A personal secretary is a person who works one-on-one with their boss, usually an executive or a small business owner who requires a personal secretary and assistant for day-to-day tasks. As a result, anyone interested in working as a personal secretary must have prior administrative support experience. Local and community colleges frequently offer certificate or diploma programs to become a professional administrative assistant, which may be beneficial. A friendly, outgoing personality is also required to work as a personal secretary, as you will likely be interacting with a large number of people on a daily basis.
Anyone interested in becoming a personal secretary (also known as a personal assistant) should begin gaining experience in an office setting as soon as possible. If you’re a business executive looking for a personal secretary, make sure she knows what she’s doing and can interact with people politely and professionally. An administrative assistant who has worked in the field will be familiar with a variety of office and computer equipment, as well as how to maintain filing systems and other skills such as answering the phone and creating schedules.
You could also pursue a career as a personal secretary by obtaining additional training in this field. Certificates in secretarial and office administration work may be available from community colleges or trade schools. Furthermore, many programs are available online, which may be easier to fit into a busy schedule. This type of educational work can look great on a resume and make it more likely that you’ll be offered a higher salary once you’re hired. In general, becoming a personal secretary without at least a high school diploma would be extremely difficult.
You should dress professionally and appear friendly, competent, and polite in an interview for a position as a personal secretary. Bring examples of how you’ve previously succeeded in this type of work to the interview. It’s critical that you have strong communication skills and an eagerness to learn new things. As a general rule, anyone working as a personal secretary should be self-motivated and capable of working without constant supervision or direction; most employers will not want to spend a significant amount of time training a new secretary.