Just as the responsibilities of senior business leaders will differ significantly from the junior staff in their organisation, personal assistants will face different expectations based on the unique requirements and status of their Principal.<\/p>\n
A high-profile personal assistant, often called an executive assistant, works with professionals in top-level positions, and holds a similarly high-pressure role. Here, we\u2019ll explore what their day-to-day responsibilities include, and the skills and character traits the best personal assistants possess.<\/p>\n
Chief executives, senior managers, and business leaders of every stripe are under constant demand for their time, expertise, and guidance. It\u2019s the role of a personal assistant or executive assistant to shield their Principal from any unnecessary distractions and disruptions.<\/p>\n
They will handle time-consuming admin, travel booking, diary management, and be the gatekeeper for communications. They may also take on tasks relating to their Principal\u2019s personal life.<\/p>\n
They allow the Principal to stay focused on the important tasks and, as a result, help keep the wheels of the business turning.<\/p>\n
As they work with powerful businesspeople in a high-stakes environment, \u00a0personal assistants need to have a particular set of qualities for them thrive in the role. The most valuable of these include:<\/p>\n
Like their more junior personal assistant counterparts, high-profile personal assistants will take on a lot of the admin tasks relating to their Principal. Below, we\u2019ll look at the most common tasks.<\/p>\n
The diaries of senior managers will be handled by their personal assistants. This means the assistant will have a complete understanding of where their Principal needs to be at any given time of the day, and what they will be doing. This could be a client meeting, giving a speech at a conference, or even attending their child\u2019s school play.<\/p>\n
As well as knowing where their Principal should be at a given time, a high-profile personal assistant will often be in charge of getting them there. Booking taxis, trains, planes, hotels, and restaurants is all within the assistant\u2019s remit, and they will need to have the quick-thinking to make adjustments to these bookings, should anything go wrong.<\/p>\n
Certain senior staff may require their personal assistant to take full responsibility for their email inbox and phone calls. If this is the case, the assistant will need a strong grasp of the language and tone they should use in every interaction.<\/p>\n
A high-profile personal assistant will be in charge of organising and storing their Principal\u2019s physical and digital documents. Many of these documents will contain sensitive information, and will likely be needed in the future, so an assistant needs a good organisational head, and an understanding of physical and digital security.<\/p>\n
As well as performing a range of business-related tasks for their Principal, high-profile personal assistants will often offer support for personal matters. The extent of this crossover into the personal side will be up to the Principal, but typically personal assistants may be expected to handle the following.<\/p>\n
During busy business hours, personal assistants may be asked to run shopping errands. It could be taking a suit to a tailor, picking up from the dry cleaners, or purchasing a birthday gift for a family member.<\/p>\n
With their excellent organisational and diary management skills, high-profile personal assistants are a great help when planning personal events. From booking a function room for an anniversary party to finding a day in the diary for a picnic with the family, the responsibility is often be passed on to a personal assistant.<\/p>\n
Alongside handling their Principal\u2019s diary, personal assistants may be required to oversee a family schedule too. This could include children\u2019s after-school and weekend activities, family holidays and more.<\/p>\n
Many high-profile personal assistants manage junior personal assistants within the business, and so are a natural choice to help manage their principal\u2019s household staff. They may be expected to handle household staff rotas, payment, and hiring.<\/p>\n
Due to the seniority of their Principal, high-profile personal assistants will be entrusted with a lot of sensitive information. Whether it\u2019s information in the reports they compile, or private discussions with clients and other senior colleagues, the assistant must treat everything they encounter with complete discretion.<\/p>\n
Leaked information can have a huge negative impact on every aspect of a business. The company\u2019s public image, consumer confidence, profits, and employee morale can all be affected, so any personal assistant who is party to confidential information should have a proven track record as a trustworthy employee.<\/p>\n
More than any other assistant, a high-profile personal assistant will have direct relationships with clients, senior management, and even their Principal\u2019s family. Therefore, it\u2019s important that they have a naturally sociable and polite manner.<\/p>\n
In many day-to-day situations, a high-profile personal assistant will be the voice of their principal \u2013 answering emails, phone calls, and talking with colleagues in the office. They should be able to communicate clearly to avoid any misunderstandings and diffuse potential issues from both clients and colleagues.<\/p>\n
Although the high-profile personal assistant role may be very one-to-one, it also requires a knack for teamwork. Most businesses will have more than one senior manager, and so more than high-level assistant. Just as the managers must constantly work together to best direct the business, so too will their personal assistants need to co-ordinate on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
Read some of our most frequently asked questions on the responsibilities of a high-profile personal assistant below.<\/p>\n
If you’re looking to hire a high-profile personal assistant or other support staff, check out our ultimate guide to hiring a PA<\/a> and get in touch<\/a> with your requirements today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" High-Profile Personal Assistants Just as the responsibilities of senior business leaders will differ significantly from the junior staff in their organisation, personal assistants will face different expectations based on the unique requirements and status of their Principal. A high-profile personal assistant, often called an executive assistant, works with professionals in top-level positions, and holds a<\/p>\n