Personal Assistant – Job Description
Main Duties
A personal assistant or PA will work closely with senior staff, completing administrative tasks. They tend to work on a one on one basis where they will do jobs such as making appointments and keeping them aware of their dairy events. They will type up things for them, do their filing and deal with other tasks to reduce their managers workload. The may have to analyse documents and deal with items that are company confidential.
They will need to know how the organisation works and know who the main personnel are in the company. They will have to communicate with people on behalf of their manager and handle their work while they are out of the office.
Work would normally be office based and Monday to Friday 9-5 although overtime may be required at times. It may be possible to work part-time or flexible hours for some companies.
Expected Salary
A starting salary would be £20,000-£25,000 rising to £33,000 with experience in the role. There may also be benefits such as a pension, health insurance or gym membership depending on the size of the organisation.
Pros
An interesting and varied job.
A good salary with the chance of it rising to a good level.
Normally working within standard office hours.
Cons
Can be high pressured.
Have to work alone sometimes so no good if you need pushing.
Responsible position ensuring manager is well organised.
Qualifications Required
This job may require an HND or degree and those with a business or management related subject would have more chance of securing a position.
GCSE Maths and English would be required for all applicants.
Certain industries may require specific qualifications such as a law background for work in a legal department.
Two years experience in office work would normally be required in a secretarial or administrative role.
There are some specific qualifications that could also help secure the role such as an Executive PA Diploma.
Typing, shorthand and other vocational qualifications could be useful as well.
Required Skills
Good communication skills, written and oralDiscrete and able to keep information confidential where necessaryAble to work alone and use initiativeAble to work under pressure and reach deadlinesGood time management skillsWord processing and IT skillsAbility to quickly take in information, understand and analyse it and able to present it
This is a great job for those who can follow instructions carefully and pass on messages etc.
It’s quite a decent starting salary, and if you’re PA to the right person, it can be a very likeable job to be in. As mentioned in the original post, you can usually be working alone, which is ideal for those who like to work alone. If you’re a very sociable person, you might want to consider whether or not you’d enjoy a job like this.