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INFORMATION BOOK SPONSORS How to book PA Life Courses You can book for a full day and choose two courses at a cost of £175+VAT, or attend one course for half a day for just £90+VAT each. Full day attendance (£175+VAT) Including: Two training courses Course materials Morning and afternoon refreshment breaks Networking lunch Half […]

Global travel management specialist Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) provides solutions for organisations in more than 150 countries. PA Life Editor Colette Doyle picks its brain to find out how management assistants can make travel planning that much easier. First, she asked: “CWT recently launched the Travel Stress Index, which measures the financial impact of lost […]

You might have some doubts in the back of your mind about whether your office Christmas party will be a hit with the rest of the team. To help you avert a potential festive farce, here are some handy hints on how to avoid the top Christmas party clangers. The sit-down mealWhile we all like […]

A broad knowledge base and the ability to learn from others are essential skills that many successful people share, according to former Special Assistant to President Clinton and White House Director of Events Laura Schwartz (pictured). “I have found throughout my career and especially in my years at the White House that all great leaders […]

As I get to visit a fair few restaurants in my capacity as PA extraordinare, I can vouch for the fact that, sadly, many of them seem to have been fitted out in a bland, identikit type of way – interior design 101 if you will. Imagine my delight, then, when I was invited to […]

I like to get out and about, as regular readers of this blog will know, but usually I confine my travels to zones 1-6 of the TFL network. Last week, however, I was invited by the lovely people at Malaysia Airlines to jet off to Kuala Lumpur with a select group of other lucky PAs. […]

Getting your boss safely from A to B is one of the holy grails of being a good executive assistant. Here, PA Life asks four experts from leading TMCs for their top tips on making travel arrangements and their take on current trends within the market. “Industry evidence shows that, on average, airfares are cheaper if […]

If you’re looking for a more flexible way of working that will allow you to be home-based and pick and choose the clients you want, then you might consider switching to a VA role. With lots of companies now outsourcing their executive management positions and dedicated agencies for freelance office professionals springing up, there’s never […]

I have been out and about on the town again this week. First up, was a shindig for Ascott serviced apartments – they’re a Singapore-based company that has literally oodles of properties in all sorts of far-flung and exotic-sounding places, like Doha, Bangkok and Tokyo. Personally, I liked the sound of the new Citadines Suites […]

Normally when your boss asks you to do something, you’ll unquestioningly fall into line and carry out their request. After all, they’re the ones paying your salary, carrying out your appraisal and the person you need to keep on the right side of – plus, they’d never do anything untoward, surely. Alas, this blind faith […]

The personal assistant role is now a career pathway for many, as office professionals develop their multi-tasking skills, become excellent time managers and act as the second brain of their boss. PAs require skills in anticipation, forward planning and strategic thinking. During the 1980s, research into women in the workplace by Professor Susan Vinnicombe at […]

A classic and often time-consuming task for a PA is finding suitable presents to reward staff and clients. PA Life takes the stress out of shopping with a selection of corporate gifts for all occasions, such as Spicers (pictured), which packs thousands of gift, corporate and personal hampers every year from its base in Hythe […]

Pitman Training has launched the Super Achiever Awards to reward people who are committed to driving their careers forward. With nominations now open, the organisation is looking to recognise a top PA. Pitman has gathered a panel of successful businesswomen to judge the nominations and choose a winner for PA of the Year, including Laura […]

INFORMATION BOOK SPONSORS Join us for the first in a series of PA Life training courses, for an exciting day that gives youthe chance to meet and network with over 100 key professionals who are looking to source new suppliers. This intimate event provides the perfect platform for only 20 solution providers to promotetheir latest […]

Gifts are ideal for showing appreciation or rewarding loyalty, but businesses must take care that the delivery enhances the reputation of the company that is offering the gift. Mandy Precious guides us through the essentials. Timing – make sure you give yourself time to research, plan and implement your gifting programme. Take into account the […]

Continuing professional development continues to be a tremendously important topic for managerial assistants, with the PA Life debate at this year’s Office show showing that training is considered a worthwhile and essential investment by staff and employers alike (look out for the full story appearing in the November/December issue). With this in mind, PA Life’s […]

The rate at which technology is advancing can bring enormous benefits to your role as a PA. Whether you are responsible for your company’s training and recruitment policies, or you need to learn new skills to get the most from the latest Microsoft technology, it is time to consider IT training. Philip Badman explains why. […]