Also known as an executive assistant, a personal assistant provides help and support to the upper management of a company. Some of their day-to-day duties often include replying to correspondence on behalf of executive team, preparing of meeting rooms for clients and providing directional assistance to other employees within the company. Some other duties involve the screening of phone calls, meeting and greeting visitors of all seniority, as well as making travel arrangements, such as booking hotels and flights.
A personal assistant is generally the first point of contact for a manager from both internal and external enquiries. The qualifications needed to become a personal assistant vary from job to job, while business training is definitely considered to be an advantage. Personal assistants are are essential to an executive team, and the ability to work unsupervised and use their initiative is highly desirable. The average salary for this position in the UK is roughly £18,000 per year.

Personal Assistants perform administrative and clerical duties. These employees perform a range of hands on functions to assist in the smooth running of their bosses’ offices. High-level assistants or executive assistants do HR tasks and often act as office administrators. They have intimate knowledge of every aspect of their managers’ lives and are required to be discrete. Some are requested to sign confidentiality agreements.

Assistants should be talented multitaskers who can perform several tasks proficiently. They are able to use projectors, faxes, computers, laptops, PDAs, blackberry phones, typewriters, copiers, scanners, and shredders. Their work environment is dictated by the industry they are in, including their salaries and benefits. They are efficient helpers who make their employers working lives much easier.   their salaries and benefits. They are efficient helpers who make their employers working lives much easier.

The responsibilities of a Personal Assistant include:

• Scheduling appointments
• Handling enquiries
•  Answering calls
• Sending and responding to emails
•  Organizing schedules and diaries
• Creating and editing files using Microsoft applications
• Creating business documents, brochures, manuals and reports
• Delegating assignments when required
•  Researching and dispersing data
•  Negotiating for supplies, services and equipment
• Conducting employee orientation

• Discretion
• Excellent communication
• Multitasking
• Computer savvy
• Proficiency and consistency
• Organization and reliability
• Flexibility and tact
• Respectful and approachable
• Level headed
• Motivated, focused and capable
• Punctual

The education of a Personal Assistant is relative to the industry they are working in. The level of their qualification is subjective to the position of the person they will be assisting. Assistants must be patient, enthusiastic, hard workers, and professional. College students usually intern as Personal Assistants to prepare them for the working world.