Personal Assistants In Demand
Personal Assistants Help the Wealthy Manage Their Homes and Lives
Personal Assistants may be responsible for everything from running errands to planning social events.
If you haven’t heard yet, rap mogul/entrepreneur Sean Combs (a.k.a P. Diddy) is looking to hire a new Personal Assistant. P. Diddy has gone high tech and solicited the help of YouTube to help him find the right candidate. In lieu of a resume, candidates are asked to post a short video (less than three minutes) telling P. Diddy why they should be hired for the job, a “pre-interview” of sorts.
P. Diddy made the following statement about his expectations of a Personal Assistant - "What better job than to have me scream at you … keep you up late hours and have you sleep deprived?" Sounds horrendous doesn’t it? Still there is not a shortage of people interested in this position. In fact, news reports indicate that over 10,000 people have already applied for the job.
It appears that P. Diddy and many other wealthy individuals are serious about having Personal Assistants on staff. In an interview with Suite 101, Michelle Brignone, President/Founder of the Brignone Private Staffing Agency, said that she's seen an increase in the hiring of all kinds of domestic help including Personal Assistants. Most individuals think of Personal Assistants as working for celebrities such as P. Diddy; however, Brignone says that for many years that trend has been changing. "Personal Assistants are more than Social Secretaries" Brignone says. She says that the wealthy in all professions see the advantages of hiring a Personal Assistant, because organization or the lack of it can be a personal reflection on themselves. When Brignone is looking for a prospective assistant, she looks for someone with strong organizational and communication skills. She says that a candidate does not have to have a college degree, but needs to be able to present themselves in a very professional manner. Other skills she might look for include; some experience with/knowledge of finances, as well as experience managing others.
Personal Assistants are responsible for assisting their employer with day to day tasks such as shopping, running errands, answering phone calls, checking e-mails, correspondence, scheduling appointments, maintaining a business/social calendar and making travel arrangements. Personal Assistants need to be computer literate, highly professional, discreet (especially when working for someone famous), well organized, trustworthy, reliable and highly resourceful. They will need to be able to communicate and build relationships with many people including their employer’s hairstylist, chef, spouse, children, drycleaner, associates and possibly even the media.
Employment for Personal Assistants is available directly through employers (such as P. Diddy) or a placement agency such as Brignone Private Staffing. Positions are available both part-time and full-time. It is important to note that extensive travel and long hours may be a requirement depending upon the employer (don’t forget how P. Diddy described the job). Salaries for Personal Assistants vary tremendously. On average a Personal Assistant is paid somewhere between $20-$50/hour; however, experienced Personal Assistants may make over $100,000 per year.
