What is a PA?
An executive secretary, personal secretary, or assistant to the president, is a personal assistant who works closely with top staff to provide administrative support. This usually happens one-on-one. Senior staff need to keep track of their work, manage their time and make sure the office runs smoothly. This is an important role that should not be taken lightly.
The Skills a Good PA Needs
It is essential to have these skills in order to succeed as an assistant/secretary.
Organisational skills.
Communication and interpersonal skills.
Good written skills.
Time management skills.
Trustworthiness. Discipline. Responsibility.
You must be committed, motivated and enthusiastic.
Understanding different work styles.
Active listening skills.
Productivity.
Under pressure, calmness and coolness
Team work.
Accuracy, attention to detail
Flexibility, adaptability
Each of these skills can be considered and compared to your current abilities. These attributes can all be acquired with practice.
Looking for a Course?
Our PA courses UK are designed to provide secretaries and assistants with a deeper understanding of what skills are required in order to carry out their duties to the highest extent.
What Qualifications Are Required?
You will need to have the right qualifications to become a PA/secretary. It all depends on what company you are applying for. Many companies offer training, which can be done on the job.
One or more of the following accomplishments should be your goal:
5 GCSEs (grade C and above), including English and Maths.
You have limited handwriting skills.
IT proficiency including word processing, diary management and document management.
Foreign language skills.
A full, clean driving license.
An NVQ Level 3 or 2 in Business Administration.
A Higher Professional Diploma In Business Administration
City and Guilds Advanced Diploma
BTEC Business Studies.
A Personal Assistant diploma/training course certificate.
An internship, temporary work or work experience as a PA is also an advantage. Experience plays a big part in securing a role as a PA, so the more qualifications/experience you have, the higher the chance is of you acquiring a position.
Personal Assistant duties
Your employer can choose to make a PA perform a variety of tasks.
The following are the duties of a PA:
Organising meetings.
Making reports and taking notes during meetings.
Maintaining records.
Managing diaries.
It is important to ensure compliance with all health and safety laws.
Answering phone calls and managing emails.
Making travel arrangements
Take care of visitors to the workplace.
Dealing with accounts
Participating as a representative of their manager/employer at events
Before you apply to a personal assistance job, make sure that you are confident in your ability to perform each role. You will gain valuable experience and be able to pinpoint your strengths.
How can a PA’s career develop?
A personal assistant does not have a clear career path. Most likely, you are already working for the most senior person within the company. The skills that you acquire on the job can be transferred easily, so you could always move to different companies or roles if you want.
You might be interested in the following career opportunities as a secretary or assistant:
Promotion to higher management.
Transferring to a larger organization
Management of a small admin team.
Promotion to working under multiple managers
Assisting and managing a junior assistant.
Moving into a different department
You can become self-employed.
Working overseas using developed language skills.
An PA position offers you many opportunities to learn and expand your skills. This career path is a great way to make yourself a more desirable candidate.
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