The lot of a celebrity PA is not a happy one

The life of a celebrity’s personal assistant isn’t always a glamourous one. It is often a round-the-clock, high-pressure job and you’re rarely appreciated as you should be. One PA who knows thing or two about this role is Rita Tanteel, one of the founders of the Association of Celebrity Personal Assistants, an organisation that provides support for high-profile PAs. In an interview with the New York Times, Rita describes what it’s really like to work with Hollywood’s elite.

“By its nature… the position is very isolating,” she says, adding: “The UPS [parcel delivery service] and pool guys become your best friends because you really don’t have a lot of interaction with other people, except the ones associated with the household.”

Rita goes on to comment that a celebrity PA’s job is never done and they are often on call 24/7, even on a personal holiday. She admits that sometimes the work environment is unpleasant, which is why the association provides advice on setting boundaries without getting fired and what questions to ask when interviewing for a role.

Despite its downsides, however, Rita is positive that the benefits of working so closely with Hollywood’s A-list can make the negative aspects seem less harsh, mentioning in particular trips to the White House to meet the US president. As she notes: “These are life experiences that an assistant to a celebrity will get that the average person would not.”

Read the original article at tinyurl.com/qjptjnv