To YOU, what is the difference

[susan silva]

In your opinion what is the difference between PA, Admin Asst, Exec Assistant and Office Manager?  I know the US may have a different definition of PA.  I think this is an interesting question and look forward to seeing how you view them.

[Atlanta Z3]

PA:  someone who follows around a movie star with their latte
Admin Asst: lower level assistant supporting middle managers (1-7 years in field)
Executive Assistant: C-level support or senior admin in a company, superior level of coordination, software skills and project management needed. (7+ years in field)
Office Manager: handles accounting functions; real etate issues: contracts, insurance, office space management, repairs; may manage admin staff or receiptionist; may be responsbile for company benefits: insurance, pension plans; planning company outings: holiday or summer parties; vendor maintenace: supplies, telephone, internet, ususally the catch all for jobs no one else wants to tdo!

[msmarieh]

PA - Someone who supports a high level executive with both personal and professional tasks (i.e. picks up their dry cleaning as well as making their powerpoint slides)

I'm with Atlanta on the others.

[countrigal]

Don't know if it's because we're both Southern US or just US in general...  I agree with Atlanta except I don't limit PA's to hollywood types... anyone who acts hoity-toity and has someone following around them to fetch coffees, making notes of what color of what scarf needs to be ordered (and later goes to purchase said item) as gifts, and basically being the gopher for tha tperson.  Hollywood types have them, but so do fancy designers or high society folks who are too good to walk to a coffee pot (or go in a store) to get a cup of coffee for themselves.

[Katie G]

In my job, I actually have pretty regular dealings with someone's PA.  (I'm in the US.)  Apparently, it's not what the average person might think.

The person the PA supports is the wife of one of the city's major business leaders.  Mrs. Business Leader has her own small business and is also a rainmaker in the local philanthropic/civic/arts scene.  Her PA has a small office in their (very large) home, and she handles just about anything and everything from travel to light bookkeeping for the business to scheduling to event planning and management to, yes, occasionally picking up the dry cleaning. 

However, she does not follow the wife around like a lady-in-waiting, with Starbucks in hand.  The PA often acts as her stand in for things like meeting with florists/caterers for a gala event, or meeting a plumber for an issue in the house, or running errands (with use of the couples spare car) for the business or events. 

I get the impression that she is well compensated, and gets some nice perks, but her life pretty much revolves around the couple's and I don't know how long I could live my life like that.