Nanny -> Personal Assistant -> Executive Assistant
Where would anyone be without assistants? Executive assistants, personal assistants, and even virtual assistants are the oil that keeps the engines of our lives in motion. While assistants are some of the most important people in the lives of those they work for, there can be a lot of confusion when it comes to their titles. We’re going to take a look at the differences, similarities, and overlap of responsibilities and skill sets for personal assistants and executive assistants, and take a look at the trajectory of each career. Many assistants begin as nannies!
Here at Adventure Nannies, it is common for us to work with both executive and personal assistants when beginning a nanny search. We’ve also placed assistants in both domestic and corporate settings, and can understand where some of this confusion comes from! As a general rule of thumb, domestic households and families typically employ personal assistants (PAs) and can employ an Executive Assistant if they have more than one assistant, or also need help on the business side of their lives. Most of the time, corporations will hire a personal assistant for their executives, and that role can grow into an executive assistant role over time.
Photo by Nastuh Abootalebi
Here is a basic breakdown of the roles of each:
Personal Assistant (PA):
• Often employed in households or entry-level positions within organizations
• Doesn’t require an advanced degree
• Responds as issues and changes in plans come up
• Responsible for managing schedules, running errands, mailing packages, shopping, picking up take-out or groceries, taking phone calls, planning events, managing contractors, etc.
• Often works a set schedule ie: 9am-5pm
• Often transitions into PA role after working as a nanny, mother’s helper, secretary, or household assistant for several years.
• Makes roughly $40k – $90k per year
Executive Assistant (EA):
• Often works for c-level principals of organizations, and sometimes within their households
• Typically has a business related background or degree
• Thinks ahead to strategize plan or course of action
• Responsible for many of the same tasks as a PA, but also capable of sitting in on meetings in place of their executive
• Is a key member of the c-team’s decision-making process
• Does not have a set schedule, often works odd and after-hours to keep things running smoothly
• Transitions to EA from PA role after several years of working as a PA
• Makes roughly 60k – 150k per year
Photo by delfi de la Rua
Personal Assistant
The main role of a personal assistant is to free their employers of general organizational admin so that they can dedicate their time to personal or business pursuits such as their family, jobs, hobbies, or social life. A PA is key to keeping stress levels down, as they are always one step ahead in terms of making arrangements for anything that comes their way. A good PA will provide dates, times, locations, names, and important information for everything on their employers’ schedule.
PAs also step in with other domestic responsibilities, such as laundry, dry cleaning pick up / drop off, grocery shopping, party planning, transporting children, meal prep, and more. A good PA will know their employers’ preferences/tastes well, and know be able to make judgment calls for them when it comes to anything from travel destinations to style choices. When clients come to us saying they need clones of themselves to keep their lives in motion, we often end up finding them a personal assistant.
Executive Assistant:
An EA is more likely to be primarily involved in the business side of their principal’s life. In fact, it is not uncommon for a trusted EA to sit in on meetings in place of their boss and report back to them afterward. An EA can have the power to advise on business matters, make important decisions, and speak on behalf on their principal. EAs are expert problem solvers and possess a very pro-active mindset. EAs are often the direct report for additional staff members and can be in charge of setting their schedules, making adjustments as they come up and solving any HR issues that might arise. In addition to all of this, they can be called upon for all of the tasks of a personal assistant as well. One of the major differences between EAs and PAs is that you will see an EA working all hours of the day, while a PAs schedule is often more predictable.
If you or your firm is interested in hiring an assistant, get in touch!
If you would like to work for one of our families or firms, apply now!