What does it take to be a personal assistant for professional athletes? You need to be a jack of all trades, and probably a master of none! You need to have patience, compassion, the ability to multi task and, most importantly, common sense. You have to learn to be a step ahead of the person and be able to predict what they want/need even before they know. You are the bad guy, the gatekeeper, and the “no” person.
Over the next several weeks I am going to break this career down one topic at a time.
Part 1: Setting The Stage
Your days and your nights will not be your own. You will need to learn to set boundaries, and yet be completely flexible at all times. It sounds like an oxymoron, but once you experience it, you will get it! You have to be ready to be someone’s best friend, without him or her ever asking a question about your life…how you’re doing…how your parents or significant other is. They don’t care what’s going on in your personal life as long as it doesn’t affect them or what they need you to do.
Being a personal assistant can be extremely rewarding, while at the same time being frustrating and infuriating. So why would you want to do it? You set your own schedule, until you get a phone call or text. You have the freedom to work from anywhere, until they need you in a certain place. You are your own boss, but you are always on call. Sounds miserable, right? Sometimes it is downright miserable. Other times when you see your efforts pay off, it’s the best thing in the world.
Your clients become your life, no matter how much you try to create a balance and separation. They consume you. You wake up in the middle of the night taking notes about things you need to do the next day. That means you’re on your way to becoming a good personal assistant!
A personal assistant means different things to different people. Some personal assistants work in an office handling their boss’ business and personal matters. Some PA’s work out of someone’s house full-time and handle all household matters, staff, kids, etc. Then there are those that work outside of the house but handle all daily matters. These things can be as insignificant as putting a hold on the newspaper when they travel to as large as coordinating building a new house. You have to be ready for whatever is thrown at you.