Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Powerful words to use in your Assistant CV The competition for Executive and Personal Assistant jobs is fierce. Now more than ever. That is why it is important to make your CV (or resume) stand out from the crowd. To do that, you have to make your CV come to [.]. MORE
Developing your personal brand in a hybrid world According to Jeff Bezos, "your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room". The quote is pre-pandemic but is very relevant when developing your personal brand in a hybrid world. MORE
Artificial Intelligence: Will it help or hurt the Assistant Profession? I have been very aware of artificial intelligence, as a coming event into my business. In fact, we had a fascinating artificial intelligence client in New York City. And I was just blown away by the [.]. MORE
Most of us that have been working in the PA industry for a while now will have heard of the phrase ‘the tech-savvy assistant’. It might have cropped up on your job specs and been discussed during your most recent job interview. It is so important for Assistants to have a good grasp of [.]. MORE
Feeling undervalued and how to make a change One of the many challenges that I often hear from Assistants is that their Executives and the wider organisation does not understand the role and the work that Assistants undertake. MORE
What is the right platform for your virtual event? As Assistants, we organise a wide variety of events. From small office parties and get-togethers to the annual sales conference, events have and will always be part of our role. As many Assistants have found out over the last year, the [.]. MORE
The ultimate guide to managing your Executive's emails Managing an Executive's emails is a fundamental part of the Assistant role and saves the Executive considerable time and stress. Because let's face so many of us still get very stressed out by email and the constant need to read, reply and [.]. MORE
Anticipating needs and other mind reading tricks Over the last few years, I have written a lot about creating a successful Executive and EA partnership. It is the key relationship for Assistants and the one part of the role that you have to get right. Without [.]. MORE
How to keep emotions under control in confrontational situations While working as an Assistant and in the early days of running Practically Perfect PA, if I could avoid confrontation, I would. It didn't serve me well. Because when I did have to speak to someone about a difficult subject, [.]. MORE
Finding opportunities to grow in your Assistant role Finding opportunities to grow in your Assistant role takes initiative - you have to work in a culture where initiative and proactivity are recognised and rewarded. You have to have the confidence and drive to see it through, and you need some [.]. MORE
Gaining recognition as a leader There is no better time for Assistants to show their leadership skills and ensure that they are gaining recognition as a leader in their organisations for the value they bring and the ability to lead and influence those around them. You may not manage a [.]. MORE
How Assistants can learn to improve business processes In this post, we will look at how Assistants can learn to improve business processes. Have you ever taken time to analyse your business processes, or do you just ‘do’ them without thinking? Do you ever notice any of your teams’ processes [.]. MORE
Building effective workflows with your Executive I’m sure you have heard the term workflow a lot. It is certainly something you will have come across if you have ever decided to research how to manage your time best and increase your productivity. It is a term often used in project [.]. MORE
SMART objectives for Executive Assistants are so crucial because, without them, Assistants can be at such a disadvantage. They can be taken for granted, they can be mismanaged, and they can be left without a clue as to what exactly is expected of them in the role. MORE
So, you are thinking about heading into the unknown and need some tips on how to transition out of your role Whether you are changing your career or going into business for yourself, this is a big deal. You are amazing for deciding to follow through with your dream! Well done! The idea didn’t [.]. MORE
Common challenges faced by Assistants Working as an Executive or Personal Assistant is a complex and often misunderstood role. Assistants take on a lot and often go unrewarded and unrecognised for their efforts. It isn’t an easy gig, that is for sure. There are a lot of common [.]. MORE
Is your Executive a poor communicator? In a recent survey conducted in the UK, Hays recruitment found 43% of those surveyed said leaders needed to improve their communication skills. MORE
Managing colleagues who bypass you to get to your Executive I'm sure every Assistant will have at some point experienced a colleague who constantly goes to their Executive with every issue, question, idea before speaking to the Assistant. Am I right? I thought so! MORE
How automation can help Assistants When you’re an Assistant and wearing lots of hats, juggling different tasks, clients and struggling with an overflowing to-do list it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Being organised is key, and using technology makes it much easier to keep on top of things. MORE
Taking ownership of your work as an Assistant For high-performing Assistant and Executive partnerships, there is a high value placed on ownership, accountability and trust. All three areas are essential to a strategic partnership. MORE
What support do you need from your Executive to work in partnership? What support do you need from your Executive to work in partnership? This will ultimately be something that is personal to you but I wanted to share what I thought were 10 expectations that Assistants should have from [.]. MORE
How to stay visible and in the loop with your Executive while working from home We are living in strange times. I know many of you will be working from home, trying to juggle your home life and your work life more than ever - while not leaving your home [.]. MORE
Improving decision-making for Assistants Many Assistants are worried about making decisions because they are worried they will make the wrong one. We have talked about how important it is for Assistants to have space for making mistakes. That is very important. MORE
Perfectionism! The biggest career blocker ever I was shocked. Perfectionism was completely crippling his daughter’s career! A very good friend of mine, a fellow expert, author and speaker (let’s call him Stew), recently asked me if I would meet his young daughter, Alice, who’s just graduated. MORE
There are a lot of critical responsibilities for Assistants. During the day, Assistants have to do so many different things, so their skills and tasks are incredibly varied. For new Assistants, it is hard to know where to start. Getting the basics right: Personal and Executive Assistant Key Tasks. MORE
Understanding your personality and communication preferences Understanding your Executive's personality, behaviours and communication preferences are crucial to building an effective relationship and partnership. MORE
Completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times It is that time of year again, performance review season. Except the world has completely changed this year. Completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times is going to be different. MORE
Communicating your priorities better with the ‘rule of five’ One of my go-to tools for prioritising and managing my to-do list is Trello. I use the collaboration tool to manage all of my tasks and projects, and I love how easy it easy to collaborate on projects with the other members of the [.]. MORE
One area that seems to change notably from job to job is remuneration and performance reviews for Assistants. In my first full-time job, I had quarterly performance reviews with my manager, half-yearly appraisals and at the end of every year a full review and 360° feedback with my team. MORE
Working alongside every successful Executive is an incredibly smart, switched-on and highly skilled Executive Assistant. There are many advanced skills that Assistants, who work in the C-suite, need to be successful in the role. We cover a lot of those skills on this website. MORE
There are so many events, webinars, publications, blogs out there that talk about accelerating your Assistant career path and progression. Career success comes in many shapes and forms and, let’s face it, is an entirely personal definition. MORE
Where do you draw the line? Setting boundaries for Assistants Let's start with a question. Would you say that you are good at setting boundaries? Here is an even more important question - are you good at setting boundaries, and are you good at sticking to them? Assistants need to [.]. MORE
Making the move to managing a team Many Assistants are making the move to managing a team and taking on more of a leadership role in their organisations. It is an exciting time for career-driven Assistants who want to add more value. The opportunities are there for the taking, and Assistants [.]. MORE
Career transitions for Executive Assistants Being an Assistant isn't for everyone. I mean, let's face it, the job has its challenges, and I think you have to love the role to succeed in it genuinely. If you think of the position as a stepping stone to something else or a job [.]. MORE
Developing a growth mindset Developing a Growth Mindset doesn’t have to be complicated, even in the midst of a global health crisis. Let’s be real for a moment… and put things into perspective. Do you honestly believe that you’ll never progress or accomplish anything new in your career or life? [.]. MORE
The role of the Assistant these days is pretty diverse; one day you will be assisting one Executive with personal tasks, the next you may be making business travel arrangements for a different person, managing a project, working on a big event or hiring a new Administrative team. MORE
5 easy ways to supercharge your sales process using automation Maintaining a sales process as a business owner is a huge challenge. You will likely be using multiple tools and apps for the various tasks, and if they’re not connected, your team will be wasting hours of valuable time on [.]. MORE
This is a guest post from Jenna Potter, the Social Media & Content Executive at CHS Group. Jenna sends out a Weekly Roundup email series where she selects her favourite 4+ resources every week that help PAs, EAs and VAs advance their career and life. Get it sent to your inbox here. MORE
As we all know writing minutes is an essential skill for Assistants and this ultimate guide to effective minute-taking we will break-down everything Assistants need to know to create minutes that will be read and actioned. MORE
Effective calendar management for Executive Assistants is a hugely important aspect of th role. Assistants spend at the very least a third of their day organising their Executive’s schedule. Juggling our Executive’s time is a complex operation. MORE
Practically Perfect PA
DECEMBER 2, 2021
Building effective workflows with your Executive I’m sure you have heard the term workflow a lot. It is certainly something you will have come across if you have ever decided to research how to manage your time best and increase your productivity. It is a term often used in project [.].
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Taking ownership of your work as an Assistant For high-performing Assistant and Executive partnerships, there is a high value placed on ownership, accountability and trust. All three areas are essential to a strategic partnership.
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Practically Perfect PA
MAY 10, 2022
Perfectionism! The biggest career blocker ever I was shocked. Perfectionism was completely crippling his daughter’s career! A very good friend of mine, a fellow expert, author and speaker (let’s call him Stew), recently asked me if I would meet his young daughter, Alice, who’s just graduated.
Practically Perfect PA
SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
How Assistants can learn to improve business processes In this post, we will look at how Assistants can learn to improve business processes. Have you ever taken time to analyse your business processes, or do you just ‘do’ them without thinking? Do you ever notice any of your teams’ processes [.].
Advertiser: Aggregage
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Practically Perfect PA
SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
Feeling undervalued and how to make a change One of the many challenges that I often hear from Assistants is that their Executives and the wider organisation does not understand the role and the work that Assistants undertake.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 4, 2021
Developing your personal brand in a hybrid world According to Jeff Bezos, "your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room". The quote is pre-pandemic but is very relevant when developing your personal brand in a hybrid world.
Practically Perfect PA
SEPTEMBER 16, 2021
How to keep emotions under control in confrontational situations While working as an Assistant and in the early days of running Practically Perfect PA, if I could avoid confrontation, I would. It didn't serve me well. Because when I did have to speak to someone about a difficult subject, [.].
Practically Perfect PA
MAY 6, 2021
Finding opportunities to grow in your Assistant role Finding opportunities to grow in your Assistant role takes initiative - you have to work in a culture where initiative and proactivity are recognised and rewarded. You have to have the confidence and drive to see it through, and you need some [.].
Practically Perfect PA
MARCH 18, 2021
Improving decision-making for Assistants Many Assistants are worried about making decisions because they are worried they will make the wrong one. We have talked about how important it is for Assistants to have space for making mistakes. That is very important.
Practically Perfect PA
APRIL 2, 2020
The role of the Assistant these days is pretty diverse; one day you will be assisting one Executive with personal tasks, the next you may be making business travel arrangements for a different person, managing a project, working on a big event or hiring a new Administrative team.
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 4, 2021
Is your Executive a poor communicator? In a recent survey conducted in the UK, Hays recruitment found 43% of those surveyed said leaders needed to improve their communication skills.
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 18, 2021
Communicating your priorities better with the ‘rule of five’ One of my go-to tools for prioritising and managing my to-do list is Trello. I use the collaboration tool to manage all of my tasks and projects, and I love how easy it easy to collaborate on projects with the other members of the [.].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 7, 2021
Career transitions for Executive Assistants Being an Assistant isn't for everyone. I mean, let's face it, the job has its challenges, and I think you have to love the role to succeed in it genuinely. If you think of the position as a stepping stone to something else or a job [.].
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
Artificial Intelligence: Will it help or hurt the Assistant Profession? I have been very aware of artificial intelligence, as a coming event into my business. In fact, we had a fascinating artificial intelligence client in New York City. And I was just blown away by the [.].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 21, 2021
Understanding your personality and communication preferences Understanding your Executive's personality, behaviours and communication preferences are crucial to building an effective relationship and partnership.
Practically Perfect PA
DECEMBER 10, 2020
What support do you need from your Executive to work in partnership? What support do you need from your Executive to work in partnership? This will ultimately be something that is personal to you but I wanted to share what I thought were 10 expectations that Assistants should have from [.].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 27, 2022
Gaining recognition as a leader There is no better time for Assistants to show their leadership skills and ensure that they are gaining recognition as a leader in their organisations for the value they bring and the ability to lead and influence those around them. You may not manage a [.].
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 5, 2020
Completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times It is that time of year again, performance review season. Except the world has completely changed this year. Completing your Assistant performance review in uncertain times is going to be different.
Practically Perfect PA
MARCH 4, 2021
Powerful words to use in your Assistant CV The competition for Executive and Personal Assistant jobs is fierce. Now more than ever. That is why it is important to make your CV (or resume) stand out from the crowd. To do that, you have to make your CV come to [.].
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
Where do you draw the line? Setting boundaries for Assistants Let's start with a question. Would you say that you are good at setting boundaries? Here is an even more important question - are you good at setting boundaries, and are you good at sticking to them? Assistants need to [.].
Practically Perfect PA
OCTOBER 26, 2020
How to stay visible and in the loop with your Executive while working from home We are living in strange times. I know many of you will be working from home, trying to juggle your home life and your work life more than ever - while not leaving your home [.].
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
Anticipating needs and other mind reading tricks Over the last few years, I have written a lot about creating a successful Executive and EA partnership. It is the key relationship for Assistants and the one part of the role that you have to get right. Without [.].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 6, 2022
Making the move to managing a team Many Assistants are making the move to managing a team and taking on more of a leadership role in their organisations. It is an exciting time for career-driven Assistants who want to add more value. The opportunities are there for the taking, and Assistants [.].
Practically Perfect PA
MAY 25, 2020
Most of us that have been working in the PA industry for a while now will have heard of the phrase ‘the tech-savvy assistant’. It might have cropped up on your job specs and been discussed during your most recent job interview. It is so important for Assistants to have a good grasp of [.].
Practically Perfect PA
AUGUST 18, 2020
Common challenges faced by Assistants Working as an Executive or Personal Assistant is a complex and often misunderstood role. Assistants take on a lot and often go unrewarded and unrecognised for their efforts. It isn’t an easy gig, that is for sure. There are a lot of common [.].
Practically Perfect PA
APRIL 22, 2021
What is the right platform for your virtual event? As Assistants, we organise a wide variety of events. From small office parties and get-togethers to the annual sales conference, events have and will always be part of our role. As many Assistants have found out over the last year, the [.].
Practically Perfect PA
DECEMBER 16, 2021
5 easy ways to supercharge your sales process using automation Maintaining a sales process as a business owner is a huge challenge. You will likely be using multiple tools and apps for the various tasks, and if they’re not connected, your team will be wasting hours of valuable time on [.].
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 17, 2020
As we all know writing minutes is an essential skill for Assistants and this ultimate guide to effective minute-taking we will break-down everything Assistants need to know to create minutes that will be read and actioned.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 24, 2020
How automation can help Assistants When you’re an Assistant and wearing lots of hats, juggling different tasks, clients and struggling with an overflowing to-do list it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Being organised is key, and using technology makes it much easier to keep on top of things.
Practically Perfect PA
APRIL 16, 2020
So, you are thinking about heading into the unknown and need some tips on how to transition out of your role Whether you are changing your career or going into business for yourself, this is a big deal. You are amazing for deciding to follow through with your dream! Well done! The idea didn’t [.].
Practically Perfect PA
JANUARY 28, 2020
SMART objectives for Executive Assistants are so crucial because, without them, Assistants can be at such a disadvantage. They can be taken for granted, they can be mismanaged, and they can be left without a clue as to what exactly is expected of them in the role.
Practically Perfect PA
OCTOBER 21, 2021
The ultimate guide to managing your Executive's emails Managing an Executive's emails is a fundamental part of the Assistant role and saves the Executive considerable time and stress. Because let's face so many of us still get very stressed out by email and the constant need to read, reply and [.].
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
One area that seems to change notably from job to job is remuneration and performance reviews for Assistants. In my first full-time job, I had quarterly performance reviews with my manager, half-yearly appraisals and at the end of every year a full review and 360° feedback with my team.
Practically Perfect PA
JUNE 16, 2020
Working alongside every successful Executive is an incredibly smart, switched-on and highly skilled Executive Assistant. There are many advanced skills that Assistants, who work in the C-suite, need to be successful in the role. We cover a lot of those skills on this website.
Practically Perfect PA
MAY 7, 2020
There are a lot of critical responsibilities for Assistants. During the day, Assistants have to do so many different things, so their skills and tasks are incredibly varied. For new Assistants, it is hard to know where to start. Getting the basics right: Personal and Executive Assistant Key Tasks.
Practically Perfect PA
OCTOBER 9, 2020
Developing a growth mindset Developing a Growth Mindset doesn’t have to be complicated, even in the midst of a global health crisis. Let’s be real for a moment… and put things into perspective. Do you honestly believe that you’ll never progress or accomplish anything new in your career or life? [.].
Practically Perfect PA
MARCH 2, 2020
There are so many events, webinars, publications, blogs out there that talk about accelerating your Assistant career path and progression. Career success comes in many shapes and forms and, let’s face it, is an entirely personal definition.
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Effective calendar management for Executive Assistants is a hugely important aspect of th role. Assistants spend at the very least a third of their day organising their Executive’s schedule. Juggling our Executive’s time is a complex operation.
Practically Perfect PA
FEBRUARY 3, 2020
This is a guest post from Jenna Potter, the Social Media & Content Executive at CHS Group. Jenna sends out a Weekly Roundup email series where she selects her favourite 4+ resources every week that help PAs, EAs and VAs advance their career and life. Get it sent to your inbox here.
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