There’s nothing more disheartening than going to work every day dreading the thought of facing an antagonistic boss. For those of us struggling with the idea of leaving a job to get away from a negative situation, Les McKeown has five steps to survive even the most difficult scenario. First, decide if it’s bad enough […]

Are you a lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool, career PA? Then it’s time to get the recognition you deserve this year at the Office show, which will reward the dedication of the nation’s longest-serving PA. To mark this year’s National PA Day celebrations on 8 October at the Office show, a search for Britain’s veteran PAs has been […]

Do you want to develop your skills in the face of an ever-growing list of responsibilities, but are exhausted at the thought of endless evening courses and days out of the office? Then a new style of vocational training providing everything PAs need in one place, taught by former PAs, could be what you’re after. […]

More than half (58%) of PA freelancers in the UK do not understand their payslips, with the main reason cited as “I don’t need that level of detail”. According to research released by payroll umbrella company Paraplus, the results are of some concern as more than one third of freelance PAs (36%) said they had […]

If you’re considering going from full-time company PA into a freelance role, this may be the ideal time. The number of individuals and businesses hiring online PAs, or virtual assistants, is doubling year on year, according to new statistics.   A recent survey conducted by job platform Elance shows there has been an 85% annual […]

Communications technology in the modern age is advancing at an exponential rate and changing the way we communicate, both personally and professionally. With social networking and the ability to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world at our fingertips, the need for face-to-face communication would appear to be diminishing.   However, the value of meeting […]

In today’s corporate world, an increasing amount of a PA’s time is taken up planning travel. With the introduction of the Qi technology suite, Business First has designed simple-to-use tools to promote efficiency and, more importantly, save PAs valuable time booking business travel. The company’s iPortal is an interactive gateway with a wide range of […]

Some restaurants are fun, casual affairs where you might drop in to grab a quick bite after work; Hibiscus is not one of those places, writes Colette Doyle. You would no more grab a bite here than you would hope to snap up a bargain at a Gucci emporium, for dining at Hibiscus is a […]

As we progress through life, our likes, dislikes and habits change. The way we like to dress and visually present ourselves changes too. Our beliefs and thinking continue to develop as we mature emotionally and physically, and again, this is reflected in our choice of clothes and dressing style. How we like to look at […]

Luxury travel operator Orient-Express has launched a new portal that can be used by PAs booking events to find information on each of the company’s 45 hotel, train, cruise and restaurant ventures. The website, orient-express.com/events, has specifically been designed for corporate clients seeking inspiration in order to create bespoke events and incentive experiences with a […]

The modern PA is just as likely to find herself making trips to far-flung business destinations as her boss, so hotels are taking it upon themselves to provide improved safety for women travelling alone. The most popular measures put in place by hotels to ensure safety are: never read out a room number at check-in […]

Tips on mentoring and coaching were central to the latest Exeter PA network meeting, held at the new Hampton by Hilton, the site of the training academy for Flybe, the UK’s largest domestic carrier. The event attracted more than 60 delegates and included a tour of the new hotel and a visit to Flybe’s flight […]

PAs are an asset to their company and their bosses should definitely know it, asserts former White House Director of Events, Laura Schwarz (pictured). Given that nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) to last year’s annual National PA Survey said that they felt being a PA was undervalued as a professional career choice, Schwartz, who […]

Skills that empower PAs to delegate both upwards and downwards and that show assistants which steps to take to become strategic business partners to their bosses formed the basis of an interesting talk recently given by PA coach Lindsay Taylor of Your Excellency. This was one of the fascinating seminars at the Peterborough PA Network’s […]

The role of the PA has become “a bit like cloning your boss” and it is a function that is rapidly becoming more strategic and managerial. These were among the comments made by delegates attending the recent ExecSec Summit who took part in a series of video interviews conducted by PA Life Editor Colette Doyle. […]

It may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s an imperative part of day-to-day work that will help you excel in your current role. Vanessa Vallely offers insight into how PAs can manage their managers more effectively. 1. BE PREPARED If you are invited to join a meeting with your boss, always turn up fully prepared. […]

How on earth do you create the perfect event? New research hopes to help PAs by providing the answer to this taxing question. Looking at everything from what motivates someone to attend an event in the first place, to the importance of the venue and how much wine is ‘enough’, the survey aims to construct […]

You may overlook the humble ream of paper as nothing more than a mere workplace staple, but those clever people at Conqueror have elevated this most basic of office accessories to haute couture. The paper was turned into a series of origami-style dresses created by up-and-coming British designer Joey Bevan, who was tasked with transforming […]