A PA plays a crucial role within a business and provides the opportunity for an incredibly satisfying career with the potential for plenty of advancement. Great PAs are highly valued within organisations and often prioritised where recruitment strategy is concerned. If you’re keen to get ahead as a PA then there are some simple ways to ensure that you make a success of this as your chosen career.
Effective communication is essential
Almost every task that is involved in being a PA will require strong communication skills. You may be dealing with people right across the organisation and need to be confident in communicating with others outside of the business at all levels. Clear communication is essential to help ensure that you’re able to do your job well, to avoid misunderstandings or anything getting lost in translation and to facilitate effectively. That could be face-to-face communication or it might be written, via email or messaging.
Organisation is key
While every business does things differently internally, having strong and adaptable organisational skills is essential for a successful PA. You must be able to effectively organise the work and life of your executive and that means managing your own time efficiently and being able to stay on top of scheduling, changes and the demands that others may be putting on their time, as well as your own.
Embrace the variety
Being a PA requires plenty of adaptability and this is one of the reasons why many people value someone who can do this role well so highly. For example, you may need to act as a travel organiser one day or event planner the next. The variety of the PA role can shift at any moment and the most effective PAs are those who are flexible enough to be able to move with this. Organisations value flexible PAs who are agile and adaptable enough to go with the flow, whether that means accommodating different hours or the changing needs of the job.
Be proactive
If you’re able to see what needs to be done in advance and anticipate potential requirements then you’ll always be a step ahead and viewed as a highly effective PA. It’s essential to make sure you’re proactive if you want to get ahead in this career – not only will this make your executive’s life easier but it will also ensure that you’re prepared for most eventualities too.
A positive attitude goes a long way
Businesses want PAs who say yes and are able to find solutions and opportunities, rather than those who are hesitant or resistant. A positive outlook and ‘can do’ attitude are highly valued in PAs today, especially if this is supported by genuine enthusiasm for the job and the business that you’re working for.
Becoming a PA offers a wealth of opportunities, whether you’re looking to travel, learn or just get ahead in your career. Being proactive and adaptable, organised and a great communicator are all essential to ensuring that you make a success of the role.
Find out more by booking onto our
Developing Your PA Potential to Ensure Success training course…