Personal assistant agencies are companies that specialize in finding and hiring quality personal assistants for their clients. An agency makes hiring a personal assistant much easier, because the personal assistant applies to the agency, goes through an application and interview process, and is typically then matched up with suitable employment opportunities based on his or her skills, qualifications, and desires for employment. A potential client will then contact the agency when in need of a personal assistant, and will be able to quickly hire someone who has already been vetted by the agency.
Personal assistant agencies function similarly to other types of employment agencies. Each has its own list of requirements for personal assistants to be considered. These requirements may include a certain level of education, a specific number of years of experience, or other skills such as the ability to type a minimum number of words per minute, good computer skills, or multi-language skills, among others.
It may be challenging to be hired by a personal assistant agency without any prior experience. For this reason, it may be best to work as an unpaid personal assistant, or in an internship position before applying to any personal assistant agencies. Once one has been accepted to an agency, it becomes much easier to make contacts in the field and to find consistent work.
Personal assistant agencies frequently offer assistants the ability to work part-time or full-time, and to be placed in a temporary or permanent position. Many agencies work with high profile clients, including celebrities and executives of companies, so it is important that each personal assistant is placed in a position in which he or she is likely to succeed. A personal assistant agency will also let potential assistants know what the employer will expect of them.
Some of the job responsibilities of assistants hired from personal assistant agencies might include secretarial work, such as creating appointments and keeping a schedule, keeping accounting books, organizing meetings, or making travel arrangements. Other personal assistants may be asked to run errands, manage household staff such as housekeepers or nannies, or help to plan parties or special events. A personal assistant virtually always works directly with his or her employer, and an ability quickly identify and even anticipate this person's needs is important.
If a personal assistant job is only temporary, the client will then likely report back to the personal assistant agency to assess the quality of work that was performed. If a personal assistant gets consistently good reviews from clients, the agency will be more likely to continue to offer work, and possibly at a higher pay rate. If the reviews are negative, however, the personal assistant may be asked to apply elsewhere. Personal assistant agencies are a good way for both a client and a potential assistant to find work with people who can be trusted.
