When we talk about personal assistants, we often think of a person who works beside some big-shot CEO or successful celebrity. While it’s true that the rich and famous keep assistants, it’s not that uncommon to see a solopreneur hire the services of a personal assistant to do a variety of tasks. In reality, the advantage of getting an assistant is that it can be individualized and customized to fit any need. Today, personal assistants work in basically any industry, and they can even work remotely.
Now, if you’re looking to hire a personal assistant, you will need to find someone who is offering the right services to suit your needs. You want to find the most qualified candidate who ticks all the right boxes, right? This guide will show you how to find the right person for the job.
First, let’s define what a personal assistant is. A personal assistant is a person who offers his/her services to individuals, organizations, or companies that want to relieve themselves of the more menial tasks so they could spend more time doing the things they need to focus on.
Why Should You Hire a Personal Assistant?
If you clicked on this article, you’re probably intrigued by the idea of hiring a personal assistant because there are always items in your to-do list that are left unfinished. If that is you, then hiring a personal assistant’s services may be the solution to your problem.
A personal assistant can help you increase your productivity by handling the tasks that usually disrupt your flow. This means you don’t have to take charge of everything. Your assistant can also help you keep everything on schedule since you will have someone who can check on your calendar to make sure you don’t miss any appointments.
And here’s an underrated skill personal assistants have that may impact your personal life. They can learn your preferences over time and help you pick gifts for your loved ones on special occasions.
Key Skills
Personal assistants can do much for you, and while the job description may vary according to the employer, there are key skills that are expected of every assistant. Some of these include:
• Discretion – They are going to be exposed to highly personal information, so you need someone who knows how to keep things confidential.
• Organizational skills and time management – After all, they will be keeping things organized and on schedule for you, and they need to know how to multitask.
• Good oral and written communication skills – Your personal assistant needs to understand the instructions you have given, and he/she needs to pass on information clearly.
• Attention to detail – This is critical if your personal assistant is going to be taking messages for you if you are unavailable.
• Computer skills – Let’s face it. Everybody needs this skill these days. Depending on your needs, your personal assistant must know how to use tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Calendar, etc.
• Flexibility and adaptability – A personal assistant needs to be flexible because he/she will be handling a lot of different tasks each day.
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As mentioned before, each personal assistant is different, and each one can perform a broad scope of work for you. Here, we’ve listed down four common personal assistant duties, so you have an idea of what your future personal assistant can do for you.
Your personal assistant will often act as the first point of contact between you and your potential clients if he/she is taking calls for you or receiving and sending emails on your behalf. That’s why your assistant needs to have strong communication skills and a keen eye for detail.
Your personal assistant can manage your calendar, organize meetings and appointments, remind you of important tasks, and make travel arrangements. He/she can help you prioritize what is important so you will do things on time and stay productive.
That’s right. For some personal assistants, managing their employer’s household is part of the job. They can run errands, do grocery shopping, pick your kids up from school, take care of daily chores, etc. Of course, the things that a virtual personal assistant can do here are somewhat limited, but they can still do shop online for you.
An assistant can do so much more than just managing your calendar and answering emails. He/she can take down notes during meetings, prepare documents, and work closely with you and assist with other ad hoc administrative tasks as needed.
Whether you’re looking for a full-time personal assistant or for someone who can provide some short-term personal services, there are many companies and websites that can help you find the person you need. Here are some of the top sites for personal assistant services:
Fancy Hands is a team of US-based assistants. Their rates depend on the number of requests a client needs for the month, starting at $29.99 monthly for five requests or $6 per request.
My Personal Assistant is a professional organizing and errand service. Some of their services include cleaning and decluttering, bill payment and recordkeeping, grocery shopping, and dry-cleaning delivery and pick up. They also have specialty services, including housesitting and event management.
24/7 Virtual Assistant offers virtual assistance for personal tasks like food delivery and ticket booking. It also provides administrative support, email marketing, homepage and search engine optimization services to businesses.
OnlineJobs.ph is the Philippines’ largest online marketplace. You can easily find a virtual personal assistant for as low as $300-$400 there.
You can also find virtual personal assistants on freelance sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com.
* Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To find out more about our view on affiliate products, please see this page.
Now that you know everything you need to know about personal assistant services, it’s time to hire your first assistant! With a personal assistant by your side, you can do things that matter to you, like focusing on growing your business. Now you can set aside some “me time” to spend with family and friends.
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