How to Become A PA
A PA is a personal assistant. It is their job to provide support and guidance to a senior executive or company director who may not have the time to carry out certain day to day tasks themselves.
A PA can look after everything involving the day to day running of a business and is usually the first point of contact within an organization. Their responsibilities may include things like scheduling meetings, booking appointments, answering the phone and often some form of data input. Some PA’s are also highly skilled in other areas too, such as social media marketing and copy-writing.
What skills do I need to become a PA?
Most PA’s will already have some sort of office experience or will have worked in a similar environment before. A lot of their responsibilities involve typing up important documents such as business letters/emails so a good PA will have excellent English skills and be adept at using basic computer programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. If you haven’t had much previous experience in an office role, then you might want to look at doing some temporary work in order to give yourself a better chance of finding a position.
Anyone seriously interested in becoming a PA should also have excellent communication skills and be comfortable dealing with people as the majority of this role involves interacting with clients and other colleagues. Other essential skills that may be required include the ability to plan and organize effectively (A PA may be responsible for things like arranging meetings/travel plans etc) as well as being able to cope well under pressure.
What Qualifications do I need?
Whilst having a degree is advantageous, it’s not compulsory for you to have one in order to become a PA. Obtaining a reputable PA qualification or another relevant accreditation from a recognised college or private training provider is a great way to start you off on your new career path.
PA Training courses are readily available for people working as a PA or looking to become a PA. These are a great way to update your existing skills or to gain a new qualification, however be sure to check these PA Courses are CPD accredited before you sign up to anything. The CPD (continual professional development) certification service is a respected institution and all courses accredited by them have been measured against strictly regulated standards. It should also be noted that qualifications obtained from more established providers of PA training are much more likely to impress any prospective employers reading your CV.
