Office Professionals, Administrative Professionals, Administrative Assistants, Virtual Assistants and Executive Assistants supported by Deskdemon with tools and information to help empower them in their careers.

When is a PA not a PA?
I was interested to read the letter from Dorothy McCuller requesting clarification of the difference between secretaries and PAs.  This is a confusing area, but I believe there are genuine differences in the roles of Secretaries and PAs. I believe I can clarify this for you.
A 'secretary' would carry out normal secretarial duties (typing letters and other documents, arranging meetings, telephone calls, looking after the 'boss's diary, travel arrangements, committee servicing etc). However, (as in my own position), a PA's duties will normally include additional areas of responsibility such as management of other staff; budget control/purchasing; personnel control/management; the ability to analyse documents/reports received and prepare written responses; report writing; giving Powerpoint presentations; sitting on committees as a full member (rather than as 'secretary' to that committee); representing the 'boss' at meetings or other events that he/she is unable to attend; organising corporate events; and also having decision-making responsibility for specific areas etc etc
When 'genuine'  PA jobs are advertised, the salary tends to be on a middle management scale which would reflect the additional responsibilities. Some of the confusion is, of course, caused by describing ‘secretarial' roles as 'PA' roles (and vice versa)
I do hope you find this helpful and informative
Amanda Townsend
Personal Assistant to Chairman & Principal
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

That certainly seems to clear things up Amanda, but does anyone else have a view on this matter?

Another idea noted – thanks Maruska. It’s good to know that we have international users, but you didn’t tell us where you were from!

More to work with
Thanks for the new tools in the e-mail system DD! I got a pleasant surprise when I opened up my e-mail and found not only a new look, but lots of new options. It doesn’t feel like an online mail service anymore! Just one grumble – sometimes I’m forced to have double line spacing when I hit return in a message. A few teething problems can be expected I guess – keep up the good work.
Lorraine Shearer

Office romance
I have to admit to more than one work-related liaison. The most awkward/embarrassing thing was dealing with the situation whilst in work eg. having to carry on as normal pretending to everyone else that nothing happened. The first liaison carried on over a period of months with lots of flirting in the office, although only one or two people knew about it. The second fling at a different workplace was, and has remained, a complete secret between me and the other person involved. However that was not to say it was easy facing the person in work. We have on occasions completely ignored each other then laughed about it when in company again outside of work. If it's fun then no-one gets hurt, but it can end up very damaging if it doesn't finish by mutual agreement.
Anon

Spinning around
Just a quick email to say thank you to DeskDemon for the wonderful trip on the London Eye that I won recently. (Emily took a spin on the wheel with 19 of her friends)
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed myself, as did my friends. It was brilliant fun! Please pass my thanks to the people that arranged the trip. I'm wearing the pink scarf in the photo!
Emily Deth

What’s the question?
I’ve just read your article on giving the perfect interview. It’s useful enough, but I think it would be more valuable if you included tips on things like the kind of questions that you are likely to come up against in interviews for senior and executive PA roles. I’ve been with my company for 10 years and I’m thinking of applying for an EA position at another company. It would be useful to know what I’m likely to get asked.
Danielle

Good advice
Just had to write and congratulate you on the new Hints n Tricks section on the Advice page.  This section is long overdue and should help us all immensely to locate, at the "click" of a mouse, all the useful information we have shared over the past few months and beyond.  I am happy to see that some of my own suggestions are there and that you have also introduced an archive library for us to locate previously submitted hints n tricks.  Keep up the good work and we will do the same!
Gee4

A warm welcome
My name is Lynda Middleton, PA to the Principal at Liverpool College, the largest independent school on Merseyside. I've just been introduced to Deskdemon - it's wonderful. I organise quite a few prestgious functions and I find it very useful and user friendly.
Lynda Middleton

Thanks Lynda, and welcome aboard!

Regional focus
I just wanted to say that the new My Career section is a fantastic idea, and there’s some really useful information in there. I’ve worked my way up through the ranks over the years, and I’m now PA to the MD of a fairly large company, but I haven’t ever had the time to sit down and take stock of my career so far, or properly plan where I want to go in the future. No time like the present I suppose!
I noticed that there is a lot of information on career development agencies etc. in the South East of England. Will you be providing details for different areas of the UK – I live in Wales.
Anne Harris

We’ll be featuring a different region each month, Anne. Look out for the April update of My Career, which will give you all the details you need on furthering your career in Wales.