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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Recruitment site SecsintheCity has announced the winners of its 2013 awards. Sherri Eckworth at Tullo Marshall Warren won the top honour of PA of the Year (pictured). The site launched the PA of the Year Awards in 2012 to recognise the hard work and professionalism of PAs and to acknowledge their contribution to the organisations […]
Having a great CV is not enough on its own – to get called in for an interview these days, it must be accompanied by an attention-grabbing cover letter. These two documents work hand in hand and you will fail to elicit the desired response from an employer if only one of them is any […]
Own up to your mistakes, keep your boss’s private information confidential and never stop learning – these are just some of the pointers you should keep in mind if you’re aiming to hone your PA skills and seriously impress your exec. According to business etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, making an excuse instead of having the […]
Donna Coulling, (pictured) PA to Helena Bonham Carter and Rachel Weisz, may have started out wanting to be an actress, but she now knows a thing or two about what it takes to become a celebrity PA. Donna gave visitors a look into how she got where she is and how others can follow in […]
A reported 80% of travel bookings are done by email, so imagine an application that shows live schedules and availability, enabling a busy PA to send requests rapidly to their travel team, safe in the knowledge that your chosen flight can be booked immediately. No going backwards and forwards with your travel agent, searching for […]
Wave goodbye to generic, typed online greeting cards and the hassle of finding a shop, buying the over-priced stamp and locating a post box. Say hello to fast and fun, personal, handwritten quality cards right at your fingertips. Helping you to make messages personal is the new Inkly iPad app, which is the first and […]
All the best institutions have an amusing anecdote at their origin and The Palm is no exception (pictured). 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 […]
One prevailing industry trend is the demand for improved technology and innovations that will help PAs do their jobs more effectively. Adam Fidler looks at a piece of kit that is transforming the profession. I would imagine you’ve heard of the “iPad revolution” – where many people now rely on tablet computers in their day-to-day personal […]
The ExecSec Summit at Whittlebury Hall gave delegates the chance to have a break from the serious business side of the event and don some madcap disguises in a video booth, where they also answered a series of revealing questions. The PAs were asked about the strangest request their bosses had ever made, to which […]
The downturn in the UK’s economy over the past few years has led to companies shedding staff, with the knock-on effect that PAs have had to assume new duties and chief among these is corporate event planning. In fact, an overwhelming 96% of office professionals now have responsibility for planning their companies’ functions, according to […]
As the autumnal weather starts to kick in, the clocks have gone back and children have returned to school, our thoughts turn to the remainder of the year. Even though the calendar year starts in January, there is an underlying feeling that the working one, a bit like academic terms, actually starts with the beginning […]
PAs asked to wrap their boss’s Christmas presents this year will be pleased to hear that Sellotape has launched a tool that will save them time and effort. Worn on your hand, the unique On-Hand tape dispenser is the first to allow you to wrap gifts using both hands while also offering variable tape length […]
