What Can a Personal Assistant Do For Me?

If you’re caught in the belief that to get things done correctly, you must do them yourself, you’re not alone. Many busy professionals find themselves trapped in this mindset, leading to an endless to-do list that leaves little time for relaxation or relationships.

You might have heard about personal assistants and wondered, “What can a personal assistant do for me?” Hiring a personal assistant may seem reserved for business owners or the elite, but it’s increasingly becoming a practical solution for anyone overwhelmed by their daily commitments.

In this guide, we’ll explore the many ways a personal assistant can support you, as well as highlight the tasks that may be out of scope.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Personal Assistant

The diverse skills of a personal assistant will make hiring a PA a valuable addition to your professional and personal life. Their main goal is to make your life more organised, streamlined, and efficient, helping to minimise your stress levels and increase your free time. They can handle a wide range of administrative and personal support tasks, all tailored to your unique needs.

Below are some of the typical tasks you can expect a PA to manage for you:

Manage Schedules and Calendars

A PA will keep your schedules and calendars in perfect order. They’ll organise all your appointments, meetings, and deadlines to ensure nothing falls through the cracks. This allows you to focus on more important tasks without worrying about the details of your day-to-day schedule.

Handle Correspondence

In the digital world we live in, keeping up with all your emails, calls, text messages, and social media DMs can feel like a full-time job. Plus, it’s easy to get sidetracked by responding to messages instead of focusing on your main work. Your personal assistant can take this burden off your shoulders by handling a wide range of communication tasks, from organising your inbox to replying to messages in your tone and style.

Support Administrative Tasks

A personal assistant can handle a variety of administrative tasks. Their support ensures that your professional life is productive, and your daily routines run smoothly.

Here are a few common administrative tasks handled by a PA:

• Reports and Documents: Preparing, formatting, and editing reports and documents.
• Meeting Minutes and Agendas: Writing up minutes from meetings and preparing agendas for upcoming meetings.
• Scheduling Appointments: Communicating with clients, colleagues, and others to schedule appointments and meetings.
• File Organisation: Creating and maintaining a filing system for physical and digital documents to ensure that important papers are easy to find.
• Maintaining Office Supplies: Keeping track of office supplies and placing orders to ensure the workspace is well-stocked.
• Data Entry and Database Management: Entering data into systems, updating records, and maintaining databases to ensure information is organised and easily accessible.

Personal Support

A personal assistant’s role often extends beyond professional tasks. They can assist with personal duties such as shopping, booking restaurants, scheduling personal appointments, and organising events. This level of support can help reduce stress and improve well-being by leading to a better work-life balance.

Travel Arrangements

Whether you’re travelling for business or leisure, a personal assistant can handle all aspects of the travel arrangements. These include booking flights, organising your accommodation, and planning your itineraries. Their expertise can make your travel experience more enjoyable and less stressful, ensuring that everything is tailored to your preferences.

Project Assistance

Personal assistants can offer crucial support to business owners and professionals involved in multiple projects. They can assist with project research, coordination, and tracking project progress. This can help you to be prepared and stay organised, ensuring you successfully complete the project.

Expense Management

Keeping track of personal and professional expenses can be challenging. A personal assistant can manage your finances by tracking expenses, processing invoices, paying for travel arrangements, and preparing financial reports. This financial management helps save you time while also providing insights into your financial health.

What Can’t a Personal Assistant Do?

A PA is an asset to any business owner or busy family by providing a wide range of professional and personal support. However, there are a few tasks that you shouldn’t ask your PA to do. It’s important to recognise these boundaries to maintain a productive and respectful working relationship.

Specialised Professional Services

PAs can’t provide specialised services or advice that require professional qualifications. While PAs are highly skilled, they cannot replace the expertise of professionals in specialised fields like law, accounting, or healthcare. Your PA can help you by managing your appointments with an accountant or scheduling your medical check-ups, but they won’t be able to prepare your taxes or offer medical opinions.

Unauthorised Financial Transactions

A PA can be helpful with your financial management, but it’s important to establish clear boundaries around financial transactions. Make sure your personal assistant knows they should not make large payments or financial decisions without getting your approval first. While this approach may mean you have a few extra items to check off your list, you are preventing any expensive errors or security issues. These boundaries will safeguard your finances and maintain your working relationship with your PA.

Personal Tasks Outside of Scope

The personal tasks that fall outside of scope will depend on the responsibilities you laid out in the PA job description and their contract. It’s essential to avoid asking your PA to handle any tasks outside of their set duties to avoid discomfort or misunderstandings that could impact your working relationship.

Here are a few personal tasks that may not be appropriate for a PA to handle:

Deep Cleaning Your Home

While your PA may assist with a quick tidy, it’s not expected that they scrub the floors or any other labour-intensive cleaning tasks. These tasks should be handled by housekeeping professionals who have the necessary skills and tools.

Cooking For Your Family

Your PA can assist you with meal planning and grocery shopping, but cooking for you or your family generally falls outside of their scope. Meal preparation and the cleanup take significant time, which could take them away from their core duties.

Childcare Services

It’s not a good idea to depend on your personal assistant for regular childcare. Looking after kids requires constant focus and sometimes special skills, particularly for little ones or children with special requirements.

Looking To Hire a PA?

Now that you know what a personal assistant can do for you, the next step is figuring out how to hire a PA. At Tiger Recruitment, we specialise in matching individuals and working professionals with professional PAs that align with your needs. Whether you’re looking for a permanent or temporary PA, we will provide you with a strong shortlist of candidates.

Reach out today to find your perfect PA match with Tiger Recruitment, and read our ultimate guide to hiring a PA for more in-depth insights.

Author Jane Leese Tiger Recruitment Team