personal assistant Personal assistants can be a lifesaver to the person they are working for, as they assist them to be able to achieve their everyday tasks and lives. They are responsible for making sure that their bosses’ life runs smoothly and ensure a fluid-working environment. The life of a personal assistant will be varied and busy and being the best personal assistant takes dedication and enthusiasm for working in an often fast-paces and sometimes stressful environment.

Personal assistants take on my tasks, which include running family homes, arranging their employers lives, client meetings, children’s diaries to mention just a few.

 

Tips

Some tips to being the best personal assistant are as follows:

  • Know what your boss needs and how best this can be done, sometimes before the boss even needs the task completing. Once you get to know your roles and the boss, themself, you will begin to anticipate what he/she will need next. This will ensure that the tasks get completed on time and free up time for the next incoming item on the agenda.
  • Be prepared and ready for anything your employer throws at you and don’t be thrown off balance if it is a new task. Being ready and getting to know your employer will help with this tip. Getting enough sleep before the next working day and being organised will help the PA to be full ready for the day
  • Keep your skills and knowledge up to date to ensure that you are not falling behind in your tasks. Understanding that your role can change from time, as does life will ensure that you are ready for whatever tasks you may have to complete next? Taking any training offered is a good way to keep up with the lasts technology for example to make working life easier.
  • Understand that sometimes mistakes will occur and not taking this to heart and ensuring you learn from the experience will help to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Letting your employer know when something hasn’t worked as planned will ensure that neither the PA nor employer get into a tricky situation.
  • Keep a pen and paper or your device on you at all times is essential so that you can note down agenda items or requests throughout the day quickly, which will ensure you do not forget things.
  • Understand that each employer is different and that no two PA roles are the same. A great PA will get to know the employer by observing how the employer interacts with their everyday life, this will effect how the PA needs to conduct their own work and get all tasks completed.
  • Maintain confidentiality at all times and don’t discuss private matters anywhere outside of the employer’s home. This helps ensure trust is maintained and protects the employer.
  • Take initiative and find out what new skills you can learn. This is important if you are new to the PA life or have added it to your existing working role, for example when a nanny takes on extra PA duties when children are at school.  Ask your employer how tasks can be completed and find out what needs to be completed. Always ask if you don’t know the answer to a problem because you may make a situation more difficult in the long run, if you do not.

The best personal assistants are fast, efficient and proactive to ensure that their employer can work without having to direct their PA every step of the way. They trust that their PA listens and understand what needs to be done and has this almost invisible third arm, freeing up more time for them to complete their own tasks with ease.

Written by Amy: Amy is a British Nanny and Governess with a Background in Childcare and Social Work. She is currently working with a team of Nannies as a Special Needs Governess.