The world of business is fast-moving and pressured, but can be incredibly rewarding. There are tight deadlines, people to meet and diplomatic steps to take. For any hard-working, forward-thinking chief executive officer, they understand that this is not a role that they can fulfil on their own – they need to be supported by an efficient, skilled personal assistant.

Thus, many people are looking to complete a Personal Assistant Diploma to show potential employers they are qualified, skilled and able to fulfil this kind of role. For those already working as a PA, it is a means of qualifying the role that they already do as well as learning new skills, which could possibly advance their career further.

With more and more companies realising the benefits of employing qualified people in this kind of role, the time to start studying for a Personal Assistant Diploma is now!

And learning through online courses is the way forward for many hard-working and valued PAs.

What is involved in being a Personal Assistant?
The role will vary from one company or organisation to another. It can also vary depending on the person you work for. Everyone operates in a different way and although there may be some commonalities, experienced PAs understand that they have to adapt to new situations with a new chief executive.

Essentially, however, personal assistants will:

• Understand the organisation that they work for, its structure and its culture (the way things are done)
• They will have an air of professionalism at all times, even when under pressure – the phone may be ringing off the hook, a delegate of important trade partners arriving, as well as many other things happening at once but a PA will be able to prioritise, bringing order to chaos
• Communication is key to the role of PA
• Time management is also key as there are times where there will be important deadlines and so on; missing deadlines can spell disaster for a company
• As well as working within office management systems and procedures, the PA can also identify weaknesses and create a system that fills tis gap
• There is no doubt that one of the strongest attributes a PA needs is the ability to work with others
• An understanding of legal and regulatory requirements within the industry can also be useful
• Many PAs will also find that they need to deal with difficult situations on a regular basis

A Personal Assistant Diploma can be instrumental in providing and underpinning these skills and attributes.

Getting qualified
For many people, the possibility of being a PA is a challenge that they would like to take on. With more and more companies realising the benefits of employing qualified people in this kind of role, the time to start studying for a Personal Assistant Diploma is now!

As you read this, you will no doubt have identified many obstacles – for example, you may not want to give up your current job to study full time as this may be a financial impossibility. For other people, they simply don’t have the time nor the inclination to return to the classroom; for others, it has to be said, this idea fills them with dread.

There is another way and that is to study for qualifications online and there are many benefits for doing this:

• Can be cheaper – universities and colleges have overheads and expense that they need to cover which is why some of their courses can be expensive and tuition costs high. At NCC Home Learning we still have qualified tutors offering great support but without the overheads making the costs of courses much cheaper.
• Self-pacing – for many students learning online, they enjoy the freedom to learn and study at their own pace and in their own time. This means utilising your day so that you work at the times that suit you. There are also times when you may feel you need to do more work on some modules than others and again, because you are in control you can do this – without missing deadlines or falling behind!
• Fits in with life – from a busy working day to family commitments, there are times when studying seems impossible. Certainly, the thought of attending weekly classes can seem a leap too far. This is why studying online is the perfect option for you.
• Same value – courses and qualifications studied online have the same value attached to them as those taught in a classroom so you are not missing out.

Enrol today
Enrolling on personal assistant courses is simple, easy and straightforward:

• Choose from our range of personal assistant courses and diplomas
• Choose whether you would like to complete the course online or on paper
• Choose how to pay
• Pay your deposit
• That’s it! You are now enrolled on a great course – we look forward to working with you!

Every boss needs a personal assistant to support the work that they do thus, hiring a personals assistant or PA is often key to running a successful office and business. If this is a career you would like, then follow these three simple steps on how to become a PA.

Step 1 – Understand what a PA does
The terms personal assistant, secretary and so on all used interchangeably from one business to another, from one sector to another. Thus, there is no one definition that sets a PA apart from other administration based roles.

When you see a job advertisement for a PA make sure you check the job description as duties will vary from one post to another. In the main, however, it is generally accepted that a PA works with the senior management within a company. In many larger companies and organisations, a PA is assigned to one specific member of staff.

As a PA, you will enjoy a demanding and challenging role that can vary on a daily basis. In the main, a PA will:

• Satisfy key business aspects such as ensuring things run smoothly and this means having the confidence and respect of their employer and colleagues too. Many people see a PA as ‘the go-to person.’
• It can be a demanding role, with various pressure points and the hours can be long. There is also a chance that you may need to deal with difficult people. Thus, diplomacy skills are essential.
• You will also need to perform routine tasks such as filing, emails and so on
• You will also need to be able to work independently and on your own initiative; there will be times, for example, when you may need to make a ‘holding’ decision. That is, create time and space for your boss to be able to deal with an important issue.
• You will need to be composed and calm, with a good sense of judgement.

A PA is often seen as being indispensable and is often well thought of within a company. It goes without saying, that a PA needs a keen sense of confidentiality and discretion. You will often be party to important, confidential conversations both in person and in the material that your handle. Clearly, a PA, who cannot retain confidential information is of little use to a business or executive working in any kind of sensitive setting, commercial or otherwise.

Some personal assistant roles can be incredibly well paid.

Step 2 – Look for opportunities
Not all companies employ PAs for their senior managers and being a PA is a fluid role that has changed enormously in recent years, important in understanding how to become a PA in the modern workplace.

The advent of the Internet and ‘paper-less’ working has meant that spending hours shuffling paper has morphed into a need for a PA to have information technology skills that make them expert in all kinds of computing areas.

A PA no longer has to be sat at a desk in an office outside the boss’s door; the advent of virtual PAs means that smaller businesses can now take advantage of buying in services when they need them and, more importantly when they can afford them.

Essentially a supporting role, a PA needs to have an innate understanding of the environment in which the company they work for operates in. In other words, if you are planning on becoming a PA, spend some time looking for companies in your local area who would hire PAs and get to know their business. This is vital for getting a ‘foot in the door’ at interview.

Step 3 – Get qualified
Some personal assistant roles can be incredibly well paid with some PAs working for some of the most powerful and influential people in business, politics, education, health care and so on.

As a result, many companies will look to invest in a personal assistant that is qualified. How to become a PA is just as much about having a robust skill set, as it is about having the right outlook and attributes.

But take care, there are all kinds of Personal Assistant courses that promise great things but fail to deliver. Check the course content against job descriptions you have come across for PAs that companies are asking for – are they similar or matching? Will you be acquiring the skill base that employers are asking for?

Is it the right role for you?

A personal assistant supports the boss in all kinds of ways. They are often the people behind the scenes that ensure everything happens when it should, and how it should do too. It can mean long hours. It can also mean international travel as well as a trip to the local café to pick up the sandwich order.