Apprenticeship Personal Assistant Jobs

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Behind every manager is an organised Personal Assistant (PA). The PA carries out the organisational work on behalf of the manager who is in charge of a group of staff. They will support the manager in organising trips, transport, communication and dealing with phone calls.

A personal assistant needs to be trustworthy as they will often deal with sensitive information.

PAs can be found across lots of industries, including law, entertainment, accountancy, property and marketing.

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FAQs

FAQs

What does a Personal assistant do?

While an administrator looks after the team, a personal assistant carries out the organisational work on behalf of one individual, usually the manager. They act as the manager's first point of contact, the go-to person. A typical day for a personal assistant will be:

Arranging travel, transport and accommodation
Meeting and greeting guests
Communicating with staff and suppliers
Dealing with emails and phone calls directed for the manager
Organising events and conferences
Collecting material such as receipts and filing expenses
Creating and maintaining office systems, such as colour coded filing
Organising diary and reserving appointments

As well as supporting their manager, the PA will have personal responsibilities such as:

Carrying out background research
Presenting research as reports
Working more closely with management
Standing in for the manager, handing out work and making decisions in their absence
Being involved in decision making

Skills & interests required for a Personal assistant

A good PA must be confident when greeting guests, highly trustworthy (as they will be party to confidential information), able to analyse and present information clearly, and be in possession of initiative to create new office systems.

What hours does a Personal assistant typically do?

Personal assistants tend to work the standard office hours, which is normally 9 am - 5.00am. However, as the PA, you might be expected to work a few extra hours during peak times and when deadlines are close.

What environment is a Personal assistant based in?

An office.

How much does a Personal assistant travel?

How much travel you need to do will depend entirely on the company you're employed by and how much the manager travels. You may be required to travel with them.

How much does a Personal assistant get paid?

A personal asssistant will earn around £18,000 - £25,000 per annum, depending on location.

The salary will tend to reflect the living cost of the city. For example, in central London, starting salaries range from £22,000 to £30,000.

The average salary of an experienced PA is around £33,000 per annum.

What qualifications does a Personal assistant need?

GCSE English and Math are standard entry requirements for most jobs. Apart from this, there are no formal academic qualifications required for PAs although some companies will ask for A-Levels. Very few will ask for degrees. If a degree is required, a degree in a communications, technology or business field will be an advantage.

Other routes include secretarial courses or diplomas online or via a tuition college.

Most employers require previous experience working in admin for up to two years. The experience can be gained by working temporary jobs as receptionists, junior secretaries and administrators, which can, in turn, lead to permanent work.

Many PAs will work their way up from junior positions.