When looking to recruit for a position, it is important to clearly define the job spec and establish what you are looking for. One question that is commonly asked is the difference between personal assistant and executive assistant – is there one?
Yes – there most certainly is! And depending on which you are looking for, will affect the applications and in turn the suitability of the candidates.
So what is the difference between personal assistant and executive assistant?
Personal Assistant
The term personal assistant can be quite widely used. A personal assistant is an assistant to a person and gives them a wide range of support and duties. Typically a personal assistant is generally associated with a private individual, for example, a celebrity, sportsman, or entrepreneur, and they have an intimate and working knowledge of the daily schedule from both personal and working life. Often working with the private settings of homes and private spaces.
Types of duties typically performed by a personal assistant include:
- Welcoming & Contact
- Diary Management
- Birthday/Christmas and Gift Buying/Sending
- Note taking
- Travel Arrangements
- Call Handling
- Email Handling
- Reminders
- Planning & Organisation of Events
- Reminder/Deadlines
- Book Keeping
- Research
The personal assistant is in charge of all aspects of duties that you might require them to be, from making a cup of coffee to running errands or even dog walking (!), a great personal assistant will be willing to accomplish the above tasks to a high level. They may work for an individual or an entire family.
Executive Assistant
An executive assistant is more commonly associated with the business and corporate world. A CEO, for example, may have a personal PA, and then an Executive Assistant (giving them the highest ranking in the office team). Due to the highest level of responsibilities often placed on the shoulders of CEOs and managing directors, it is vital that the executive assistant has the background and intelligence to support them accordingly.
Their duties and skills may include those of a personal assistant, but might also include:
- Book Keeping to a higher level
- Accountancy Skills
- Pay Roll
- Hiring/Firing/Recruitment of Staff
- Advanced knowledge of specific working deals or projects
- Ability to step in to speak on behalf of the CEO/MD if required
- Advanced IT skills
- Management Skills
- Team leading
The executive assistant as you can see, takes a higher level of business skills, with the ability to closely follow the business workings and not just the personal life of the individual. It is, of course, possible to combine the skill sets, and depending on what you need, will depend on what type of assistant you look to hire. A great assistant will be flexible and adaptive, and it will be easy to spot from their previous roles and CV history and education where their skill set lay.
If you need help recruiting your next personal assistant or executive assistant we would love to help you with any advice or starting a new search. Why not get in touch with us today and see how we can help you?