Personal Assistant

Typical Salary

£18,000 To £50,000

Typical Hours

37 to 40 a week

evenings occasionally

How To Become a Personal Assistant

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working your way into the role
specialist courses run by private training organisations

College / University

You could do a business-related foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree.

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could take a college qualification to help you get a job as a junior personal assistant. Courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Business Support
Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You could do an intermediate or advanced level apprenticeship in business administration before working your way up to a personal assistant position.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could find a temporary job to get administration experience. You could then apply for permanent roles.

If you're already working as an administrator or secretary, you could become a personal assistant through company training and promotion.

To get work, you'll usually need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, A levels, or equivalent qualifications.

Other Routes

You could do training courses with a private training provider or through a professional body like the Institute of Administrative Management.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

administration skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
to be flexible and open to change
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
knowledge of English language
excellent verbal communication skills
active listening skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

In this role you could:

screen telephone calls and handle enquiries
organise your manager's diary and make appointments
deal with letters and emails
arrange meetings
organise and maintain office systems
take notes at meetings
make travel arrangements
look after visitors

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could move to a larger company or work for a more senior manager.

You could also move into an executive assistant (EA) role with more responsibility.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about working and training in business administration from the Institute of Administrative Management.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.