About PA Jobs in London
PA jobs revolve around providing administrative and personal support to senior staff in organisations. It most commonly relates to managing emails, scheduling meetings, taking notes, answering calls, and other administrative activities.
Personal assistants work one-on-one in their working relationships. Starting as a personal assistant is a great way to get into a company and eventually aim to become the right hand of the CEO. While it may be hard to organise someone else’s day, it can be a very satisfying and rewarding role.
What Duties Do Personal Assistant Jobs Entail?
Personal assistants are there to help with tasks that take precious time away from upper management. Some of these tasks can be mundane, like answering phone calls and scheduling meetings, although, depending on the PA job, assistants are masterful multi-taskers that sometimes even get to travel around. PAs pride themselves on perfect multi-tasking, and while this is a crucial skill, it’s not the only one.
Duties
The expected duties of PA jobs in London and across the UK include:
- Monitoring manager’s emails
- Taking notes
- Preparing communications
- Answering phone calls
- Organising travels
- Setting up conference calls
- Conducting research
- Managing projects
- Managing social media and other ad hoc activities
Types of Personal Assistant Jobs in London
There are many industry-specific PA jobs out there, and some can even be done online without having to leave the comfort of your home. Some of the most interesting ones are:
Travelling PA Jobs in London
Travelling PAs work with accounting to manage travel expenses and provide monthly, quarterly, and yearly travel reports. In some cases, they deal with project management.
Their duties also include representing the organisation locally and globally as needed and providing other administrative support. Travelling PAs should be people-oriented and great at organising with attention to detail. Knowing multiple languages is a plus.
Virtual PA Jobs in London
Virtual PA jobs in the UK, specifically London, entail managing their manager’s online accounts and emails. They also work in Excel and analyse data, create spreadsheets, and build reports that help the manager save time by providing admin support.
Virtual PAs can work from anywhere, and chances are they’ll also be in the freelance industry. The most common task is data entry and email management. Virtual PAs should be computer-literate and ready to learn working in a new software if necessary.
Fashion PA Jobs in London
Fashion PAs usually manage events, assist shootings, attend meetings, work on inbox management, organise international travels, find new talent, handle marketing, social media, and other communications.
Working in fashion can turn out to be a great exposure in the fashion world but is also known for its long hours and high-stress environment. Fashion PAs should be highly organised and creative, with excellent people skills. They should also be sharp, driven to succeed, and able to work in a fast-paced environment.
Legal PA Jobs in London
Working as a legal PA usually means working as a secretary for a law firm. This role includes, but is not limited to, managing documents, inboxes, meetings, working with clients, and sometimes assisting in marketing support.
Those who wish to become legal PAs should be well-versed in the area they want to work in. They should be great in dealing with documentation, working with people, and being extremely precise.
VIP Personal Assistant Jobs in London
Many celebrities have their personal assistant who works on getting everything right. They’re the right hand of the VIP and work on handling confidential matters, scheduling calendars, arranging public appearances, organising travel, and more.
Those working in PA jobs in London for celebrities should be able to blend their personality to match the VIP. The demand for this job is high, and often VIP PAs do many things out of the basic scope of work. PAs working for celebrities should be excellent in multi-tasking and willing to go the extra mile in organising the day of the VIP.
Executive PA Jobs in London
Being an executive PA means working closely with the business owners and coordinating diaries, being the first point of contact for clients, assisting with marketing, organising events, and ensuring the organisation operates smoothly.
Executive PAs are highly organised, accurate, quick to act, proactive, and excellent communicators. They also have great computer and problem-solving skills.
Medical PA Jobs in London
Those working in the medical PA field usually work with medical records and clinical reports. They book appointments and manage the clinic’s administration. Medical PAs answer phone calls and, depending on the medical field, arrange certain checkups.
They’re people-oriented, pleasant, great communicators, and happy to help. Experience is a must, as well as some level of medical knowledge and education.
Property PA Jobs in London
Property PA jobs include drafting correspondence and documents, conducting searches, liaising with clients, dealing with bookings, and so on.
Strong legal admin skills are a must. Property PAs should also have high attention to detail, excellent communication and organisation skills, and be computer literate in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, and/or Digital Audio Software.
Private PA Jobs in London
The role of a personal assistant depends on the person who hires the PA. Some will need the PA to manage their social media, while others might need someone to scan their documents, meet visitors, provide assistance with timesheets, and similar.
Private PAs should have various skills that aid in task management and efficiency. Chances are they’ll work in an online and offline setting, depending on the tasks required.
Work Environment in Personal Assistant Jobs in London
Personal assistants most likely work in an office setting where they’ll move around doing their tasks. Depending on the industry they’re working in, PAs might spend a lot of time on their feet as well. Sometimes, they have to run errands and travel.
Many PAs are sitting in front of their computers, managing data and performing digital tasks on a daily basis. Sometimes, they might also work remotely from the comfort of their home or any other remote space. They’ll also spend a lot of time on the phone and other tech devices.
Injuries and Illnesses
With PA roles in London, typical office-related injuries are to be expected, including back and neck pains or even carpal tunnel syndrome. Additionally, people who work in an office or spend a lot of time working in front of the computer usually have a sedentary lifestyle, which increases the risk of obesity, colon cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and depression and anxiety.
Work Schedules
The working hours tend to be 9 AM to 5 PM. However, some organisations need their PAs to be available when they need them. There are part-time PA jobs available across London as well, where the working hours can be as low as 10 to 20 hours per week. Starting with a part-time position is an ideal way of testing the waters and seeing if a job as a PA is the right fit for you.
How to Be a Good PA
If you’re aiming to become a PA, you should know that those looking to hire help need organised and action-oriented people. You should nurture your communication skills and learn whatever you can about the organisation you’re applying to work for.
You should be proactive and ready to take on tasks as soon as they come your way. Update your skills and get ready for an exciting career in London. Prepare your portfolio of testimonials and set goals for success. Read the personal assistant job description and prepare your CV and cover letter to fit.
Important Qualities
PAs should be discrete and trustworthy since they’ll most likely work with confidential information. Their communication skills must be perfect, as they’ll cooperate with people on a regular basis. Organisational skills, flexibility, adaptability, diplomacy, and IT literacy are also desired skills for the PA position. Depending on the industry, specific knowledge might be necessary.
Education
The education to start working on London PA jobs should be focused on business, administration, or management. To land an entry-level job, the least you need is a high school diploma or a GED certificate.
Those who earn a post-secondary degree often have the chance of pursuing higher-paid positions as personal assistants or advance to administrative assistants. Since each client has specific demands, chances are they’ll provide in-work training for the role.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
There’s no demand for a specific certification to land a great PA role. However, building a network and showing strong credentials is a good way of getting into the industry. Some prefer to become a Certified Personal Assistant from Starkey International Institute or a Certified Administrative Professional credential from the International Association of Administrative Professionals.
Advancement in PA Careers
There are great opportunities in the personal assistant career path. Many people enter the market to become someone’s private personal assistant and end up loving the job. Still, every career path is different, depending on the industry, employer, organisation, and the PA’s mindset.
For starters, there are junior PA jobs in London that anyone can apply to. From there, the PAs can accelerate their careers and seek the role of executive assistant. There’s also a possibility to move outside of the assistant role and go towards other administrative titles.
In general, getting into some of the PA jobs in London can turn out to be a great opportunity to explore other related career opportunities. Since a PA can be closely related to management, the final role can even be the job of an estate manager.
Personal Assistant Salary in the UK
The average salary of personal assistants depends on the job position. Those working for managers are likely to receive a lower salary than PAs working directly with CEOs. Regardless of the position, the average salaries in the UK also depend on the location:
- London – £37,100
- Wales – £25,900
- Scotland and East of England – £28,500
- West Midlands – £26,700
In general, the average salary should be about £26,205 per year or £9.91 per hour. There are also bonuses and profit-sharing opportunities available.
Job Outlook
At the moment, there are many jobs available for the roles of a personal assistant across the UK. Still, the job outlook for PA is predicted to decrease by 9% until 2029. The best job opportunities belong to those candidates who show industry-specific knowledge and a desire to advance.
The legal and financial sectors are most in demand. Business leaders are looking for PAs with a strong understanding of their role and a great cultural fit within the organisation.
Job Prospects
Those looking to start working in PA jobs in London with no experience should at least focus on getting some kind of office job beforehand. With enough experience in administrative work, it will be easier to land PA jobs that are in high demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you don’t need a degree to become a PA, some employers will prefer it. If you can, earn a business degree or an administrative diploma.
Experience is of the essence. The more time you spend working in similar surroundings, the higher chances you’ll have at becoming a PA. For some PA jobs, you’ll need to have industry-specific knowledge beforehand.
There are many skills that a good PA should possess. However, the top three are discretion, adaptability, and good communication. As a PA, you’ll manage various private information. That’s why your employer will need to have trust in you.
The PA job is also very dynamic and often demands you do something other than the basic tasks. Finally, good communication is a must because you’ll be working with people and for people.
Personal assistants can be paid monthly or hourly, depending on their position. On average, the PA salary in London can range from £23,000 to £41,000 per year and £9.03 to £21.27 per hour. Bonuses range from around £700 to £5,000, and there’s also an option of profit sharing.
An entry-level PA with less than one year of experience can expect to earn approximately £25,000 in total with bonuses and overtime.
There are certain levels in PA jobs, and those with over 10 years of experience can expect to be at the top. Education-wise, these PAs are likely to have a BS and a BA degree and a Master’s in the related field.
They are likely to be executive assistants, working closely with CEOs and members of the executive team. Executive assistants may also work for the VIP and have access to large sums of money.
Being a celebrity personal assistant is a dream come true for many, but it’s not that easy to get there. There are agencies where you can apply to be considered as a VIP personal assistant. These agencies will match you with a VIP if you show relevant and sufficient experience.
Focus on building recommendations for event planning. Learn how to properly network with others and climb the ladder in the industry. Perfect your communication skills and show that you’re unstoppable at your goal.
Personal assistants tend to work the regular 9 to 5 hours. In regards to days, some employers might need their PAs available all week, while some PA jobs have flexible or part-time hours.
In general, if you’re looking to explore PA jobs in London, know that the working hours can be as low as 10 to 20 per week, and you might start with working only a couple of days. However, these hours may increase with career progression and gaining better clients.