Profession personal assistant to the manager: responsibilities and skills

The main resource of any organization is its employees. They are the ones who contribute to the growth and prosperity of production. Competent bosses value their employees. Among other significant positions, the assistant manager especially stands out. The responsibilities and importance of which are difficult to overestimate. This is the right hand and main advisor, event organizer and meeting coordinator. Without a good assistant, it will be very difficult for a top manager to manage an enterprise.

Distinctive features and specifics of the assistant’s activities

There is no position that would be as contradictory and ambiguous in its requirements as an assistant manager. The responsibilities of employees engaged in this type of activity include quite a few items. Additionally, personal assistants are often confused with secretaries or office managers. Although these are similar, they are different types of activities.

Functional responsibilities of the assistant manager:

Ensuring the boss's working day - schedule, meetings, signing documents and business trips;
providing a comfortable workplace for a top manager - taking care of the microclimate, cleanliness and comfort of the premises;
working with the manager’s documents, in particular with incoming letters and calls;
ensuring psychological comfort for superiors;
conducting initial negotiations;
translation;
providing stationery management, etc.

This list is much broader than both secretarial and administrative duties. However, the specifics that an employee faces in the position of “personal assistant to the manager,” the responsibilities and nuances of the activity will be different for different employers.

It happens that this is mainly secretarial work. Or the assistant is solely occupied with ensuring the boss’s comfort and order. Some assistants are full-fledged deputies and have their own employees subordinate to them.

Limits of liability

The job description of an assistant manager allows you to avoid litigation in the future

When establishing liability, you should remember the legal norms:

For failure to fulfill official duties - according to the Labor Code
For offenses - within the limits of administrative, civil and criminal legislation
For material damage - in accordance with the norms of the Labor and Civil Codes.

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By developing a job description for an assistant manager, taking into account the norms of current legislation and the specifics of the activities of a particular organization, you can not only select the most suitable employee for such a responsible position, but also avoid possible litigation in the future.

A person’s working conditions and his effectiveness may depend on the degree of detail and specification. Ultimately, the manager needs a real, conscientious assistant. We should also draw the attention of our readers to the fact that a manager may have several assistants. They may have specialization in technical issues, financial issues, etc.

There is a type of manager who does not have deputies on his staff. He does everything himself, and several assistants simply help him with this. He makes all decisions alone. To draw up a high-quality job description for an assistant manager, it is necessary to involve the manager himself in the process. Otherwise it will just be a piece of paper.

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Requirements for personal traits of an assistant

In addition to professional ones, assistants to top managers are required to meet a number of personal requirements. The specifics of the position of “assistant manager”, the duties and features of the work require a special character.

First of all, this:

resistance to stress - after all, the assistant often has to be the first to bear the wrath of his superiors and listen to the dissatisfaction of his subordinates;
multitasking – the ability to do several things at the same time – is the most valuable quality of a good assistant;
positive thinking - without this character trait, an assistant manager will not be able to cope with additional responsibilities, because his activities often go beyond the scope of standard business cooperation;
high learning ability - the desire to learn new things and thoroughly understand the work process should be present in every good assistant.

These are just the basic, basic character traits that every assistant manager needs for successful professional activity. But the most important personal requirement is that the temperament and behavioral characteristics of the boss and assistant should not be dissonant, but ideally complement each other.

General responsibilities of an assistant manager

The assistant works directly with the management of the organization, performing both personal assignments and professional duties. They usually include:

maintaining records of the manager, and in some cases the entire organization. At individual enterprises, assistants manage the secretariat of the organization;
coordination of management activities. Drawing up schedules for business meetings, reminding superiors about events and activities of various kinds;
conducting correspondence on behalf of the organization;
receiving and redistributing incoming telephone calls;
providing the manager with all necessary information upon request.

Additional responsibilities of an assistant to the head of an organization

A personal assistant to an executive with additional responsibilities and functions is the most common vacancy for this field of activity. Most often, management is looking for a fairly multifaceted employee capable of expanding responsibilities.

The most common additional responsibilities are:

translation from a foreign language, including during negotiations. Management cannot always fully trust third-party workers, and here knowledge of at least English is very useful;
organizing trips for the manager and accompanying him on trips. Such activities assume that the assistant will take care of all everyday aspects: movement, ordering a taxi and hotel, organizing meals and paperwork;
accompanying superiors to protocol events;
household services.

This list is far from complete. Most often, it is quite difficult to unambiguously answer the question of what are the responsibilities of an assistant manager? This activity is very diverse. Each boss makes his own demands, the main thing is to ensure that they are all within the law.

Why instructions are needed

The job description of an assistant manager contains as much information as possible

The expediency of preparing a job description is explained by the fact that in the event of a trial, without it it will be difficult to prove the employee’s failure to fulfill his duties (and an exhaustive list of them is established in the instruction document), because the employment contract with the employee is in accordance with Part 2 of Article 57 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation contains only the position and his general job function.

The job description allows the employer to:

Justify the refusal of a position applicant due to non-compliance with the requirements established in it
Clearly delineate responsibilities between individual employees
Evaluate the employee’s performance both during the probationary period and after it
Justify the employee’s inadequacy for the position he occupies (taking into account the results of the certification).

The presence of a job description is also useful for the employee himself, as it establishes the limits of his duties and responsibilities, and no one should perform functions not provided for by either the employment contract or job responsibilities.

Working hours of a personal assistant

One of the main features of this activity is the dependence of the employee’s working hours on management. Of course, the standard work day is eight hours. In fact, assistants compare their regime with their superiors.

This “blurring” of working hours, and the need to always maintain contact with management, often discourages graduates from these vacancies. In fact, you have to work no more than in any other place. It’s just that time for rest and work becomes inconsistent.

Speed and determination

In the fast-paced world of executive assistants, there is no time to beat around the bush. A good assistant outlines the situation, gathers the necessary information, asks the right questions and then, most importantly, takes action.

Of course, you can rarely get all the information you need. But it's better to act quickly and confidently and get the job moving than to sit and wait for additional clarification or, worse, permission.

Decision-making coach Nell McShane Wulfhart shares 4 steps to help you make faster, better decisions. Here's what Woolhart says you should do when you have a big decision to make:

Be clear about what you really want
Don’t make a choice just because “it’s expected of you.”
Remember that doing something is better than doing nothing
Train your determination

Job Description for Assistant Manager

The structure of the position of “assistant manager”, responsibilities, requirements for education and work experience must be specified in the job description. This is a document that ensures transparency of management requirements and easy control over the performance of employee duties.

The job description is normative in nature and mandatory. This document describes all the intricacies of the work of an assistant manager. This is practically a guide to action. The document includes not only duties, but also rights, responsibilities and features of resolving labor disputes.

Due to the specific nature of the activity of an assistant manager, special attention must be paid to the preparation of his job description. It is imperative to specify the specifics of the job, the nuances of organizing work and rest time, and compensation for overtime.

It is necessary to distinguish the job description of an assistant from the same document for the position of “assistant project manager”. The latter's duties are often temporary, like the work itself.

In addition, the job description should clearly state the title of the position. Most often they indicate “secretary”, “referent secretary”, “direction manager”. Please ensure that this entry complies with applicable regulations and is up to date.

Development and instructions sections

The instruction is put into effect from a certain date, and the employee must be familiar with it upon signature. It is advisable to give the employee a copy of this document (also against signature). According to established practice, the instructions include standard subsections:

General provisions
Job responsibilities
Rights
Responsibility

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It is important to remember that the instructions are not compiled for any employee, but for a specific position/profession. Therefore, taking into account the specifics of a particular position, the instructions establish the range of responsibilities that the employee will perform in this particular position.

What to include in an executive assistant resume

The position of a personal assistant is an excellent start to a graduate’s career. This way, you can get your first job and gain incomparable professional experience. However, even for applicants with experience this vacancy may seem interesting. Especially if you are planning to change your field of activity.

Knowing the main responsibilities of an assistant manager, it is not difficult to create a resume. This document assumes that you have read the theoretical part of the question and are ready to get started. Carefully study the requirements for the applicant and start writing the text.

Data that must be indicated in the resume for the position of “assistant” or “personal assistant to the manager”:

Full name, surname and patronymic; in a resume for a foreign company, only the first two are acceptable.
Family status. This is a mandatory item - the position of an assistant often involves irregular working hours. You need to be sure that such a schedule will not negatively affect family responsibilities.
Education. Listed in chronological order. If you are still studying, be sure to make a note of how long it will take to complete. Often employers hire final year students as assistants, with subsequent career advancement. Here, indicate your knowledge of a foreign language and level of proficiency in it.
Experience. Point from the last one. If you don’t already have one, then list your volunteer projects, participation in social activities or professional organizations, educational practices and other suitable activities. If you cannot provide anything, take a reference from the graduating department and write that you are ready to provide it.
Personal characteristics. Give yourself the most honest assessment possible. Describe your character from the point of view of classical psychology and be sure to note your strengths and weaknesses.
Additional information. Here you should write why the employer should choose you over other applicants. Also, be sure to include additional skills, such as having a driver's license. Also at this point it will be useful to write about the availability of additional education, advanced training courses, and business education.
Contacts. Leave as many ways as possible to contact you: cell and home phone numbers, email, Skype, link to a social network page. Provide only current information.

A properly written resume will not go unnoticed by the employer.

Top 10 courses

Each of us has our own selection criteria, so any rating is subjective. I believe that the best courses are the most complete, well-structured programs from experienced authors with practice, communication with the teacher, answers to questions, and assistance in finding a job. Also, for many of us, the level of the educational institution, the intensity of the classes, the completion time, and the certificate or certificate at the end of the training are important.

Look at your tasks and choose the best option.

Training personal assistants for online business – BusinessGaechka

Training personal assistants for online business is a two-month program designed specifically for mothers on maternity leave, freelancers and women who want to change their type of activity or find a main or additional source of income.

The basic program contains the following topics:

business planning;
assistant programs for remote work;
selection of potential employment projects;
technical basis for creating information products;
preparation of webinars;
creation of landing pages, newsletters, blog on WordPress;
promotion on VKontakte;
team creation.

Advantages:

The course is over 4 years old and is regularly updated and supplemented.
More than 600 people have been trained by Natalia Sidorova; this is not a one-day course from an unknown author.
Practical experience.
72% of girls are employed within 1–2 months after training.

Self-study costs 14,970 rubles, with a curator – 29,970 rubles, with a personal mentor and employment consultation – 49,970 rubles, with support from Natalia Sidorova before employment – 100,000 rubles.

06.06.2016

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Review of the course “Personal assistant to an information businessman” and the story of a student from Natalia Sidorova’s school “Business Gadget”

Hello! My name is Svetlana. In this article I want to share with…

Assistant Manager – Specialist.ru

Assistant Manager – advanced training course for assistant managers and entrepreneurs. To receive an official document, you need to send a copy of your diploma of secondary vocational or higher education.

What is taught:

interact with the manager;
organize office work;
create document flow;
conduct business correspondence and telephone conversations;
organize negotiations, meetings, conferences;
resolve conflicts.

Advantages:

Official professional development program.
Experienced teacher.
Practice in groups, discussions, written exercises.

The cost of online training is RUB 9,990.

Profession: personal assistant – Interra

In the Profession: Personal Assistant course, in 4 months you will master the skills of a personal assistant to an online project manager.

Lesson program:

Graphic and video content.
Social media marketing.
One-page sites.
Working with webinars.
Documentation.
Working in the GetCourse system.
Remote command, etc.

Advantages:

employment assistance from the Career Development Center;
a comprehensive program for working online;
ready-made templates.

Participation options:

“All by yourself” – basic set for 19,800 rubles.
“Personal assistant” – additionally private chat, participation in live broadcasts and assistance in finding a job for 29,800 rubles.
“Administrator” – additionally a development plan, ready-made templates and contacts of verified contractors for RUB 39,800.

Personal assistant – Alpha Academy

Personal Assistant – a comprehensive program of 12 modules for working as an assistant in online projects. Designed for 1.5 months of training with homework, checking them, help from a psychologist and mutual support in the chat.

Main themes:

time management, organizing your work day;
schedulers, cloud storage and other programs and services;
setting up a channel and video broadcast on YouTube;
platforms for courses and webinars;
maintaining accounts on social networks;
landing page creation;
search for colleagues;
employment.

Advantages:

Internship during training.
Access to materials for 6 months.
Homework with verification for all participants.
Psychological consultations and assistance in finding employment.

Cost when paying in 1 payment - 27,000 rubles, in installments - 30,000 rubles.

Profession: remote executive assistant – Remote team

Profession remote executive assistant – 3 months of online training for anyone who wants to change their profession.

In a programme:

assessment of current skills, knowledge, strengths and weaknesses;
choosing a niche;
setting goals: personal and company;
interaction with the boss and team;
management, marketing, sales;
personal brand;
productivity and stress management.

Peculiarities:

Access to materials for 3 months.
Comprehensive knowledge + practice.
Recorded lessons, learning at your own pace.

There are 3 participation packages: without checking homework, with checking and live webinars, with the author of the course. The cost can be found by deciding on the tariff.

Personal assistant to information businessman – Liliya Pleshakova

In the Personal Assistant to an Information Businessman course, in 8 weeks you will master the skills of a personal assistant to work with online projects.

Course program:

Organizing your working time.
The role of an assistant in Internet projects.
Creation of texts.
Working with graphics.
Creation of landing pages.
GetCourse platform management.
Promote yourself on social networks and find a job.

Benefits of the course:

the author is an experienced practitioner;
learning at your own pace;
access to materials – from 3 months.

There are 3 tariffs:

“I myself” costs 10,970 rubles. and gives access to the course for 3 months.
“Together we are strong” costs 21,970 rubles. and includes task verification, 6 months of access to information, a chat for communication and a separate chat with vacancies, a certificate.
“VIP” for 32,970 rubles. includes, in addition to everything described above, feedback from the author and assistance in finding a job.

The cost can be divided into 2 payments.

20.07.2020

2 259

How much does a personal assistant earn and what does his salary depend on?

Greetings, dear readers. Today I continue the previous article about the Internet profession personal...

Personal assistant to information businessman – Alena Dovgal

Personal assistant to an information businessman - a course for those who are preparing to work remotely and earn from 20,000 rubles. per month. It is suitable for everyone, but is more aimed at women, including those on maternity leave.

In 8 weeks you will complete the following modules:

work organization, task planning;
working with a website on the WordPress platform;
sales funnel for information products;
mailing services;
landing page creation;
work on social networks;
support for trainings and webinars;
job search, internship.

Advantages:

Training from scratch.
Materials are constantly updated, and access to information remains forever.
The course is not new, the 24th stream starts this fall, which means the material has already been “tested” and has shown its effectiveness.
The information is in short video format; the website has examples of lessons.

There are 4 tariffs: access to materials – 9,900 rubles; training with a curator and checking homework - 12,900 rubles; with support from the course author and access to vacancies – RUB 16,900; with additional modules – RUB 25,900.

Million Dollar Assistant – Smart and Talented

The Million Dollar Assistant professional course is conducted in person and part-time. The distance program is designed for 8 weeks, 3 meetings per week.

What is taught:

assistant’s personal brand;
building relationships with your boss according to the Harvard Business School system;
socionics for building effective relationships, networking;
time management and delegation;
stress resistance and psychology;
business style of communication and communication, including in English;
office work;
assistant programs, etc.

Advantages:

Updating information for effective learning in modern realities.
23 teachers who are experts in their field, not just 1 author.
Interactive live seminars + recordings.
You can purchase individual lessons and study only them; 2 videos are available for free.

Total cost – 49,000 rubles, possible in installments.

Business assistant manager 2.0 – Business Seminar

Business assistant manager 2.0 – 72 academic hours of lectures for working as an assistant manager in offline and online projects.

In a programme:

business goals, control of income and expenses;
analysis and modeling of business processes;
work in a CRM system;
project management;
search and interaction with contractors;
telephone and written communications;
basic internet marketing tools, etc.

Advantages:

Information in different formats: videos, podcasts, checklists, articles, exercises, tests.
The extensive program allows you to be involved in various processes at the enterprise.
Certificate of advanced training.

Tuition fee – 11,520 rubles.

Professional assistant manager – Profi Career

Professional assistant manager - a training course that meets professional standards, suitable for those who want to work in large companies.

In a programme:

work with documents;
personal and business assistant: differences and common features;
planning, time management, delegation;
organization and support of the manager on business trips;
useful services and programs;
professional image;
Business Etiquette;
effective telephone communications.

Advantages:

Training to work in large companies according to modern professional standards.
5 days of intensive training in a training format give quick results and immerse you in the profession.
Experienced practicing teachers.

You can take the course in person or remotely. The cost of online training with live participation is 29,500 rubles, studying materials in recordings is 12,800 rubles.

Responsibilities of the assistant department head

Typically, job seekers are looking for a job as a personal assistant to an executive. But it’s easier to start advancing in this career niche with the position of “assistant head of sales.” The responsibilities of this employee are not so extensive, but the experience and prospects are incomparably greater.

The main difference between assistant department heads is their more specific and narrowly focused activities. They perform work related to a specific area of production or management. This experience is invaluable for further career advancement.

The responsibilities of an assistant department manager include everything the same as those of the head of an enterprise. But there is also a special specificity:

the need to thoroughly know the essence of the production, management or trading process of the unit;
contact with assistants from other departments and the assistant to the general director;
maintain department-specific documentation.

Career prospects for a personal assistant

Young people see this position as the start of a career. However, you need to differentiate what kind of promotion you want. Horizontal or vertical? At this enterprise, or is this just the starting line on a future resume? The strategy for further action depends on the answers to these questions.

Management values good assistants, and this, unfortunately, has a bad effect on their career growth. The boss does not want to let go of the ideal employee, agrees to increase the salary and gives additional benefits - this is an option for a horizontal career. Most common among personal assistants.

The easiest way to advance your career in a particular organization is from the position of assistant to the head of a department. Such positions are often hired with the prospect of getting to know the employee better and training him. If you want a vertical career, then this is your path.

The position of assistant manager is not noticeable to the outside eye, but is very significant for the organization. A competent assistant can improve the performance of management and thereby provide more profit to the enterprise.