Personal Assistant Job Description
A personal assistant (PA) is someone who is hired by a person, who typically is overloaded with menial tasks, to cater to their professional or personal needs. A personal assistant’s job will demand that they be a very good communicator (both written and oral), organizer, and efficient at all tasks placed at their responsibility. Computer literacy and typing are required, as well as having a good understanding of programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Job descriptions typically request the applicant to be skilled at the following:
- Being immediately available to answer phone calls, emails, and messages during all working hours
- Take notes and remembering important information on the fly
- Ability to keep sensitive information confidential
- Be a skilled communicator
- Be able to set up meetings, organize, and be a team leader when needed
Personal Assistant Duties
Duties may vary from job to job. A personal assistant hired by a lawyer may well need a whole set of different skills than a someone hired by an entertainer. One thing is common between all those that are hired to be personal assistants, and that is to be a great communicator. Common duties held responsible by personal assistants include:
- Providing administrative and secretarial support
- Booking travel accommodation (flights, hotels, car rides)
- Managing sensitive day-to-day data and keeping it organized
- Prepare paperwork
- Becoming a power of attorney
Personal Assistant Salary
- Salary: $41,080/yr
- Hourly Rate: $19.75/hr
(Source: BLS.gov)