific itinerary of everything that´s occurring so you can accommodate any changes or surprises that arise.

If you do not enjoy your job, you will really get homesick when you are away for long period of time and travels.

• Being Master of the Manners

You need to possess a pleasant demeanor, strong work ethic, excellent organizational skills, and confident attitude to succeed.

Treat bosses home like your own.

If you take everything to heart, and make it personal you will not enjoy your time as a Personal Assistant.

The main point is that while the life of a Personal Assistant can be exciting, it is still a job and there will be times when you will feel it.

• How to never Get fired

What you can do….., however, is to make yourself valuable. You will give your employer a sense of pride in having you in her/his team.

Take pride in what you do and continue to be a team player. Treat people with the same respect you yourself would want in return.

The more you challenge yourself the more you will grow with every challenge.

• Conclusion

Take pride in your work. But most of all enjoy your life. Don´t forget that you don´t live to work, you work to live. Spend time with the people you care most about. You are someone who is in control, who understands what it takes to have successful, fulfilling life. You are someone the boss can not do without. You are the next successful Personal Assistant. Congratulation.

Resource:The Essential Handbook for Personal Assistants
Tools For becoming Or Hiring The ultimate Personal Assistant
Written: Craig.S.Copeland