Career Advice for Personal Assistant Roles to the Wealthy
Getting and keeping high-profile jobs -- especially in a lousy job market -- takes a strategy. Getting career advice from subject-matter experts can help career candidates have longevity in their careers.
How to be Successful If You Land a Celebrity Assistant Job
Idioms for personal assistants to live by
One of the biggest surprises of my recruiting career was learning that about 50% of celebrity personal assistant jobs are in the hidden job market (word of mouth). And, amazingly, about 25% of that falls into the laps of unsuspecting candidates who aren’t even seeking employment (in other words, a friend called someone up and said, “Do you want to work for George Clooney because his assistant just quit?”). Do you think you’re ready to transition from an executive assistant position to a PA?
If you score a job with a celebrity or high net worth individual -- whether it be through your efforts, or you get a surprise call from a friend -- here are some hard and fast rules for being successful in the role (because keeping the job is much more complicated than getting the job):
If you score a job with a celebrity or high net worth individual -- whether it be through your efforts, or you get a surprise call from a friend -- here are some hard and fast rules for being successful in the role (because keeping the job is much more complicated than getting the job):
Know your place
Regardless of the jobs listed on your resume, who you know, or where you went to school, being a celebrity PA is the ultimate equalizer. You can be fired anytime for almost any reason. Assistants in the field rarely get second chances because if you screw up, even small things, it’s likely going to be a big deal to your employer. Always be well-prepared each day you go to work, and never try to be a friend to your boss. Being too familiar leads to complacency, which could then lead to your termination.
Be over-prepared
When working for high-profile individuals, personal assistants will be bombarded with tasks, and the duties range from menial to prestigious. Regardless of where your assignments fall on your to-do list, ensure you have a well-thought-out plan for executing them. Any seasoned personal assistant will tell you that sometimes it will seem like the universe is conspiring against you, so everything that can go wrong will go wrong. In short, build backup plans with contingencies so nothing can stop you from accomplishing your directives.
Always go the extra mile
Learn as much as possible about your employer’s business -- every detail. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more indispensable you will become. Never think that any task is below you, and treat every job duty as the most essential thing in the world. Suppose you can gain the trust of your celebrity boss. In that case, you will not only ensure your future employment, but you will also move up in the organization. It’s not uncommon for celebrity assistants to become producers of their boss’s films.
Idioms for Personal Assistants to Live by
Any personal assistant knows that working for celebrities, high-net-worth individuals, billionaires, or royal families takes patience and creativity when solving problems. Here is a list of idioms from our PA veterans that have been passed on for posterity:
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
Some assistants who work for the rich and famous never think they make enough money, so they quit in protest only to find out that they can’t get another job with a high-net-worth family or that the new job they get pays less (or the same) with more duties than before.
— Career advice from a Chief of Staff working for a billionaire philanthropist
— Career advice from a Chief of Staff working for a billionaire philanthropist
Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched
Never be too confident when accomplishing your to-do list, especially when other staff members are involved in completing the assignment. Follow-through is essential. It’s not done until it’s done! For example, an assistant didn’t take Super Bowl tickets directly to the Fed-Ex office, and the driver arrived late, so the tickets didn’t go out on time. In short, the boss missed the game and had invested a million dollars in the vacation.
— Career advice from a Hollywood Assistant working for a movie studio chief
— Career advice from a Hollywood Assistant working for a movie studio chief
Sour grapes
(Fox and the grapes from Aesop’s Fables) It’s so easy to despise what one cannot have. Don’t be angry that you didn’t get the celebrity PA job. Instead, learn from your mistakes, find out what you did wrong in the interview, and don’t do it again.
— Career advice from an executive assistant working for a Fortune 500 CEO
— Career advice from an executive assistant working for a Fortune 500 CEO
Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
Personal assistant jobs come with many tasks from A to Z. When executing orders, always ensure you have backup plans with contingencies built in. For example, if your boss is famous for being indecisive, make reservations at more than one restaurant if he changes his mind. If you don’t leave yourself any wiggle room for the unexpected, you set yourself up for failure.
— Career advice from a lifestyle manager who works for an ultra-high-net-worth individual
— Career advice from a lifestyle manager who works for an ultra-high-net-worth individual
What Employers DON’T Want in a Job Candidate
Executive PAs who want to be taken seriously need to be vigilant when searching for a new job. Not only is this overly competitive job market the “new normal,” but celebrities and high-net-worth employers are incredibly selective simply because they can be. Here are some considerations for candidates who are looking for a new position:
Job hoppers
Assistants who change jobs frequently should know employers are cautious about hiring them. Assistants who bounce from one employer to the next will get their resumes deleted by recruiters -- even if some of those jobs are with high-profile executives or CEOs. Sure, you may be able to explain away changing one or two jobs. Still, when applicants have a whole resume peppered with positions that range from three to nine months of tenure, then it’s a sure-fire sign that the assistant is on the wrong career path and isn’t a reliable investment.
Searching for a new job at your current job
This practice is death for your assistant career. It shows a complete lack of respect and is the perfect way to get fired from your current position. Even if you’re convinced there is no way your boss could know that you are using company time to search for a new job, headhunters are wise to your tactless strategy -- mainly when you use your company email (with auto signature no less) to submit your resume.
Careless use of social media
Not managing your online presence is foolish beyond words. Billionaires and celebrities are very cautious about who they hire because you, directly or indirectly, represent your boss. So, suppose you’re spouting off on Twitter or Facebook. In that case, it shows you are completely disconnected from the reality of today’s job market. The media constantly showcases stories about how employees got sacked over online posts. Yet, job seekers heed no warning and continue to post their rants online without regard for how they will impact their administrative careers.
Are You Mentally AND Physically Prepared for Your Job Interview?
Competing for personal assistant positions in today’s job market is like a battle of the gladiators. Even having “celebrity PA” experience on one’s resume isn’t enough to land a job because many candidates compete for open slots.
Assistants need to go into interviews very well-prepared. My rule of thumb: Be over-prepared. Why? Because candidates who think they are “ready” for an interview actually are not.
It’s impossible to predict what kind of curve balls the employer will throw at you (especially the Fortune 500 companies). It’s standard operating procedure for employers to ask job applicants off-the-wall questions to see how they will react. Plenty of websites have lists of the craziest interview questions, which you can research on your own (billionaires are especially famous for out-of-this-world questions).
The point is this: If you are over-prepared for the interview, you will be thoroughly prepared for anything that comes your way (nervous energy can’t take over if you have confidence, and that comes from doing homework).
As a friendly reminder, doing exhaustive research on the employer you will be interviewing with is a critical component to passing the multi-tiered process. If you don’t give them a reason to hire you (by proving that you’ve done homework), making it past the first stage is almost impossible.
That covers the basics of being mentally ready, but what about being physically prepared? I encourage candidates to warm up their minds AND bodies before an interview. Because most candidates won’t do it, this will give you alertness (an aura, if you will) that employers will notice -- even if they can’t pinpoint it, they will say, “That candidate had great energy.” Try the following:
Assistants need to go into interviews very well-prepared. My rule of thumb: Be over-prepared. Why? Because candidates who think they are “ready” for an interview actually are not.
It’s impossible to predict what kind of curve balls the employer will throw at you (especially the Fortune 500 companies). It’s standard operating procedure for employers to ask job applicants off-the-wall questions to see how they will react. Plenty of websites have lists of the craziest interview questions, which you can research on your own (billionaires are especially famous for out-of-this-world questions).
The point is this: If you are over-prepared for the interview, you will be thoroughly prepared for anything that comes your way (nervous energy can’t take over if you have confidence, and that comes from doing homework).
As a friendly reminder, doing exhaustive research on the employer you will be interviewing with is a critical component to passing the multi-tiered process. If you don’t give them a reason to hire you (by proving that you’ve done homework), making it past the first stage is almost impossible.
That covers the basics of being mentally ready, but what about being physically prepared? I encourage candidates to warm up their minds AND bodies before an interview. Because most candidates won’t do it, this will give you alertness (an aura, if you will) that employers will notice -- even if they can’t pinpoint it, they will say, “That candidate had great energy.” Try the following:
Warm up your voice
Try warming up your voice by light singing to your favorite song. Not only does this warm your vocal cords up, but it will also lift your spirits, too -- kill two birds with one stone.
Stretching
Do some stretching before you get dressed. Plenty of online tutorials guide you, but warming up your muscles will help you relax and get your blood flowing.
Deep breathing
Deep breathing is also helpful to calm your nerves. This can be done on the ride to the interview.
