Being a personal assistant is hard work. You have to be an excellent multi-tasker with a huge range of skills, and nothing less than perfection in everything you do will be accepted.
You’ll need to be able to book travel and accommodation, deal with correspondence and field calls, you may need accounting skills, and then you could be asked to run to the store to pick up a last-minute gift.
Each personal assistant position is different, but you can guarantee that the job will certainly keep you on your toes!
While it might sound exciting to be a personal assistant to the wealthy, and it can come with some benefits and perks such as foreign travel, it also brings along with it an extra layer of complexity, when you factor in the additional requirements of wealthy individuals.
We would in no way want to put you off applying for such a position, but you should understand the demands of working as a personal assistant for the rich.
If you still feel it’s the way forward for you, then you can work on improving your skills in certain areas that will make you more appealing as a personal assistant for a super-wealthy client.
Here are some key skills that will be most attractive to rich business people and celebrities, skills you can cultivate and highlight in your resume…
Get experience
It’s highly unlikely that someone with unlimited cash at their disposal will hire someone inexperienced, especially as their personal assistant.
So, if you don’t already have personal assistant experience, then you need to get out there and find work in this industry before you apply for the more high-profile jobs.
If you have no experience, we have tips for that here.
Start with entry level personal assistant roles, then work your way up.
Be qualified
Even if you’ve worked as a personal assistant for many years, a wealthy client may wish to see academic qualifications on your resume.
If you don’t have these, consider taking college classes to gain some relevant certifications and qualifications.
We offer two personal assistant courses here at the Personal Assistant Institute, and both will earn you a personal assistant certification.
The great thing about the work of a personal assistant is that it is so varied, and so there are many skills you can earn qualifications in such as communication skills, learning the latest office software, business studies and accounting, to name but a few.
Check out your local college and see what they have to offer that will look impressive on your resume.
Know how to be discreet
While all personal assistant positions will require discretion, when you work for the wealthy, the rich and the famous, you need to take being discreet to another level.
This is especially the case if you work as a personal assistant for a celebrity.
It’s likely you will be privy to some private and confidential information. You may be dealing with your client’s finances, or you may be organizing dinner reservations.
With a high-profile client, the effect of these details becoming public knowledge can have a huge effect.
If you’re the sort of person who simply cannot keep a secret, or who loves to share gossip, being a personal assistant for a wealthy client may not be suited to your personality.
You’ll need to know when to keep quiet, and also be savvy enough to deal with anyone trying to gain information by surreptitious means.
Slipping up and telling a reporter when and where your client is going on vacation could definitely lose you your job.
Look the part
As a personal assistant to someone rich and quite possibly famous, you’re representing them and their image, and that is likely to be something they are very keen to maintain.
You could be accompanying your boss to meetings, traveling with them, and if they are in the public eye, you could even end up with your photo in the media.
It will likely be important to your employer that you are extremely smart and look well-kempt at all times.
If you secure an interview for a personal assistant job for a wealthy employer, it might be the perfect time to book yourself in for a high-quality haircut and invest in a smart new outfit.
Be patient and calm
While not all wealthy people will be demanding, it certainly increases the chances of this being the case.
The wealthy are used to having people do what they ask without question.
They have the money, and so they have the ability to hire and fire at will. They get what they want and that’s something they may have experienced all their lives
If you end up being the personal assistant to a demanding client, you’ll need to be able to be calm, and patient, and not bite back if you feel they are being rude, or just asking too much of you.
While of course, you should not put up with bad treatment, snapping at your boss because they asked for a cup of coffee when you were in the middle of organizing a report they wanted, is not the best behaviour for someone who wants to succeed as a personal assistant to the wealthy.
Be prepared to be very flexible
The demands on any personal assistant can be high, but the wealthy can be the most demanding employers of all.
They will expect you to be available when they want you, and this can often be at short notice.
If they often travel, you may need to spend extended periods of time overseas, away from home. You may need to be contactable 24/7 and you may have to work long hours.
Such jobs are not usually well suited to people who have other commitments.
If you have young children, elderly parents who you care for, or even pets, it can be pretty much impossible to offer the flexibility required to be a personal assistant to the wealthy.
Register with specialist agencies
There are many recruitment agencies that will list positions for personal assistants, and of course, that’s great if you’re looking to gain experience in the industry, but to secure a position as a personal assistant to the wealthy, you may want to look for agencies that specialize in finding the perfect match for their celebrity and high-net-worth clients. Take a look at both Pocketbook Agency and Eden Private Staff.
If you have the skills and experience, this should help to narrow down the field and put your resume in front of those wealthy employers, so you can secure the personal assistant job of your dreams.
