NEWS, PRIZES, OFFERS & IDEAS Bespoke design takes the cake Final Touch Cakes has more than 25 years’ experience of baking confections for everyone from the Royal Family to Radio 1. Its unique blend of bespoke designs and creative flair means the company can add your branding to any kind of cake for corporate events. Whether you have a company…
read moreWhen you meet the PA to a high-profile CEO, you don’t expect to hear that she took a break early in her career to pursue an entirely different profession. Christine Hampson, who is currently the management assistant to the CEO of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), did just that after starting as a secretary at a law firm, but…
read moreYou think you have problems? Read this ‘Confessions of a Personal Assistant’…. continued Now, the fate of a dying kumquat tree in the artist’s loft—and on an apparently related note, the well-being of the boss—was Missy’s responsibility. She kept prioritizing her boss’ business needs over the tree, until she got called in for a kumquat-inspired scolding: “It’s this bad energy,…
read moreAt this year’s ExecSec Summit, PA Life Editor Colette Doyle led an informative debate on the future of the PA profession and the factors that could influence how the role is developing. Here, we provide an overview of the panel discussion. PA Life Editor Colette Doyle opened the session by asking the panellists if they thought it was still necessary…
read moreAt PA Life we’re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives. Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with your manager, we thought we’d ensure…
read moreWhether you’re starting a new job or looking to step up and impress your boss, there is a certain set of skills every successful PA should have. If you want to achieve success in your role, have a look at this essential list and find out which areas to focus on improving. Leadership You may be asked to lead a…
read moreThe head of a virtual assistant agency has spoken out about the most common mistakes that executives make when interacting with their EAs. Failing to delegate properly is the number one error, with managers getting too caught up in admin tasks, such as scheduling meetings or processing invoices, which should more properly be left to a personal assistant. Not communicating…
read moreMalaysia’s capital is full of life, sights and cultural experiences. PA Life Editor Colette Doyle is your guide. Kuala Lumpur is a cosmopolitan melting pot, bringing to life the tourism authority’s catchy slogan, “Malaysia, truly Asia” and effortlessly blending influences from indigenous Malay, Indian and Chinese culture to spectacular effect. It is also the world’s 10th most visited city for…
read moreNelson Mandela’s personal assistant has exposed the power struggles that went on within his family over the last few years of the much-respected South African leader’s life. In her memoir, Good Morning, Mr Mandela, Zelda La Grange points the finger at his oldest daughter, Makaziwe, who apparently attempted to stop some of his old friends from visiting after he became…
read moreSourcing a venue for corporate events isn’t always an easy task, but academic institutions offer a low-cost alternative to hotels and conference centres. PA Life takes a look at the huge selection available across the UK. University of Bristol (pictured): bristol.ac.uk/conferences-hospitality/conferences/; Number of meeting spaces: The campus provides numerous spaces across a wide variety of buildings; Maximum capacity: 800; Number…
read moreOverall optimism among admin support workers in the US increased during the first three months of this year, rising nearly 4% to 51.3% compared with the previous quarter. Nearly a quarter (22%) of all employees believe that the US economy is strengthening, versus just 17% who felt the same last December. Almost three-quarters of admin professionals there, a solid 72%, say…
read moreEntrepreneurs are being encouraged to hire a PA to reduce the amount of stress they have in their work lives and help run their company more efficiently. US website entrepreneur.com advises those who have devised a successful business brand to consider hiring an assistant to enable them to take their commercial activity to the next stage of development. Among the…
read moreMany travel and accommodation bookers are still wary when they hear the term serviced apartments, but new websites and online tools have made the booking process that much easier, as David Nicholson explains. If you haven’t previously booked a serviced apartment or apart-hotel, the process might seem rather daunting at first. However there are now websites available to directly…
read moreAn Australian recruitment firm has put together a checklist of what it believes are the most essential qualities that employers look for when hiring a personal assistant. In at number one is having good organisational skills, which includes both those at a personal level and the ability to organise others. Next up is multi-tasking, which, as the agency notes, is…
read moreAt PA Life we’re devoted to bringing you the very latest news, tips, advice and recommendations on a whole smorgasbord of topics that we hope are of interest to you in your professional lives. Since our most popular stories seem to be those that provide suggestions on how to engender a better working relationship with your manager, we thought we’d…
read moreTravelling by private jet is no longer the preserve of the rich and famous. Patrick Margetson Rushmore explains how it can be a viable business expense for your time-strapped executive. Making the impossible possible is the unwritten rule of being a successful PA. However, organising a marathon of international meetings for your boss and an entourage of very important guests,…
read moreAt last year’s Office show, PA Life Editor Colette Doyle led a debate on the importance of continuing professional development (CPD) to the PA community. Here we review some of the points raised by the panel. As a starting point, Colette asked the panel what they felt was the best way for PAs to continue their own professional development on the…
read moreTraining firm Drumnosis has developed an unusual way to tackle stress in the office through rhythmic drumming. Nicole Holgate finds out exactly what it involves and what the potential benefits might be. Drumnosis teaches teams and individuals within businesses to achieve more by doing less using a combination of drums and hypnosis. It came into being as a concept in 2006…
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