It is one thing to get a personal assistant job – but quite another to cope with it and feel on top of your role. Once you start to lose confidence because day after day you do not feel you are coping, you start to go into a downward spiral.
So making sure you feel confident in the full range of PA skills is essential.
This may mean studying a full course, so you can prove you have the right range of skills and/or because you want to feel fully trained for the role, or it could be you wish to fill in some skill gaps and study odd modules to suit.
Besides the obvious skills needed in IT, Administration and producing business documents there is a range of PA skills that cover all the other elements of this important role. Knowing how to organise and prioritise your workload and developing professional communication skills is an essential part of a PA role and of course maintaining working relationships so they are effective and enjoyable.
Constant communication is at the heart of the personal assistant job role – whether face to face, through body language, by telephone or through social media and knowing how to manage these situations will help boost your confidence.
Learning how to say no and coping with awkward situations is another topic that is great for boosting your confidence.
If you feel you are not coping with your PA role you may find some key training will make a lot of difference – enabling you to feel on top of your job. Makes for a happier life!
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14 Responses
When I find myself getting overwhelmed at work I just remember something I read recently on a PA website that really resonates: “You aren’t saving lives. All you can do is the best that you can. Nobody can fault you for that” – very wise words!
yes, a PA job is not an easy task as you are at times multi-tasking and its good to get into a course like Executive Administrator Diploma, where you are thought to handle your work with all new developments and the book by Sue Frans is fantastic reading – The Definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook, the insights into neuroscience is incredibly interesting !
Hope to finish my training course next year and can develop myself in this career. I think it´s not so easy to manage many different tasks and information at the same time, but when you start controling and feeling confident with yourself everything depend on the practice. Thanks for your support I am enjoying learning!
The Executive PA Course has taught me invaluable skills that will lead me to success in my workplace. I agree Sue ‘s Book is a fantastic read with some fab top tips!The section on minute taking and preparing for the meeting was one I found most useful.
I am really enjoying the PA course. Though I have been in this field for several years now, I find that there are new things am learning and that are helping me in my work.
I love the PA course unfortunately I cannot allocate as much time as I would like for study.
I am loving the PA course but I must admit it is like teaching an old dog new tricks, being in the role for many years you do get in to some bad habits. The tutors are amazing and very understanding.
I am really enjoying the PA course, I am learning so much and I enjoy learning new things.
The PA course has taught me some new trick and helped to iron out some bad habits. PA jobs are so intense that it is difficult to find time to study.
This article is very interesting and I am also reading Sue France’s book that also teaches you how to manage stress at work.
I think everyone should have knowledge on subjects like these.
What I have learnt in my role as a PA is the studying and qualification allows you to be able to practically do the job as a PA – the next step is learning how to manage relationships and especially that of the person you are a PA for, you’ll be working extremely close together so you must be able to read this person and situations well.
I am loving the PA course and loving learning new skills such as time management
Currently studying the Exec PA Diploma and enjoying learning new skills that will help me in my day to day role.
I started a busy corporate PA role looking after up to 7 directors and their teams. I have been trying to juggle this busy role aswell as finding time to study and complete Exec PA diploma. The course alongside work has taught me lots of helpful things along the way of navigating a new busy role.