Practically Perfect PA

DECEMBER 17, 2019

I hope you enjoy our key skills round-up 2019. We focused really heavily this year on increasing our content around the key skills Assistants need to develop in their role this year. We covered a lot of skills including minute taking, event management, organising business travel, project management and everything in between!

2019 130

2019 Skills UPS Project Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 8, 2023

The top skills for 2023: A roadmap to success for Assistants The World Economic Forum has compiled a list of the top skills for 2023 and beyond. This list serves as a guide for personal development and assessing your employability in the future. Tracking and aligning [.]

2023 100

2023 Skills 100

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 2, 2019

The roles are similar, and there are a lot of overlapping skills. There are so many Assistants who are also working as an Office Manager and a lot of Office Managers who are also Assistants! However, Office Managers do have to take on some tasks that are high-level and move the business forward. Many Office […].

Skills 214

Skills Management 214

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 24, 2017

Not everyone can be a good minute taker – it’s a definite skill and quite often an art, hence the name of my course, The Art of Minute Taking. There are definite skills required to be a good minute taker and I’ve listed some of them below: Listening. Strive to develop these skills so you can be the best minute taker you can.

Skills 188

Skills Assertiveness Agenda 2016 188

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 10, 2017

It was a very handy skill to have! … They would’ve thought that this would be a must have skill to be able to take minutes. It’s a good skill to have, but the traps listed above need to be avoided. The post Is shorthand still a relevant skill for a minute taker? But now a dying art. Are you double handling information?

Skills 185

Skills 2016 2015 Administrative Professionals 185

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 8, 2019

There are now quite a few of us in the Assistant world running around shouting that you, lovely Assistant, are a leader within your organisation! You may not manage a team, but you do work in a management role. You manage your Executive, you work with and support the leadership team, and you should see […].

Skills 212

Skills Management 212

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 26, 2016

Next up in our series of blog posts on core soft skills I am going to look at diplomacy and tact for assistants. Assistants have to possess a number of soft or interpersonal skills. It is a skill that allows assistants to find common ground with every person at every level of business. Pick your battles.

Skills 100

Skills AT&T Stress Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

NOVEMBER 9, 2015

Today I am going to start a new one – Core Skills. I’m not just going to write about which skills we need I am also going to look at how these skills are linked to the role specifically. Well, it seems to be the skill of the moment within the industry. That is what this feature is going to do. Communication.

Skills 100

Skills Suppliers Confidence Networking 100

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 10, 2019

Being a good multitasker was on the job description of pretty much every Assistant role I applied for when I first started as an Assistant. Since then experts have shown that multitasking does precisely the opposite of what we thought it did. So, multitasking doesn’t keep us productive and able to get through lots of […].

Skills 197

Skills Management 197

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 1, 2013

The Account Manager role was a little side step along my career path but required the same skills I would need in my next role as a PA and Administrative Manager. Just think how many of these skills we as Executive Assistants still use today! The post Picking up skills along the EA career path appeared first on Practically Perfect PA.

Skills 100

Skills 2003 UPS Agenda 100

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 22, 2019

We all know that it is getting more challenging to get your CV past the recruitment algorithms that are employed to filter applications and we also know that in a crowded market we need our CV to stand out. My advice has always been to tailor your CV depending on the role, which you should […].

Skills 145

Skills Job Hunting Interviewing Management 145

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

This week I want to look at how we can use our skills in this area to add value for our companies and mangers. If you are like me and enjoy writing and/or reading lots of blogs then you will have picked up an invaluable skill that can be easily adapted for business. Does your company have a blog? Technology geek.

Social Media 100

Social Media Skills Dropbox Twitter 100

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 23, 2024

How Assistants Can Help Get Stuff Done in Their Organisations In any organisation, one of the most valuable skills is the ability to get things done. Assistants, in particular, play a crucial role in driving projects forward, maintaining momentum, and ensuring that tasks are completed.

Skills 130

Skills Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

OCTOBER 17, 2023

This article will explore three essential skills for managing multiple projects effectively: scheduling, engagement, and time management. By mastering these skills, Assistants can [.]

Management 130

Management Project Management Skills 130

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 2, 2023

Working in a fast-paced environment can make it challenging to develop critical observational skills. Using critical observation as an Assistant As an Assistant, observing and analysing any situation quickly, accurately and without bias is essential. Using critical observation as an Assistant is important.

Environment 130

Environment Skills Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 4, 2021

In a recent survey conducted in the UK, Hays recruitment found 43% of those surveyed said leaders needed to improve their communication skills. This skill improvement was much more necessary than other areas, such as strategy and planning (23%) and remote staff management (13%). [.]. Is your Executive a poor communicator?

Skills 246

Skills Management 246

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

However, managing stress and enhancing resilience are essential skills that [.] Managing stress and enhancing resilience: A guide for Assistants In our fast-paced world, stress has become a familiar companion in our lives. As Assistants, you face unique challenges and pressures that can lead to increased stress levels.

Stress 130

Stress Management Skills 130

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

The role requires exceptional organisational skills, the ability to handle various responsibilities simultaneously, and a deep understanding of the Executive's needs [.] Navigating the all-encompassing nature of the Assistant role Being an Executive Assistant at the highest level of an organisation comes with its challenges and demands.

Skills 130

Skills 130

Practically Perfect PA

MAY 7, 2020

During the day, Assistants have to do so many different things, so their skills and tasks are incredibly varied. There are a lot of critical responsibilities for Assistants. For new Assistants, it is hard to know where to start. Getting the basics right: Personal and Executive Assistant Key Tasks. Let's get started! In this [.].

Skills 222

Skills Management 222

Practically Perfect PA

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

These skilled professionals support executives and senior management, enabling them to focus on strategic decision-making. The Executive Assistant job description: A Comprehensive guide with real-life examples Executive Assistants have become indispensable to organisations' success in the ever-evolving corporate landscape.

Skills 130

Skills Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 9, 2019

Problem-solving is one of the critical skills that will be needed by office employees by 2020. You will see this skill more and more on job applications for Assistants (if you aren’t already) because we are often called upon to put out fires and deal with problems that nobody else in the office wants or […].

2020 188

2020 Skills Management 188

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 24, 2023

While administrative duties are essential to the Assistant role, developing the interpersonal skills necessary for higher-level responsibilities is [.]

Skills 130

Skills 130

Practically Perfect PA

JUNE 29, 2023

One crucial skill that has become increasingly important in this remote work environment is self-awareness, particularly when managing time, energy, [.] The importance of self-awareness for remote Assistants As the world adapts to remote work, many professionals, including Assistants, have had to navigate new challenges and responsibilities.

Environment 130

Environment Skills Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 2, 2023

Working in a fast-paced environment can make it challenging to develop critical observational skills. Using critical observation as an Assistant As an Assistant, observing and analysing any situation quickly, accurately and without bias is essential. Using critical observation as an Assistant is essential.We

Environment 100

Environment Skills Management 100

Practically Perfect PA

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

As we all know writing minutes is an essential skill for Assistants and this ultimate guide to effective minute-taking we will break-down everything Assistants need to know to create minutes that will be read and actioned. I had a job a few years back that provided support for twelve Committees who had four meetings [.].

Skills 271

Skills Meeting Minutes Forms 271

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 1, 2019

Collaboration is an essential skill for everyone. Every business and organisation needs its employees to work together, to move projects forward and reach common goals. However, for Assistants, collaboration is vital. We have to work with other members of staff on projects and reaching common goals.

Collaborate 179

Collaborate Goals Skills Management 179

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 16, 2018

It would seem that most businesses these days have a blog on their website and it is becoming a key skill for office workers to have. It makes sense, blogs are an effective way to get messages, content and news out to customers. It is a great way of marketing the products and services to […].

Skills 207

Skills Management 207

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 18, 2018

However, event management is a skill that is a little, ok a lot more specialist. As a PA/EA you already regularly organise meetings and minor events. You probably organise the social aspects too, certainly the office Christmas party! If you have been asked to organise a conference as part of your role, know that this […].

Management 212

Management Skills Email 212

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 27, 2022

Gaining recognition as a leader There is no better time for Assistants to show their leadership skills and ensure that they are gaining recognition as a leader in their organisations for the value they bring and the ability to lead and influence those around them. You may not manage a [.].

Skills 130

Skills Management 130

Practically Perfect PA

JUNE 19, 2019

A VA can be excellent at their job, have a positive mindset, the necessary skill set required to do the job well and a desire to be there for her clients. When it comes to successfully running your Virtual Assistant (VA) business, being an awesome Virtual Assistant isn’t enough. But that in itself doesn’t guarantee […].

Skills 202

Skills Training Management 202

Practically Perfect PA

JANUARY 21, 2019

If you are looking for a new role this year, you will most likely have dusted off your CV and started to update it to reflect your current skills and experiences. This is an obvious first step in your job hunt but not where the journey ends for your CV! I think most of you […].

Job Hunting 201

Job Hunting Skills Management 201

Practically Perfect PA

AUGUST 9, 2018

It is a crucial skill for Assistants and something that we have to practice on a daily basis. Look at any job description for Assistants, and you will see the word discretion. One slip and you are at risk of jeopardising your reputation and all the hard work you have put into building the relationship […].

Skills 214

Skills 214

Practically Perfect PA

JULY 25, 2017

Project management is a key skill for PAs these days. As a PA, you are a born project manager and you have the skills you need to make a success of any project, you just need the confidence to know that you are an expert in your area so do trust your own instincts! But as usual, most of us are not sent on project management training!

Project Management 190

Project Management Management Basecamp Confidence 190

Practically Perfect PA

JUNE 13, 2019

I’ve written about this skill a lot over the years, and I have presented on the topic at various events. It goes without saying that for an Assistant to be successful in the role, they need to have strong business acumen. It is a topic close to my heart because I genuinely think once Assistants […].

Skills 181

Skills Management 181

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 26, 2018

If you look at any job application for an Assistant role, you will find something about communication skills. It is a must-have in our profession. Well, we have to communicate efficiently with our Executives, we have to interact with loads of different people from all walks of life and different levels within the business. […].

Skills 212

Skills Management 212

Practically Perfect PA

MARCH 6, 2018

If you have been considering it for a while, have proven skills that can be easily transferred into the remote support sector, have a realistic understanding of the hard work and effort involved in working for yourself, and have the funds required to […]. There has never been a better time to launch your VA business.

Skills 209

Skills Networking Management 209

Practically Perfect PA

APRIL 19, 2017

So we asked our attendees what they thought about their career paths, skills development, performance reviews , and any other developmental aspects of their jobs. Look out for and take advantage of networking events and skills development wherever possible. There is no specific PA skills development.

Training 182

Training Networking PowerPoint Skills 182