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November 24, 2021

How to Get a Job as a Personal Assistant

Are you a college student interested in getting a foot in the door with your chosen occupation? Working as a personal assistant is an excellent way of building the experience necessary to move into your profession. Here are guidelines for how to get a job as a personal assistant.

Complete Your Skills Qualifications

Even though you're a college student, you may not have the necessary skill requirements for a personal assistant job. For example, it may be necessary to obtain certifications in business, or as a med tech. If you have interest in becoming a medical assistant in the front office, for example, you may need medical certification or training. When reading job descriptions, be sure that your skills and qualifications are up to par. If not, you may be able to receive on-the-job training or obtain your certifications as you work.

Become Familiar With the Requirements

Each personal assistant job will have different requirements. There are no specific guidelines stating what a personal assistant will do for all jobs because they differ from one company or industry to the next. One of your best assets will be your ability to remain flexible. You'll be required to meet personal and professional demands while working as a personal assistant. So, when you're interviewing for this job, make sure it is apparent how flexible you are. Also be sure to detail your ability to communicate, multi-task and think strategically when carrying out day-to-day tasks.

Be a Self-Starter

Because there's no such thing as career fairs for personal assistants, those who want to find these jobs must be self-starters. What this means is that if you haven't yet found the job you're looking for, you have to find the courage to approach individuals you want to work for. For example, if you have interest in becoming an office assistant admin clerk for a company or professional you admire and they don't have a job listing, it's up to you to approach them with a winning proposal.

Research Salaries

As of the time of writing the Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that the average earnings nationwide for a personal assistant is $18.21 hourly. There may be potential for earning a higher salary in some fields, such as a physical therapy assistant or a medical assistant. Be sure you research the job position you're seeking thoroughly to ensure it fits with your needs and expectations.

Understand the Challenges

There are a wide variety of responsibilities that come with becoming a personal assistant. The job is going to be different each day. While you may believe that being an assistant lab technician will consist of carrying out the same duties each day, this may not be the case. You'll be working to ensure that your employer's needs are met as they come up. Therefore, you'll be looking at their schedule for the day, the week and the month, as well as the to-do lists they create each morning when you come to work.

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