A personal assistant is also called an executive secretary or a personal secretary. The job profile of a personal assistant is to work closely with the staff members of the senior management or executive staff in order to give administrative support. Usually each senior manager has a PA to help him to use their time efficiently by handling all their administrative work.
The personal assistant in order to work efficiently is required to have an extensive knowledge of the organisation. They should also know all the key personnel of the company and should have a clear understanding of the company’s aims and objectives. Managers depend on their personal assistant for all their daily administrative work. It is the duty of the assistant to handle the work efficiently in their absence. As most of the work is confidential, discretion and confidentiality are the most important attributes for an efficient and successful secretary.
The personal assistant is the manager's first point of contact with people from the firm or from those from outside the establishment. The main responsibilities of the assistant are to screen telephone calls and attend to all enquiries. He or she needs to meet and greet visitors to the managers and has to organise and maintain diaries with daily appointments.
The PA needs to deal with all incoming emails, faxes and post, and at times needs to reply on behalf of the manager. They have to take dictation from the manager and have to carry out research. As and when required they also need to produce documents, briefing papers, existing reports and presentations stored for future use. They also need to organise and attend meetings and have to make sure that their manager is well-prepared for all meetings. They need to devise and maintain office systems, data management, filing, etc. They need to arrange travel and accommodation for their managers when they are travelling.
Apart from the responsibilities towards the manager the personal assistant also needs to carry out certain projects and research and can also be responsible for accounts and budgets. They can also take over some of the manager's responsibilities and work with the management; they can also be involved in decision-making processes. Personal Assistants are very important for the managers as they assist in daily work and task. They can also train the administrative staff of the company. In order to work efficiently the assistant must possess excellent organizational skills, should be tactful and diplomatic. The best personal assistants should have the skill to foresee their employer's requirements and take care of them before they are asked to do so.
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