If you are thinking of becoming a PA or you are currently a PA, a question that may arise for you is where next? It is always nice to think that we can promote ourselves, earn more and potentially change our roles. However, many PAs often feel that they have reached their potential and moving on will be difficult. This has been the case much more in the past, but there are now many options out there for a PA.
VA
Any PA with experience will now be able to change their lifestyle radically and opt to become their own boss. Modern technology has enabled PAs to change their lifestyle and work from home for themselves. They will be able to use the internet and remote support in order to run the lives of busy small business owners, support PAs in large operations and much more. This is a big move that can pay off if you are successful in gaining clients. You can gain from freedom of working hours, having your own company and being able to stay at home more. It should also be noted that there is far less security and you will need to run your business well.
Executive PA
Those with the ambition to reach the peak of their profession could seek an Executive role. Executive PAs will become more involved in high-level executive-level meetings and will support an Executive within a large organisation. In order to make this move, you will need sound PA experience and skills. However, your soft skills and managerial ability will need to be developed in order to fit in.
Projects
PAs often have great multitasking and organisational skills. This combines with a good knowledge of the organisation and a relationship with senior management which is better than the average member of staff. These qualities make a PA ideal to work in a Project team and if you show interest in making this move, it is likely that a Project will be glad to bring you into the team. This can be a new interesting area with many possibilities to gain in your career. IEAA offers Project Management for EA Courses.
Human Resources
When you provide support to your manager and a team, you will have a lot of exposure to HR. If it is the case that you can use the experience and your contacts in the department, a move into HR could be ideal.