A personal assistant is a job title for someone who helps a particular person to carry out administrative and personal tasks. Assistants provide services that alleviate their bosses the stress of having too many tasks. They are sometimes regarded as PAs or personal secretaries.
Being a personal assistant comes with expectations and responsibilities which are;
- The Personal Assistant may be the first contact in the office of the employer. So the PA is required to meet and greet visitors.
- The Personal Assistant receives phone calls first; it then screened and sent to the boss if it is relevant. The PA also receives inquires and requests from other members of the organization and takes them to the boss.
An Assistant also deals with incoming mails and faxes on behalf of the employer. The Assistant also sometimes sends and replies to emails on behalf of the boss.
- An Assistant also takes and makes appointments. The PA makes sure that each appointment is relevant to either the work or personal life of the employer. After the appointments are made, the PA organizes and maintains the diaries.
- An Assistant helps the employer with time management. The PA ensures that time is judiciously used in a way that no task is left undone. The PA ensures that all meetings and conferences are at the right time and the employer does not miss any of them.
- Most times, the PA also attends these meetings. During these meetings, the assistant takes dictation and minutes so as to have records of what was being said at the meeting to aid work and decision making. The assistant makes sure the meetings are properly organized if the employer happens to be the host.
- The PA also makes sure that the boss is ready for the meeting. The assistant carries out research about the subject matter of the meeting and presents findings to the boss, preparing the boss mentally. The PA also prints documents and makes presentations for the meetings on behalf of the employer to prepare the employer materially and physically.
- A Personal Assistant also ensures that data is well kept and managed. The PA devises the best way to arrange files either physically or digitally to aid work and maintain available data.
- A Personal Assistant arranges traveling plans for the boss. The PA secures travel tickets, visas, and accommodation for the boss. And on some occasions, the personal assistant might have to follow the boss on these trips.
-
In some cases, the personal assistant deputizes the employer and is involved in the decision-making process. Here, the personal assistant takes some responsibilities of the employer and delegates to work in the absence of the employer.
- On personal levels, the personal assistant’s work might include running errands, making dinner plans, or going to the kids’ recitals or games.
