The digital era has made email and other forms of electronic communication an integral part of our daily lives at work. However, a recent survey conducted by office supply company Avery reveals that there’s still something to be said for the use of traditional “snail mail”. Birthdays, as you might expect, are the top occasions […]

LinkedIn was launched in 2003 and by the end of 2014 it had nearly 350 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. Long considered the social networking site for professionals, if you’re in business, it is basically expected that you have a profile there. Being the largest network of professionals, LinkedIn has […]

Forgetful Brits are losing priceless data every year because they fail to back up their phones and computers, according to new research. One in five never backs up their home computers and more than a third never bothers to do so on their mobile phones. A quarter of the 1,000 UK adults who took part […]

Writing good minutes is an under-valued talent. Taking notes is a basic skill and anyone can scribble down a rough outline of a meeting, but to take good notes and create minutes that provide a comprehensive and accurate reflection of a meeting requires the use of thorough procedures and a few clever techniques. Whatever the […]

A little bit of soul-searching can work wonders for your career, according to celebrity PA Donna Coulling. Donna is one of the trainers at the next PA Life Training Day and she will be looking at how management assistants can bring their external ideas and interests to the workplace in order to enhance productivity. She […]

There’s plenty to explore in the latest issue of PA Life, whether you’re looking for some ideas for your next event, or simply want to find out what’s happening in the world of admin professionals. The March/April issue features a bumper 26-page supplement packed with a huge variety of venues that are ideal for all […]

Administrative professionals have a difficult job that includes a huge range of responsibilities. As somebody who supports a manager, it’s important for a PA to possess high self-esteem and there are three aspects of their professional abilities in which confidence is a must. SkillsPAs are given the unique opportunity to develop a broad range of […]

If you feel your emails are running amok, its time to tame them. Here are some quick tips and techniques for getting your inbox under control When your inbox is peppered with emails you haven’t read or replied to and you can’t find what you want even though you know it’s there, it’s easy to […]

Taking notes and minutes at meetings is a core competency that admin professionals need to develop and Angela Garry’s session at the next PA Life training day will ensure that your skills are up to speed. As well as having 17 years’ experience of PA roles, Angela now runs a successful training company called Pica […]

London restaurants are going up in the world – quite literally, writes Colette Doyle. Long-time stalwarts such as the Paramount at Centre Point have been joined by newcomers including Sushisamba at Heron Tower and Aqua at the Shard. And now there’s City Social, (pictured) located on the 24th floor of Tower 42, close to the […]

Ensuring the safe journey of your executives is at the forefront of most PAs’ minds. Choosing the right travel management company (TMC) can be integral to that and offering complete visibility of travel arrangements is a key attribute for a supplier. Here, Good Travel Management explains how it can help those PAs booking travel from […]

The role of the PA has always been one that requires a certain amount of self-confidence. With such a wide variety of tasks to handle on a daily basis and the need to concentrate on them in order to be successful, it’s important for management assistants to know how to be assertive when they feel […]

Personal assistants spend a lot of time at work so being in a role you enjoy helps make the day seem more bearable. Here are some helpful hints for finding your ideal job, as well as a few top tips for ensuring you get hired. It’s important to ask yourself some questions in order to […]

The art of delegation can be difficult to master, but it is a vital workplace skill. Effective delegation can save you time, energy and stress while building a strong, successful team who feel valued. People often avoid delegating tasks, because they struggle to relinquish control or don’t have faith in the abilities of their colleagues, […]

What do a pyjama-wearing employee, a sleepy member of staff and a client with bad personal hygiene have in common? They all feature in the embarrassing stories collated by AirConUK.co.uk, which has been canvassing input from office workers up and down the country. One client of the air conditioning and fitting company recalls a female […]

Sometimes business leaders find themselves so pressed for time that having an assistant can feel like adding another task to the to-do list, especially if he or she is new. However, agreeing on a concrete system for delegating work can relieve some of the stress. The most important point is to have a single, shared […]

To achieve the positive outcomes we require from our business interactions, we need to communicate accurately and effectively. So how can you improve your interpersonal communication skills? If you are asked to name the most important tool you use in your day-to-day life you might not think immediately of your communication skills, but our ability […]

Time, safety and reliability are increasingly common factors when making travel arrangements for senior management. Your boss is certain to appreciate a flight schedule that doesn’t oblige him or her to leave home at the crack of dawn, and one that allows him to return before it gets ridiculously late. Being able to maximise the […]