Whats the difference between a PA and an Executive PA

Whats the difference between a PA and an Executive PA by Michael Cheary Looking for a well-paid PA position? Becoming an Executive PA could be for you…        If you’ve got excellent organisational skills and like being task-driven, chances are you’d make a great Executive Personal Assistant. But although there may be some similarities to certain PA roles, being an Executive PA could actually involve a whole host of different elements. And salary isn’t the only difference you could encounter when you start writing your application.We spoke to Souters Training, one of the UK’s top providers of PA and Executive PA courses, to learn more about both roles â€" and find out what you can do to break into the industry.What is a PA? Personal Assistants, also known as PAs, provide help and administrative support for individuals (usually senior members of staff), and occasionally for the wider team.Typical duties for a PA include everything from typing and minute taking, right through to diary management and filing â€" and key s kills for PAs include excellent communication, both written and verbal, as well as organisational skills, and attention to detail.View all PA jobsWhat is an Executive PA?Executive Personal Assistants, or Executive PAs as they’re otherwise known, share some of the same duties and responsibilities as PAs.It’s their job to manage every aspect of their manager’s day, taking care of key tasks such as managing meetings and booking appointments, as well as organising their correspondence, business letter writing, email communication and running professional or personal errands.To put it simply, the main goal of an Executive PAs job is to make their boss’ life easier â€" by helping them manage their time effectively and take care of certain tasks that allow them to focus on more important aspects of their role.View all Executive PA jobsSo, what’s the difference?The key difference between an Executive PA and a PA is that Executive Personal Assistants work with higher level managers .Generally, this will mean working with CEOs, as well as various other company directors and high-level staff.Because of this, their role also involves much greater responsibility than that of a PA. As most administrative tasks are taken for granted at this level, the main focus of their job involves taking initiative and complete control over their workload.They may also have additional tasks, such as organising events or liaising with clients, which a PA generally won’t be asked to do.Executive PA skills Certain skills, such as time management and attention to detail, will be a given for almost all Executive PAs.However, as their role requires a large amount of autonomy, they’ll also need to be particularly adept at prioritisation, often having to work with very little guidance from their extremely busy bosses.This will require a deep understanding and awareness of their needs, in order to make good decisions under pressure.Other key attributes for an Executive PA include peop le and management skills, which are vital in helping support the requirements of their senior manager’s job.Benefits of being an Executive PA     Because of their increased level of responsibility, Executive PAs earn more money than their PA counterparts â€" bringing in an average salary of £6,000 a year more for entry level roles.However, there are other advantages of the career path aside from salary, including increased exposure to senior management, as well as more varied work experience.For example, you may get the chance to organise events or manage larger projects, and work with other areas of the business, such as the product or digital marketing teams.Many Executive Personal Assistants are even finding that this exposure is opening more doors to move into other high-earning careers, and go on to become Product Assistants and Project Managers as a result of their Executive PA experience.And as Executive PA Jobs are found in almost every major company worldwide, there are an abundance of opportunities for anyone looking to break into the industry.  Becoming an Executive PA To become an Executive PA, you’ll need to develop the mix of management and administrative skills necessary to succeed in the position â€" not to mention be able to demonstrate these on your CV.One of the most effective ways of doing this is to take an Executive PA course.Not only will this give you all the skills you need to start applying for jobs right away, it’ll also be a clear indicator of your expertise for potential employers.Ideally training should be classroom based, because it’s the ideal way to develop the complex people skills required for this type of job. An interactive classroom environment with other Executive PAs enables the sharing of experiences and building networks that can help to build your career in the long-term.As most courses are flexible and can be taken part-time, they’re easy to fit around your schedule.So whether you’re already working as a PA and looking to take the next step in your career, or you’re completely new to the industry, find out more about an Executive PA course today.How to become an Executive PA  Why study with Souters?Souters Training is one of the UK’s leading specialist training companies.They have 30 years’ worth of experience in providing top quality courses, with their expert tutors helping thousands of prospective PAs and EAs get qualified and get started in the industry.Benefits of studying with Souters include:Professionally accredited courses â€" delivered by industry expertsClassroom-based training to build skills in a practical settingNetworking opportunities provided, to help you build up your list of contactsAffordable, all-inclusive prices, with payment plans to suit your budgetDedicated CV writing tips and career advice on completion of your courseInterested in becoming an Executive PA? Enquire now.Souters Training is one of the UK’s leading specialist training companies, with c ourses available in Admin, PA, HR and Tech.