PAs who look after celebrities – both past and present – have been in the papers recently, with X Factor winner James Arthur resorting to dismissing his personal assistant after his phone was allegedly used to send abusive text messages to a model. 25-year-old James denies sending lewd texts to glamour model Teddy Edwardes after […]

As a way of selecting the best applicants from a wide field, a number of companies resort to using personality questionnaires nowadays. Sometimes they can be a minefield to navigate but luckily help is at hand, as assessment and development consultancy Cubiks has put together a helpful Q&A, based on comments from its candidates. The […]

There are many accounts of the shocking tasks celebrity assistants have been asked to do and now a new tell-all book shows that Hollywood’s show business executives are getting in on the act too. Lydia Whitlock worked as an assistant in various sectors of the entertainment industry for five years. While none of her bosses […]

What do a forecast of business travel trends, tips for booking chauffeur-driven cars and an update on the serviced apartments sector have in common? They’re all featured inside the latest issue of PA Life. Our PA Profile for January/February talks to Katie McEwan, who works for the CEO of lingerie retailer Ann Summers; she talks […]

Travel management companies (TMCs) provide specialist advice and expert itinerary planning to make your life much easier. Here, PA Life helps you find the TMC that’s right for you What is a TMC?Formerly called business travel agencies, they largely booked and delivered air tickets. Now, a TMC will provide expert itinerary planning and exceptional buying […]

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is recruiting an experienced executive assistant to support the organisation’s senior leadership team. This full-time role offers a salary of circa £25,000 and is based at the charity’s office in Bromley, Kent. This exciting role will provide administrative and executive support to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s senior leadership team, with particular […]

Making your boss look good is a prerequisite of being an EA par excellence, but what exactly are the essential traits that you need to cultivate in order to seriously impress senior management? Rachel Feintzeig of The Wall Street Journal has profiled a number of EAs who work at leading US companies to figure out […]

Personal image consultant Valentina Saggese studied fashion and personal shopping at the Luxury Academy of Milan and has several years’ experience of designer show rooms and high-level clothing shops. She and her partner Alain Mehada, who has been a stylist for more than 15 years, offer their expertise in a broad range of situations for […]

Spending two days at Confex last week may have made some of you realise that trade shows are a bit of a black hole unless you roll up with an agenda. Marketing Manager at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre Roopi Woodall has three tips for coming away with armfuls of treats, knowledge and inspiration. • […]

Most people think of references as a rubber stamp. You simply jot down your previous employers’ contact details, they say nice things about you and it helps you get a new job. The reality is far more complex, with many HR experts warning that unless people wake up to the wide-ranging myths surrounding references, they […]

Facing a room full of people who are ready to hang on your every word is a nightmarish scenario for some, but good public speaking skills come with practice and preparation. Whether you’re presenting a report to your company’s board of directors, or sitting in an interview, here are a few helpful hints for success. […]

One of the first workplace casualties of a recession is often the staff incentive scheme. But, says incentives expert the Grass Roots Group, companies are now realising that cancelling rewards and bonus programmes to save money is a false economy. It’s a temptation for companies to see an incentive scheme as a luxury, something that […]

A survey conducted by information management company Iron Mountain and professional services provider PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has found that 66% of firms regard the handling of paper as a serious security risk, yet only 31% monitor the policies in place to guide employees in the storage and disposal of confidential documents. A mere 39% adhere to […]

The Goring (pictured) is one of those hotels that can justifiably be called “a bastion”, upholding civilised behaviour and impeccable good manners, writes Colette Doyle. Run by CEO Jeremy, who represents the fourth generation of the Goring family, this venerable property is a long-time favourite of the residents of nearby Buckingham Palace and can lay […]

Being able to communicate effectively is the cornerstone of any good working relationship, but it’s not always as straightforward as you might think. Luckily, highly experienced former PA Heather Baker is on hand to offer the benefit of her advice at the next PA Life Training Day. Heather’s session on The Art of Communication will […]

Over a quarter of employers (27%) have introduced flexible working initiatives to meet the needs of their ageing workforce, new research from Group Risk Development (GRiD), the trade body for the group risk industry, has found. Since the abolishment of the Default Retirement Age, most employers are looking at ways to accommodate older members of […]

PAs in the US are lawyering up and taking their former employers to court over their unacceptable behaviour. First up is US songstress Mariah Carey who is being sued by 49-year-old Ylser Oliver, who was with Mariah for seven years and is accusing the singer of having forced her staff to work “on average approximately […]

When times are tight you may not be able to get travel suppliers to budge on price, but they may throw in extras if you put business their way, says Catherine Chetwynd As the recession recedes, are travel buyers fighting to keep prices down?They’re not all trying to get rates slashed, many are aiming for […]