Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn (Orion, £7.99) This book has topped US and UK best-seller lists. It’s the fascinating story of a relationship, perfect for the daily commute. On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne’s wife Amy disappears. The first half of the book concentrates on and is narrated by Nick, with […]

Rivers of London – Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz, £7.99) Probationary PC Peter Grant has been left to guard a murder scene in Covent Garden when he meets a witness to the crime. Unfortunately for him, the witness is a ghost. Swiftly re-assigned to the Met unit that deals with ‘the uncanny’, Peter combines his procedural training […]

Busy PAs who are responsible for booking business travel will understand the need for effective communication before, during and after the booking process. Historically, changes to travel plans come through on email and it can sometimes be difficult to view email trails and spot any changes that have been made by the traveller – particularly […]

Pre-register now for any of these four half-day courses and get 10% off when you confirm your booking. The courses will take place on 1st May 2014 at the Emirates Stadium in London, with 50 places available on each course. {sfg:12}

When I opened my contacts book a couple of months back, and invited female friends, colleagues and acquaintances to join me for drinks, little did I know how life-changing the evening would prove to be. I was even less prepared for the fact that it would inspire a completely new career path. Only when I set about compiling the […]

With competition for jobs higher than ever, it seems the secret to impressing employers might be right under your nose. New research shows that smelling good increases your chances of success in interviews, as one in 20 Brits have rejected a job applicant because of how they smelled. The research, commissioned by flexible workspace provider […]

Job-hunting can be a pain, but it’s a necessary evil if you’re keen to progress in your career yet are stuck in a dead-end job. Now you no longer need to trawl through countless, non-specialist sites, or visit lots of individual agencies, all vying for your attention. You can breathe a sigh of relief, as […]

If there is one thing that PAs would change about their job apart from the salary, it would be to highlight the important contribution that they collectively make to UK businesses every day. After pay issues are taken into account, long hours, their colleagues’ misconceptions and feeling undervalued top the list of PA bugbears, according […]

Stressed office workers are suffering in silence and employers aren’t doing enough to resolve the problem. This was the principal finding of a poll recently carried out by mental health charity Mind. Almost half of all workers surveyed (45%) said they were expected to cope without mentioning stress at work, while a third (31%) claimed […]

The search for Britain’s longest serving PA has culminated in the announcement that the winner is executive assistant Avril Dibbens. The longest serving, current, full-time Ministry of Defence civil servant can now proudly add this title to her long list of career achievements. August 1962 is when Ms Dibbens began working in the typing pool […]

We all know how important adding a personal touch is when sending corporate gifts – and how easy it can be to get it wrong. That’s why every bottle you order from tippletreat.com will arrive beautifully packaged with a personal hand-written message and not a printed label made to look like handwriting. You provide your […]

Go Ape is the UK’s multi-award-winning forest adventure company with 29 Go Ape Tree Top Adventures nationwide. Visitors can experience a liberating sense of freedom as they swing through the forest on zip wires, cross wooden walkways and bridges, tackle obstacles and leap off Tarzan swings while enjoying some of Britain’s most breath-taking scenery. With […]

Free attendance to special networking events and PA Life Club sponsored events   Throughout the year, and around the country, the PA Life Club will host free receptions, drinks and networking evenings at top class venues. Here you can mix and chat with other PAs and meet the PA Life magazine editor, all in relaxed, […]

Main Sponsors Join the PA Life Club today and meet other PAs at some of the best networking events in town! You could be attending, absolutely free and as our VIP guest, one of these great networking events: Thursday 14th August – Newmarket Racecourse, Newmarket Complimentary table for 10 guests, champagne and canapé reception, four […]

Oxfordshire is known for its rolling countryside, historic architecture and academic facilities. This, alongside fully equipped modern facilities, provides the ideal backdrop to any conference or event.   Oxford has so many famous attractions that visiting delegates will be spoilt for choice. Alongside the 38 colleges and countless gardens, halls, chapels and museums, which are ideal settings […]

All the best institutions have an amusing anecdote at their origin and The Palm is no exception. If a New York City clerk had paid more attention, the restaurant would actually have been named Parma, after the home town of the founders, John Ganzi and Pio Bossi, but the gormless pen-pusher had trouble understanding their […]

Royal China is a group of restaurants that has its London clientele queuing out of the doors at lunchtime. Bearing this in mind, we choose to venture further north-west to the spacious Harrow venue, writes Nicole Holgate. The locations are all decorated in a similar elegant style with red, black and gold, while being airy […]

Negotiating the terms and conditions of a contract with a hotel can prove to be a minefield if you’re not careful. To ensure you know how best to handle the situation, Nikki Farr outlines her top tips to help PAs navigate their way.   To be honest, there are very few of us who like […]