PERSONAL ASSISTANT - TIPS & ADVICE, ATTRIBUTES AND DUTIES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

Executive PA Masterclass

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:30:11 GMT

Executive PA Masterclass for Executive Personal Assistants, Administrators, Office Managers and secretaries. Very hands-on, sharing environment where you get to test your skills.

DIARY MANAGEMENT TIPS

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:25:12 GMT

10 effective diary management tips for secertaries, personal assistants and administrators

Stress Management Masterclass

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:11:54 GMT

Are you a stressed-out Executive Personal Assistant or manager? Carole Spiers, a world authority on executive stress will show you how to manager stress on her one-day stress-management masterclass.

Advanced Executive PA Masterclass

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:31:55 GMT

An EXECUTIVE PA MASTERCLASS WORKSHOP exclusively for Executive Personal Assistants who want to improve their effectiveness, career prospects, and earnings, and help their boss achieve 40% more....

PROMOTE OFFICE* 2011's NATIONAL PA DAY

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:21:09 GMT

Office 2011* is launching the "National PA Day"; with the slogan "We make Britain's offices work". The launch will take place on 15 September 2011 to co-incides with the Office* 2011 show for office professionals, which will be held at London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Why not get involved in promoting National PA Day by sending an email to your work colleagues, managers and bosses letting them know it’s National PA Day. The slogan “We make Britain’s offices work” provides a good opportunity to remind bosses just how important PAs are in the office environment.

Business Networking: Can You Afford Not Too?

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:39:14 GMT

Networking is now an essential activity for professional PAs. It presents an opportunity for PAs to gain new and interesting contacts and fits in with the trend towards "word of mouth" and personal introductions when doing business. The important thing to remember about networking is that it's not so much about making friends as it is about knowing people in many different areas of business who could be of assistance to you at any given time. The trick is to offer your assistance to others and the favour will more than likely be returned. Click on the link below to for more information on networking.

INTERVIEW THE INTERVIEWER TO PUT YOURSELF IN THE DRIVING SEAT

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:24:27 GMT

In this shaky economic climate where competition for jobs is fierce, you can never know too much about interviewing techniques. Interviewing is a two-way process that provides an opportunity for both the interviewer(s) and the interviewee to ask pertinent questions and get a good overview of the other party’s position. For many PAs, Administrators and secretaries, securing an interview and bagging the job may be the only focus, particularly if they are out of work; so much so that they fail to prepare probing questions to ask the interviewer. This may be a deliberate strategy on the part of the PA to appear agreeable – we’ve all been there - getting short-listed really boosts your ego. However, it’s essential that PAs prepare strategic and probing questions that draw out the current state of affairs in the role they are interviewing for. This means asking about the boss’s current priorities. Are there any major projects that need to be tackled and completed immediately, with no time to get your bearings. There could be an insurmountable skeleton in the closet that others have systematically failed to complete. The next question should be: “How long was the previous PA in the role and why did she/he leave?” If previous jobholders moved on in quick succession this could suggest that there is no support available to help new PAs orientate themselves in the new role. You might be saying: “So what’s new? That sort of thing has happened to me on more than one occasion.” The point is, that kind of thing can set you up for failure. The third question you should ask is about the boss’s work style. A difficult and non-communicative boss is your worst nightmare; particularly when you are trying to get your feet under the table and are in need of all the communication and support you can get. Ask your prospective boss what kind of person is his/her ideal working partner. The answer to that should give you some clues as to what traits and working practices they most value. If the answer to all the above questions is not what you would like, then you could be looking at a potentially disastrous job placement. Finally, if in addition to a negative interview, you’re really not sure that you are going to like your boss, it’s probably better to excuse yourself and head for the door. No matter how good the salary looks it's better to take a reality check, otherwise the consequences could be far-reaching. For more interview techniques and advice on how to create recession-proof your career with a personal brand that raises your game, sign up for our 1-day workshop entitled. “Strategies For Advancing Your Career As a Personal Assistant”.

The Professional Executive PA: Advancing Your Personal Brand

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:21:28 GMT

Career advancement strategies workshop for corporate Personal Assistants, Administrators and secretaries. Practical and effective course where you can raise your game in a sharing environment.

Event Management Techniques For Personal Assistants

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:39:30 GMT

Event management techniques for Personal Assistants is an effective workshop that helps secretaries, administrators and Executive Assistants produce their best party planning work, every time.

Accredited Executive Personal Assistant Training Courses

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:33:08 GMT

It is essential that Executive Personal Assistants keep up with the latest technology and best practices in the professional. See the following list of accredited PA courses.

iComplete - A Business Solution for VAs and Small Businesses

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 19:34:24 GMT

The last few years have seen many changes in the way businesses communicate. Many employers now employ home workers, micro sales teams and others who work from a variety of locations – home and abroad. Businesses also increasingly outsource PA/secretarial work to Virtual Assistants. For Virtual Assistants, keeping clients in the loop and centralising communications is key to the success of their business. Staying connected is also a challenge for tele-workers, who need to keep in touch with the office on a regular basis. iComplete is an online service which has been specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses. As runners up for the Dell Small Business Excellence Award and recently featured in the Sunday Times, iComplete comes highly recommended. It provides a good business solution for Virtual Assistants who often never get to physically see their client. As part of iComplete's telephony solution, calls can be timed and recorded, and your teams' calls-in-progress can be viewed online via a dashboard. Calls can also be linked to a customer's record in the CRM database of contacts. In addition to this, email, sms messages, voicemail, documents, e-marketing templates and campaigns, notes and facsimile messages can also be linked to the customer's record. This information can be accessed by the VA, the client or the team from PCs, Macs, smart phones, and tablets. These communications are captured in real-time and shared online with the team who can access them from anywhere. This ensures nothing gets missed. Other services include group calendaring, e-marketing, and file manager. A task management facility allows clients, VAs, etc. to assign tasks to the team and to clients electronically. I personally like what iComplete have to offer and I'm happy to promote their product. They are currently offering a 30 day free trial so take a closer look.

23 Tips To Improve
Your Personal Safety

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:23:01 GMT

In these trying times we all need to be exceptionally vigilant to ensure our own personal safety. This article provides some very practical tips to help you maximise your safety.

Stress And The PA

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:25:13 GMT

Stress is an issue that goes hand-in-hand with the Executive Personal Assistant role. Many PAs exist in a constant state of flux; going from priority to priority, with little opportunity to make a significant dent in their daily to-do list.

Former Celebrity Personal Assistant On Breaking Into The Celebrity PA Business

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:28:41 GMT

Former PA to Hollywood A-Listers tells us how to break into the Celebrity PA Business

HAYS PA OF THE YEAR AWARD

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:12:51 GMT

Hays Secretarial, in association with The Times, is searching for the ultimate UK PA to win the coveted 2011 Hays PA of the Year Award. If you are a Secretary, PA or EA who can demonstrate a passion and enthusiasm for your role and show how you have had a positive impact on your organisation's success, then enter now. The winner of this award will not only be recognised as one of the best PAs in the UK, but also receive a five night stay for two in Prague, courtesy of Portman Travel. Previous winners of this prestigious award have gone on to speak about their profession at conferences and events, both within the UK and internationally.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:12:09 GMT

A good tip for getting the most from your performance appraisal and adding value to your role is to write down everything you do during the year that's outside your job description - no matter how small the task. Include the date you performed the task and enough information that will allow you to answer questions about it 10 months (or so) later. Before attending your annual appraisal meeting chose the tasks on the list that you particularly enjoyed doing and add them to your job description. Perhaps your boss delegated something interesting to you and you did a good job. Print off the amended job description and take it to your appraisal meeting. Ask your boss to approve your new job description. This constitutes added value to your role, which is sometime everyone should be aiming for in these precarious economic times. At the very least it should improve on the grade your boss was intending to give you.

VIRTUAL PA SERVICES

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:09:27 GMT

Are you drowning in a sea of paper and constantly battling to meet deadlines? The answer could be a virtual assistant - your very own remote assistant to tackle ad hoc tasks and take over projects.

ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:31:44 GMT

As we approach the end of National Anti-Bullying Week you might be interested to know that according to the Anti-Bullying Hotline website, 1 in 4 people in the UK say they are experiencing bullying in the workplace at the moment - this is staggering and a very worrying trend. It's likely to get worse as job scarcity increases and people start jockeying for position. We often overlook the detrimental effect that bullying has on those who witness it. According to the same statistics 1 in 8 people in the UK say they have been affected as a result of witnessing bullying. The sense of helplessness can be detrimental to witnesses; particularly as they often feel too intimidated to help the victim and may even feel pressured into siding with the bully. This can trigger high levels of stress and can ultimately devastate the team in general. Before he became Prime Minister, David Cameron was quoted as saying: "Stamping out bullying in the workplace and elsewhere is a vital objective. Not only can bullying make people's lives a misery, but it harms business and wider society too....." Malicious bullying is something I am well aware of and have experienced. It's a cancer that erodes both the victim and the team. Managers should understand that their professional reputation is on the line when they allow bullying to occur on their watch; particularly if they are the source of the bullying behaviour. Bullying will divide the team and kill enthusiasm - two elements that are essential for high achieving teams. Follow the link below to read more.

JOB LOSS NEED NOT MEAN LOSS OF CONTROL

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:05:17 GMT

Job loss can bring about a sense of hopelessness that leads to depression and anxiety. But it's important to take control of the situation.

Office Christmas Party Etiquette

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:38:14 GMT

It's approaching that time of year again and most of us will be attending some form of office social event. This is a light-hearted video that gets the message across about what not to do to survive the office Christmas party.

PA Breakfast Roadshow

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:52:56 GMT

Join Hays PA & Secretarial and APA (The Association of Personal Assistants) for complimentary breakfast at their autumn UK roadshows in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and London. Laura Richardson, Hays & Times PA of the Year 2010 will explain what it took to win the prestigious prize and how it has impacted her career. Dr Gareth Osborne, from APA (The Association of Personal Assistants) will discuss upcoming APA activities and the recently launched PA degree. In addition to this Geoff Sims, Managing Director of Hays PA & Secretarial will discuss PA salaries and the current PA market, and provide an overview of the Hays & Times PA of the Year Award and what it takes to stand out from the crowd. BIRMINGHAM: Wed 10 Nov 2010
Refreshments 8am
Seminar 8:15am-10am
Jurys Inn, 245 Broad St, Birmingham B1 2HQ
MANCHESTER: Tues 16 Nov 2010
Refreshments 8am
Seminar 8:15am-10am
City Inn, 1 Auburn St, Manchester M1 3DG
LEEDS: Wed 17 Nov 2010
Refreshments 8am
Seminar 8:15am-10am
Queens Hotel, City Sq, Leeds LS1 1PJ
LONDON: Wed 30 Nov 2010
Refreshments 8am
Seminar 8:15am-10am
New Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5DA

20 of Top Table's Best UK Restaurants

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:10:19 GMT

The Christmas festive season is fast approaching so as a PA, booking top restaurants may well be high on your list of things to do. I've compiled some tips for booking top restaurants, as well as a list of Top Table's best restaurants in the UK at present. You may also find the GList Insiders Guide to top restaurants in major cities useful.

Apologies - Working Link Now Included

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:47:23 GMT

I was just notified that the download link in the previous post to download the MY SHOPPING GENIE APPLICATION is not working. The correct link is now included below. Please paste it into your browser. http://www.myshoppinggenie.com/personalassistanttip ENJOY YOUR GENIE!!

MY SHOPPING GENIE - An Effective Price Comparison App You Can Download Here For Free

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:46:24 GMT

I'm very impressed with the My Shopping Genie price comparison application and as such I'm now personally involved in distributing them. The Genie interacts with the major search engines to return the lowest price when you do an online product search, whether it's food or a new car. The My Shopping Genie price comparison site was also featured on CNN. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, now is the perfect time to download the free app - no point in paying more for this year's prezzies than you have to - this is a tip that can save you on average 3,000 UK pounds per year. Download the app and if you're impressed with the savings you make share it with your friends, family and colleagues by sending them the link.

Essential Tips For an Effective Job Search

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:48:01 GMT

Follow these 6 essential job search tips for a successful job search.

ORGANISING A CORPORATE EVENT? USE THIS PLANNING CHECKLIST

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:12:21 GMT

Do you organise corporate events? Need advice on booking speakers and booking bands.

Executive Assistant Tip

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:32:47 GMT

If you have regular contact with your boss's customers/clients have an old fashioned contacts card system on your desk where they are filed alphabetically.

Winning Ways For The Effective PA

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:18:12 GMT

Personal Assistants need every trick in the book to stay ahead of the game. If a typical day for you is being stuck at your desk trawling through email, then you need to change something. Checking email is the task that's most likely to derail a Personal Assistant's attempts to be more productive. Sometimes, to a certain extent, it can't be helped. I once worked for a boss who insisted that I keep my eyes glued to my email just in case an urgent email came in. This approach can be disruptive and therefore counter-productive. If you're in this situation, have a chat with your boss and let him know why it's necessary to have set times for checking your email. Some bosses like to communicate with their PA primarily by email, even though the PA is sat 10 feet away, and this can become their justification for keeping their PA tied to her email. Again, a chat with the boss should do the trick. Suggest that they tell you or leave a note on your screen if they need you to deal with an email urgently. What I would also suggest is that, once a day you get up from your desk and deliver the message personally. It's not about gossiping (because you probably don't have time for that anyway). It's about networking and reducing stress. You will also find that issues get resolved much sooner when you speak with people face to face, as there's no need for an endless stream of replies. Agree with your boss that you will check your email 3 times a day. Mention that they will see an improvement in your productivity as a result - if that doesn't convince them, nothing will.

Tips on How to Ask For a Raise

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:41:46 GMT

Asking for a raise can be a nerve racking experience. People worry what the boss will think of them after the fact, if the answer is no. This needn't be an issue if approached in the issue right way.

Restaurant Bookings at Exclusive Restaurants

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:44:44 GMT

Making restaurant bookings at top restaurants is an art in itself, but a necessary skill if you want a fine dining experience at the best restaurant in town - follow these tips to bag that table.

WRITING NEWSLETTERS FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:36:26 GMT

Writing Newsletters is an excellent way to keep in touch with your customers.

Seven Ways To Become an Effective Personal Assistant

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 17:03:58 GMT

Here are 7 tips to help Executuve Personal Assistants and secretaries become more effective in their job role.

Get Clued Up On Changes to UK Employment Law to be Implemented in Oct 2010

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:50:37 GMT

The Equality Act 2010 will come into force in October 2010. The Act consolidates the provisions of 7 employment Acts and Regulataions, including the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 1976. In addition to this, the Equality Act 2010 will bring in new laws concerning pay and secrecy and pre-employment health questionnaires, and much more. Follow the link below for more details.

TIPS for Effective Emailing

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:42:46 GMT

1. When sending an urgent email, it is more effective to add a brief summary on the subject line that states why the email is urgent, as opposed to using the emailing features to flag it as urgent. 2. To avoid spam filters, contact the department you are sending the email to and get the correct name of the individual. Emails sent to an email address beginning with the word SALES or INFO seldom get read and are always treated as low priority. 3. Choose your email title carefully. Take care when using the subject line, as super sensitive spam filters are more likely to filter out email with salesy words in the title, such as the words FREE, SALE, and DISCOUNT, as well as symbols like the percentage sign, and the pound and dollar sign. 4. Summarise your message. Use the subject line or the first paragraph of text to tell the recipient what the email is about. This will help you to get to the point quickly and therefore maintain the interest of the reader. 5. Always use short paragraphs. Unless you immediately get the full attention of the reader, they are likely to scan the page after reading the first paragraph; skipping to the first line of each paragraph, as is the case when reading a webpage. Therefore, summarise each paragraph in the first sentence.

Australasian Talent Company

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:39:27 GMT

Australasian Talent Company is a niche recruitment provider that specialises in recruiting support roles such as Executive Personal Assistants and administrators. Follow the link for more details.

A PERSONAL INVITATION TO office*

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:26:32 GMT

REGISTER FREE TODAY - Making its highly anticipated debut at Earls Court in London on 21-22 September 2010, here’s five great reasons why office* is the must attend event for all Executive PAs, EAs and Office Managers.

1. Entry into the exhibition is free for visitors who register in advance. Book YOUR ticket now at www.officeshow.co.uk and save £20 on the door in the process!

2. The comprehensive training and development programme includes 50 seminar and master classes across 5 theatres. Hosted by some of the UK’s leading motivational speakers, including senior trainers from Reed Learning, Hemsley Fraser, Pitman Training, and The Development Company, whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro, they offer excellent tuition at a fraction of the normal cost (£89 for three 1-hour sessions or £39 per 1-hour session).

3. Meet face to face with over 150 leading companies. The House of Fraser, global leading airline network Star Alliance, 03TALK, Harrods Corporate Service, luxury drink company Diageo Reserve, Hotel Verta, Radio Taxis, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Theatre Group, are just some of the latest big name exhibitors to have confirmed their presence.

4. office* boasts 9 free Keynotes, including sessions by top UK business woman Karren Brady, currently appearing in the BBC’s hit show The Apprentice, and leading TV body language expert Judi James.

5. It’s far from all work and no play at office*. Visitors can enjoy a free make-over and consultation within the Benefit Boutique area, sip a glass of bubbly in The office* Champagne Bar, meet like-minded colleagues – not to mention a few stilt walkers, jugglers and escapologists – in the uni-ball Networking cafe, and – if they’re lucky enough to secure an invitation – party like a movie star at The office* Party @ Planet Hollywood! (Please see www.officeshow.co.uk for more details.)

REGISTER FREE TODAY Created to fill a much needed gap in the market, book your entry pass now and it’ll be the best investment you make in your career all year!

I look forward to seeing you at the show!

Kind regards,
Ali Mead
Event Manager - office*

Link-in and Get Connected

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:02:51 GMT

As a corporate Personal Assistant, if you're not networking through Linked-In, you're missing out on a great opportunity to network with your peers. For those of you who are not familiar with "Linked-In", it's like Facebook but it's for business networking. Linked-In provides more than 10 forums for PAs and VAs to share tips and post jobs openings, along with other useful features - it's worth getting connected.

A Smart Tool for Recording Notes at Meetings & Conferences

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:34:48 GMT

The Livescribe Pulse Smartpen is a digital pen that allows you to accurately record and playback the spoken word recorded at meetings, conferences and lectures. It also captures penstrokes as you write on specially formulated digital paper. With its 2GB memory, it can record up to 32,000 pages of text. Click the link below for more details.

Are You Over 50 & Looking For a New Job?

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:23:41 GMT

Executive Personal Assistants who are over the age of 50 and looking for a new job may find it useful to have a list of companies that appreciate the contribution of their older workers. Follow the link below to view a list of the top 50 employers of over 50s in the US.

3 Requirements For a More Productive Corporate Life

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:55:09 GMT

1) A good corporate culture

Corporate culture is that indivisible thing that can either make a corporate environment pleasant or make it hell, particularly for newcomers. A corporate culture can be progressive or staid; casual or professional. Corporate culture is not easily discernable at an interview but it can affect the way your working habits are perceived by management. If the culture is a 'hands-off' culture but you prefer to work closely with your boss and colleague, regularly seeking clarification, it could seem out of place, which will impact how your work is perceived. There are ways and means of drilling down in a job interview to piece together the most likely scenario. It's just a matter of asking the right questions.
View these 5 questions you should always ask in an interview. 2) Continued professional development

This is one of the least cited factors as it's often encompassed in training; however, in some organisations, even though every employee is entitled training annually, it does not extend to the right to attend external courses specifically developed for Personal Assistants. This can result in PAs being offered places on courses that bear little resemblance to the type duties they are asked to perform. A good continued professional development programme should also allow for membership of a professional PA body, paid for by the company. This should not be neglected, as a good professional body will actively help it's members to provide the best possible assistance to their principles, while keeping them up to date with best practices and providing a code of conduct.
Follow the link to view PA professional organisations. 3) A boss you can respect

Respect is an interest thing. In a work environment it is essential for peer to peer relationships if the department is to florish and be free of destructive patterns of behaviour. Respect for the boss is essential but being liked and respected is priceless. People like to work for people who are respected and they like to work for people who are liked. Both of these attributes are hard-earned, so they speak volumes for the character of the individual. A boss who is liked and respected is invariably competent - an important attribute for leadership. People like to know that the boss knows what he's doing. They also like to know that the boss is firm but fair.
Follow link for tips on how to get along with your boss.

MORE MATURE JOBSEEKERS CV TIPS

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:55:57 GMT

Mature jobseekers need all the help they can get to make their CV stand out. Here are some tips and tricks to help you optimise your job search.

Fluctuations in PA Salaries

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:55:20 GMT

How are the fluctuations in the wider economy affecting PA salaries? What is likely to happen over the next 12 months?

Ezine Subscription

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:43:01 GMT

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:52:27 GMT

An Executive Assistant has similar core skills and duties to a Personal Assistant but is more senior and business aware.

VIRTUAL ASSISTANT JOB SUMMARY

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:13:59 GMT

For a Virtual Assistant job summary that outlines the duties and attributes needed for a career as a VA, read this article, particularly

About PA & Secretarial Consultant Mentoring

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:13:46 GMT

Consultant Mentoring can provide the guidance mentees need to cope with an increased workload or a demanding boss. Mentees can expect a reduction in stress levels as a result of a mentoring programme and improvement in technical skills and know-how. Mentoring provides guidance, moral support, encouragement and a confidential environment where issues and constructive criticism can be explored, along with ideas for improviding career visibility. Organisations can benefit significantly from using the services of a Consultant Mentor to develop their Personal Assistant and secretarial staff, as mentoring results in increased productivity and better staff retention. Personal-Assistant-Tips.com offers the services of an APA recommended Consultant Mentor, Marguerita King, for private and corporate mentoring. More on Personal-Assistant-Tips' Consultant Mentor.

Planning Checklists Are An Essential Resource

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:10:17 GMT

Planning checklists are an invaluable tool for busy Personal Assistants. Visit the Planning Checklist page for following downloadable planning checklists. - Corporate Meetings Checklist

- Corporate Events Checklist

- Corporate Travel Checklist

- Market Research Checklist

- Information Sources Checklist

- Work From Home Business Startup Checklist
Click on the link below to download checklists.

UK's "Hays & The Times PA of the Year" 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:01:48 GMT

Special congratulations to Laura Richardson, Hay & The Times PA of the Year 2010. Laura is Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive of Elexon. I happen to know her personally, and can say that she is very bright and very competent - everything a PA of the Year should be. She sets a high standard for PAs and thoroughly deserves the PA of the Year award. Best of luck for the coming year Laura. I'm sure you will do great things for the Personal Assistant profession. Marguerita

Discrimination in the Workplace - The Equality Act 2010

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:10:51 GMT

It is important that Personal Assistants understand equality issues in the workplace. The Equality Act 2010 (also known as the Equality Bill) will be coming into force in October 2010. The aim of the 2010 Act is to simplify the existing Equality Act 2006 and consolidate aspects of current legislation in relation to discrimination and equal pay. The 2010 Act adds to and changes legislation in relation to direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, victimisation and harrassment; all of which remain unlawful for the purposes of the following protected characteristics. - age
- disability
- race
- sex
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnerships
- religion or belief
- pregnancy and maternity
The Equality Act 2010 incorporates more provisions for third party harrassment. For example, an employee who suffers harrassment at the hands of visiting contractors and other third parties, can now seek redress from her/his employer because the Act now makes employers liable for such behaviour. The Act also provides for people who have been victimised because they have supported someone who has raised a grievance or complaint. Employees are also now entitled to complain about behaviour they consider offensive but which was not directed at them. The Act makes provision for associative discrimination, making direct discrimination against a person because of their association with someone with one of the above protected characteristics, unlawful. The 2010 Act now makes it easier for employers and employees to interpret the provisions of discrimination and equal pay legislation.

What is a Functional Resume?

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:33:53 GMT

Resumes can either be functional or chronological, or a combination of the two; therefore, when writing a resume, think carefully about the requirements presented in the job ad before deciding which format to use. Functional resumes focus on relevant experience, as opposed to job titles and dates. They are ideal for drawing out aspects of your Personal Assistant experience that represents transferable skills which can be used in an unfamiliar job role; and as such, a functional resume format should be used by applicants who are attempting to change careers. A chronological format presents information in a historical sequence, starting with the most recent position. It is useful for highlighting job titles, responsibilities, dates and places of employment. This format is popular with people who have recently graduated, and people who want to emphasis the companies they have worked for, and the number of years spent in the roles. A combination resume begins with a functional format that lists past roles. It highlights the way you have used important skills in the past to perform job roles. This is followed by a chronological format which shows your track record by listing dates, companies worked for, and job roles. Using the correct resume format is as important as editing your CV so that it's tailored to a specific job ad. It shows that you are serious about the role and about the company you are applying to.