Personal Assistant

A Personal Assistant (PA) keeps his or her employer’s hectic work schedule organized so his or her life runs smoother than a Swiss clock. The job of Personal Assistant is similar to an Executive Assistant since you’ll answer calls and schedule appointments, but a Personal Assistant also often helps with personal errands and a boss’ time outside the normal 40-hour work week.

This makes you a work/life helper for your busy boss. Acting much like a Gatekeeper, you run interference and make important decisions about who your boss will see, and who receives a polite escort out into the hall. In this position you will be privy to confidential and personal information, so discreteness is an essential trait, as are exceptional organizational skills and multi-tasking mastery.

As a trusted aide, you’ll jot down the most important points during meetings and put together an easy-to-recap for your boss. And when your employer has to be in two places at the same time, you’ll serve as a reliable stand-in at one of the events. This means that you might present your boss’s proposal to a meeting of executives, and then go grab their dry cleaning.

If unexpected disorder sends you into a tailspin, you’re probably better suited for another career. A perfectly planned day can go haywire fast and you’ll need poise when rearranging calendars with other PAs so your boss doesn’t miss an anniversary dinner or school play. But if you love the challenge of bringing order into a chaotic environment – even when you’re sitting in the middle of the mess – then a Personal Assistant career is a perfect fit for your personality.