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Summer Care
"I love my job. The pleasure is in having a really supportive boss and getting the job done. Like all career PAs, I take pride in my work and go the extra mile when needed, be that staying late, working through lunchtimes to meet deadlines, or being available to take calls from journalists at night or at weekends.
It's all about the quality of the relationship you have with your boss. I respect my boss and I know he genuinely respects me in return. He is supportive of me in my role and indeed anything else I might be doing, be that furthering my outside interests or getting married. If you actually like the person you're working for and find them approachable, it is a joy to come in to work... most of the time!
I do find that the 'broken record' technique works wonders to get a boss to do something they don't want to do. Pick your moment, but try repeating what you want them to do two or three times, and you'll find eventually they'll give in, if only to stop the noise!
And never assume anything. You may be 99% sure that you know what their response will be to an invitation or a request, but check! It's always those occasions when I'm most sure I know what they'll say, that a boss turns around and surprises me."
My boss is an inspiration to me – I have been with her for 10 years. Our relationship is built on integrity and mutual respect. I have no aspirations to live her life as I am very happy with the life I have!
I think having an appreciation of the pressures your boss is under is crucial. Knowing that, you do what you can, with the elements of the job that you have control over, to make the day as smooth as possible. My boss is a busy mother of two as well as being a high achiever.
I only got it wrong once when she thought she was heading home from the airport after a "Red Eye" trans-Atlantic flight for a quick shower, but I had mistakenly scheduled her for a breakfast meeting in town! I am occasionally still reminded of this but I will say "never again" on this one! Triple checking is my middle name, and making sure everything is as perfect as it can be is so important.
Text messaging is great to keep your boss up to date with last minute diary changes, and it avoids having to invade their personal space. Sometimes speed is of the essence.
On a lighter note, my other top tip is to keep a packet of those wonderful, thick dark chocolate covered biscuits on standby! They act as a perfect remedy to a stressful meeting, and to munch while downloading with a cup of coffee on a busy afternoon.
You have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you start thinking that doing this or that is encroaching on you and your time, then the role of a PA is not for you. For example, you have to be willing to take calls in the middle of the night. Not every night, of course, but you have to view it as part of what goes into doing a great job.
I'd also say that a thank you and praise from your boss is more important than any gift. I have received lots of wonderful gifts over the years and they have all been touching and very gratefully received. But a top tip to any boss would be to always make sure that you remember to say thank you. It is worth more than any gift!
It is obvious, but worth stating, that you have to be the absolute soul of discretion and confidentiality. I have worked with, and continue to work with, celebrities, and integrity and discretion are critical to my work and important personal values. The day you feel the need to share the gossip is the day you may want to consider your career is over.
New Career Forum
Some 55 career PAs from the world of advertising and communications joined forces to form the first PA career forum. PAs from across the capital attended the first Grey London/Pathfinders joint PA Forum at the Langham Hotel, designed to inspire PAs to progress within their profession and not look at the support role as a way of getting into something else. The guest speakers included the three senior PAs above.
The event was jointly organised by Pathfinders, a media recruitment agency, and Grey London, a leading London advertising agency. Attendees included PAs from Burson-Marsteller, Hill and Knowlton, Lloyds TSB, M&C Saatchi and Virgin Radio.
"We have recently established our own PA Networking and Development Forum at Grey. This has been a huge success for the team as we have firmly put PA development on the map. This is such a great opportunity for our PAs to network with their colleagues around the industry," said Liz Nottingham, People Team Director at Grey. "We intend this to be the first of many as the focus on PAs has been so well received across the industry."
Donna Baylis, a PA from Grey London commented: "It isn't often that PAs are given the opportunity to attend events which are designed with us and our careers in mind. I came away feeling that being a PA was more about a structured and rewarding career, and not just a job with limited responsibility or few prospects."
"The event was a success because the PAs had their first opportunity to network with people at a similar level to themselves. They could also get career advice and discuss and share experience. This made the event a very special and significant occasion for them," said Liz Nottingham People Director at Grey. "There were no PAs at the back handing out the badges, PA development is now firmly on the map."
Future events are planned. PAs in the media industry interested in finding out more should email Polly Barnes at Grey London polly.barnes@greyeu.com
