It takes a special kind of person to be a personal assistant. They’re hyper-organised, great at communicating, and highly reliable. You could say they’re as valuable as gold dust to the executives they support.
Find out how to become a professional personal assistant in the UK with guidance from our recruitment experts. We’ll share information on must-have skills, role requirements, the average salary, and where you could take your career in the future.
What do personal assistants do?
A personal assistant's job is to support senior staff members by taking care of their administrative and secretarial duties, leaving them free to focus on value-add work.
A PA typically acts as their senior staff member's first point of contact. They handle all correspondence, book meetings, and ensure their time is prioritised and allocated efficiently.
The 'personal' nature of the role means that a PA's daily tasks differ depending on the senior staff member they support and the company they work in. The support is tailored to the needs of the individual.
Examples of tasks include:
- Diary management
- Booking meetings
- Preparing presentation materials
- Planning travel arrangements and booking tickets
- Writing correspondence and documents on behalf of senior staff
- Reporting and filing
- Running errands
- Screening calls and taking messages
- Taking/distributing meeting notes
How to become a personal assistant: qualifications and skills
Personal assistants don’t necessarily need qualifications to find employment, but most employers will look for proven administration experience.
Georgia Sym, Robert Half Practice Manager of Human Resources, Personal Assistants & Office Support says:
“Employers look for a reception or team assistant background when they’re hiring for a PA. They want evidence that the candidate has supported people before, whether it be a team, or just one person.”
The key to success as a PA is to have the right mix of soft skills. The role is best suited to people who are organised, detail-oriented, good at multitasking, and able to handle sensitive information with discretion.
“Organisation skills are essential,” says Georgia, “you need to be organised and must love organisation. Employers also want candidates who can time manage and prioritise — the higher up you go, the more demanding the people and the tasks become. They’ll want evidence you can juggle multiple plates.”
Other personal assistant skills include:
- Excellent communication skills across all levels of the business
- Proficient in MS suite
- Flexibility Proactive and independent
- Good initiative
- Excellent problem-solving skills
What’s the difference between a Personal Assistant and an Executive Assistant?
Personal assistants and executive assistants (EA) have very similar jobs — both help support senior staff with day-to-day admin tasks. The main difference is that an EA reports to the executive team (such as the CEO or another member of the C-suite) and will also help with project management on behalf of their assigned executive.
Georgia says:
“When hiring for an EA position, employers will be looking for candidates with proven experience as a PA, preferably several years’ worth. They’ll want evidence that you’ve supported senior people, such as MDs or partners. Finally, EAs need experience with upward management — the best candidates can find the balance between listening to what their superior says and telling them what to do or where to be.”
How much does a personal assistant earn in the UK?
According to the Robert Half Salary Guide, a personal assistant UK salary can start from £28,000 and reach an average of £30,750, with the most experienced PAs earning anything up to £39,000.
You can boost your earning potential in London, where personal assistant salaries are the highest. You could earn an average of £37,515 and, with enough experience, could negotiate up to £47,580 with the right employer.
You’ll need industry-specific knowledge and +10 years of experience to increase your earning potential as a personal assistant. According to the National Careers Service, head offices, architectural, food & beverage services, and real estate sectors show the most demand for personal assistants in the UK.
Future career opportunities for personal assistants
Now you’ve figured out how to become a professional personal assistant, you may be wondering what other opportunities are open to you in the future. Luckily, working so closely with executive and upper management individuals gives you unrivalled support when pursuing new opportunities, especially if you choose to stay with your current employers.
Personal assistants and executive assistants have the skills to move into business strategy. Working with upper management gives an unparalleled insight into strategic decision-making at a top level, and your interpersonal skills would be extremely valuable.
Due to the nature of a PA or EA job, you could transition into a project management role, as you’ll already have plenty of experience managing multiple tasks, organising, and communicating across all teams and levels.
As a personal assistant, you could also side-step into an executive assistant role. This is especially good if you’d like more project management tasks thrown in with your daily duties or would prefer a more hands-on role.
Are you ready to start your career as a personal assistant? Browse open roles now or upload your CV to our website and let our recruitment experts help you find your perfect fit.
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