Becoming a personal assistant is a great career step. Not only will you get to work in the upper echelons of a company, helping the directors and executives to achieve their goals, you’ll also be rewarded with a generous salary and a role where you can show off your considerable skills. But first things first—you need to get past the interview stage. Have no fear, as a leading PA recruitment agency, we know how to ace a personal assistant job interview, and we’re here to tell you how.
Interviews can be challenging, even for the most confident person. One question could throw you entirely, and interviewers are often looking for any signs of weakness that can help them narrow down their shortlist more efficiently. Preparing for an interview is absolutely vital—so in the spirit of preparation, here are some of the most common questions you’ll hear in a personal assistant interview, and some tips to answer them most memorably.
So, tell me about yourself…
The opening question in most interviews is usually the one most candidates dread. When interviewers ask this question, they don’t mean it as an invitation to spout random facts about yourself, or tell them your whole life story. If you’re not prepared, you can fall into the trap of rambling, or talking about things that are irrelevant to the role.
Instead, use this opportunity to deliver a short, concise statement about yourself, your experience, and the skills you have that are relevant to the personal assistant role. Write it down if you like, and practice it beforehand, but try to make sure it doesn’t come off as rehearsed or forced.
What do you believe are the top skills a PA needs to have?
In a personal assistant interview, you may be asked what skills or abilities are most important for the role. You have plenty to choose from—flexibility, time management skills, IT proficiency, communication skills, the ability to balance budgets and perform research… you have lots of options. Try to choose a combination of soft skills (things like the ability to multitask, and your great interpersonal skills) and technical skills (including which office systems you have experience with) that are needed in PA jobs.
What are your career goals? / Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?
This can be a tricky question to answer in a PA interview. You don’t want to give an answer that suggests you’re simply using the job as a stepping stone to ‘bigger and better’ things, but at the same time, you don’t want to come across as someone with no ambition. Try to strike a balance between the two. Talk about earning more responsibility as a PA as time goes on, eventually leading your own projects and possibly managing a team—but make it clear that this will all be for the benefit of the company as well as your own career.
For all the latest information about PA job opportunities, or to find your next temporary PA role or top London PA jobs, contact PA recruitment agency Love Success today.
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