Welcome to my new blog site. I hope you are enjoying the new features. I’m hoping to make the blog a lot more interact so watch this space!
As this is the first blog on my new website I thought I would share with you some of the resources I find really helpful. There are loads of websites, training providers and magazines out there for assistants and some are definitely better than others! Over the course of the next few days I will blog about my favourites.
Magazines
Executive PA
The magazine is published bi-monthly and is full of interesting articles and statistics for assistants. There is always an interview with a high level assistant talking about their day-to-day role or a piece on a well regarding celebrity and how they work with their PA. The magazine also contains practical advice and reviews. Included in the subscription is a yearly booklet called The Essential Guide which I’ve always found useful as it details lots of new companies and venues. The magazine also runs the Executive PA Magazine Awards with prizes going to PA of the Year, Boss of the Year and Employer of the Year.
Executive Secretary Magazine
Executive Secretary Magazine has been around for quite a while but recently undergone a bit of a make over. The magazine doesn’t contain any advertising so it is packed full of articles focussed on training and mentoring assistants. The magazine also features information on marketing, finance, productivity and updates on IT and social networking.
Ole
Ole offers a great blog and Ezine for assistants. The blog has information on all sorts of things from career advice to ideas on what to eat for lunch. As they say themselves “Think about it as entertainment even your boss would love”. The best of the blogs and a little bit more goes into the ezine.
PA Life
PA Life, formally Executive News, was launched in November 2011 and has just updated the website to include lots of useful content and information for assistants. The focus of the website and magazine is on the day-to-day work life, career development and lifestyle choices of assistants. The articles in the magazine tend to shine a spotlight on industry news, venue information, office tips, as well as fashion advice and career trends.
The office Professional
The office Professional is a monthly PDF magazine featuring news, information and advise for all administrative professionals. The website is also a valuable resource and has lots of frfee articles, blogs and a forum for subscriber and non subscribers.
Websites
PA Assist
pa-assist.com launched in 2000 and the site primarily offers help, information and resources for office professionals. The website is free to register but does contain advertising. Once you have registered you will receive a regular newsletter via email from ‘Moneypenny’ which contains information on products, services, offers and events for assistants. Pa-assist.com also has a LinkedIn group with over a thousand members and quite recently launched a cashback scheme for assistants called pa-assistcashback.
Desk Demon
Also launched in 2000 Desk Demon offers everything you need for office management. There are loads of links to other useful websites, including things like currency conversion and websites that convert word documents to PDF. The website is set up so that is local to the country you live in and it also has lots of blogs and articles on career development and training. The website also has has an online magazine called PA Enterprise which is also quite interesting.
Secs in the City
In terms of recruitment I think this is the best website out there for assistants and office professionals. Every single job I have ever had in the city I heard about or was contacted through Secs in the City. It is easy to upload your CV and covering letter and you can also receive a daily email with new jobs that are specific to what you are looking for. I highly highly recommend this website to any jobseekers out there.
Pro Assisting
This is a really useful website for assistants run by a current and former assistant and their dog. It is packed full of interesting blogs and articles, they have a best of blog which outlines all of the valuable content, click here and they also have a few e-learning modules including a 10 week email series that gives 10 of the tips, tools and techniques that they offer inside the training programme. Here is the link.
Personal Assistant Tips
This is quite similar to PA Assist and Desk Demon, it also pulls together lots of useful resources for assistants. The website also promotes training for Executive PAs and mentoring services.
Assistant Edge
Assistant Edge pulls together all of the best blogs for office professionals and sends out a daily email with new content. It has some fabulous and interesting blogs and I find it a really good read. You can personalise your content and also search the website via a number of different topics and interests.
Global PA Network
Set up by an Executive Assistant the aim of the network is to encourage personal development and meet other like minded assistants through training sessions and events. The network offers lots of events, master class conferences, online training sessions and webinars.
In my next blog I will be looking at Trade Associations and networking clubs.
Hi, I just found your blog but wondered if you could consider changing the colour of hte orange/yellow font as this really hurts the eyes!
Hi Louise, I’ve changed the background colour to make it slightly easier on the eyes. Thanks for the feedback! Nicky
Hi
I’m really desperate to leave my current job role. I wondered what’s the best way to find a new PA job. Is it through websites? or is it really by phoning and trying to register with agencies? Agencies are hard work though i find…they don’t really do anything for you unless you keep nagging them, i don’t have time to do that really.
Could you do a blog on finding a new PA job? or have you done one already and I can’t find it.
Any help gratefully received!
Hi Gillian
I’ve been in your position before and I totally understand your frustration. It took me a good 6 months to find a job a few years ago and I was at the end of my tither but I my latest job I got within a week so I do know it can happen quickly so I would say stick in there. I have always had to use websites and agencies when finding a job, some are great and some are absolutely terrible and a total waste of time. I’ll try and do a blog on finding a job in the next few weeks and hopefully you’ll find that useful. I’m not sure where you work but if it is in London I can give you the names of a few decent agencies and websites that are pretty good. If you are in London drop me an email and I’ll get back to you asap. Nicky x