Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Performing Administrative Activities Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Processing Information Compiling, coding, categorising, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

The Work

A personal assistant's (PAs) main role is to help managers make better use of their time and energy. For example, they screen telephone calls and incoming mail, dealing with some themselves, distributing others to the appropriate individual or department, and only passing on those which the manager must deal with personally.  
 
PAs often manage their manager's diaries, arranging meetings and making appointments on their behalf, organising travel itineraries, booking rail or aeroplane tickets and hotel reservations. They use their organisational skills to arrange conferences and trade exhibitions, and try to make sure these events run smoothly. This may involve some public relations work, such as drafting press releases.  
 
PAs make sure their managers are well prepared for meetings. They may be required to research information, for example, from trade periodicals or professional bodies. They may then summarise this information clearly and concisely for the manager's benefit.  
 
They may have a range of administrative and secretarial duties, including word processing letters and reports. They have to use their initiative as far as possible, for example, composing letters themselves, without the manager's input. PAs often have a senior role within an organisation, delegating many clerical tasks to other staff. They may help to recruit and supervise staff, and may manage the office in the manager's absence.  
 
In some organisations, PAs may travel locally, nationally or internationally, to attend meetings and conferences with their managers.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
• Make travel arrangements for executives.
• Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
• Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.
• Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
• Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
• Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
• Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.
• Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
• Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees, and boards of directors.

Further Information

• Executive / Personal Assistant - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Executive / Personal Assistant - from: GradIreland

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

A wide range of courses are available that teach administrative and secretarial skills. The entry requirements vary considerably. However, a good general education and, in particular, good standards of English and numeric skills are essential.  
 
Secretarial courses are usually one year in duration and cover typing, shorthand, word processing and computers. Some courses include bookkeeping, legal courses and language. There are also short courses for the executive PA available for experienced PAs.  

Training & Development Pathways:  

FET Centre Traineeship: Business/ Office/ Legal Admnistration NFQ Level 5 Search FET Traineeship 

FET Centre PLC Course: Business/ Office/ Legal Admnistration NFQ Level 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder 

Higher Education CAO Entry Business Administration & Executive Administrator, Compliance, HR, PR, Business Management offered in colleges around Ireland at NFQ level 7-8 Search our CAO coursefinder

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €35k - €80k

Salaries vary by employer, location, experience, and duties.

Data Source(s):
Sigmar/ CPL/ Morgan McKinley/ Collins McNicolas/ Excel/ Azon

Last Updated: March, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment in this occupation has been declining annually since 2019, resulting in a negative average growth rate for the five-year period. Combined, the education, health and professional activities sectors accounted for over two-thirds of employment.

A high share of workers was employed in part-time roles (45%) and almost 40% were aged 55 years and older. As demand for PAs and secretaries falls, those leaving these roles may not be replaced which may see a continued decline in employment levels for this occupation.

• Irish Times Training

  • The Ballast House, Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2
  • (01) 4727101
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here