Changing roles

The position of the PA has evolved greatly over the years, making them crucial partners to any business. Jess Gardiner, founder and editor-in-chief of The Assistant Room, reveals why these changes should be embraced

What does it mean to be a PA? We’re no longer just the right hand to the people at the top. We’re powerful business partners, company ambassadors and the people who have the ability to instigate change within the companies we dedicate ourselves to.

In my almost decade of experience as a PA, before creating The Assistant Room two years ago, I always described my role as a lifestyle choice and not just a job, something that I believe applies to us all. It is a position that demands a level of responsibility in not only supporting those detailed within our job descriptions but also to each other, as colleagues and as mentors, where there is always something new we can learn from each other.

As the world moves forward and companies progress, embracing this change and the evolution of our role within the workplace will be crucial to the continuation of our thriving community. The progression of our industry goes hand-in-hand with an acceptance that we are no longer looking at the same ideology of what being a PA meant ten or five years ago.

In today’s world, with its many technological advancements, we must not be seen to be standing still, but striving forward to champion and support each other in what may be to some, as unknown territory.

“In today’s world, we must not be seen to be standing still, but striving forward to champion each other in what may be to some, as unknown territory.”

Will denying or resisting this change work in our favour? Absolutely not. Do we need to find solutions to the obstacles that we face and unite in our efforts to overcome these changes, as opposed to criticising each other’s understanding of what a PA means or represents? Without a doubt.

The challenges we face are only the beginning, with invaluable resources from various industry publications, there will always be strong support for those who are open-minded in accepting the changes that are occurring on a daily basis. Is everyone going to agree with me? Probably not, however with any change there will always be resistance and a wish for things to remain as they were before, something that we can all relate to but something that we cannot hold on to.

We must not concentrate on just sustaining the support industry, but endeavour to push it forward, welcoming change as a friend and not an enemy. As PAs, our roles may differ but we are all fighting for the same cause.