The Dynamic Nature of PA Jobs

A Personal  A Personal Assistant will often carry out the administrative function in their area, which will mean that various specialist areas will come to PAs for their help. One area is Human Resources.

                     The maintenance of the Holiday Calendar is often part of the role of the PA. All Days in Lieu, Overtime, Weekend Work, Training Days and Booked Holidays are likely to be recorded here. This will mean that the PA will need to be well versed in the company policy on days off. Furthermore, all approvals from managers will need to received and saved for audit purpose.

                     This often extends to the Sickness Calendar which will need the understanding of sickness policy in the company. When is a doctor’s note required and how should someone inform the company of their illness. You will need to correspond with staff on long-term sickness according to the set policy.  

                     You may even send out a register email to all line managers checking who is absent. This is important in case of a fire, so you have people count.

                     Finally, the administration around new starters will likely be your responsibility. You may welcome them to the building on their first day, introduce them to relevant colleagues and send out a welcome email. You may then have to give them all relevant HR forms to sign and then forward them to Human Resources. You may need to deliver Health and Safety briefings and take a photo for a security pass. Finally, it is likely to be your role to ensure that a desk is available and all email and IT software are set up on their PC.

                     A PA is often the person who knows most people on the floor, so you may be instructed to organise social functions. This can be a fun part of the job in the end, but you can end up being an event’s organiser. You may need to book caterers, venues, ensure that all special needs are met.

                     Training to be a Personal Assistant is likely to cover many IT and administrative skills but it is unlikely to cover all areas of your role. Therefore, you need to up for a challenge and have good decision making skills. There is only so far that Secretary Training can take you, without practical experience.

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