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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Comments, Concerns, Caveats?
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Posted 8/15/06 8:08 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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Wendy
Wheeee!
Member since 5/05 13736 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
My mother was Kathy Keaton's (Bob Guccione's wife) personal assistant for a while. My mom worked out of their home on 5th Ave ... KK was not a pleasant woman to her "staff" but it was also when she was stricken with ovarian & lung cancer and was only doing holistic and odd non-traditional treatments.
I don't know - she did wrap a lot of gifts and get to bring home stuff that was "extra"!! And she met lots of the Penthouse Pets  .
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| Posted 8/15/06 8:15 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
hahaha.
I just got hired as a PT personal assistant.
I get to work mostly from home, which is good.
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| Posted 8/15/06 8:20 AM |
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johnsae
Sip.
Member since 3/06 18677 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
I was part exec assistant and part personal assistant - the personal part REALLY sucks.
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| Posted 8/15/06 8:51 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Posted by johnsae
I was part exec assistant and part personal assistant - the personal part REALLY sucks.
Really? Anything to look out for? What sucked about it
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| Posted 8/15/06 8:51 AM |
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johnsae
Sip.
Member since 3/06 18677 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by johnsae
I was part exec assistant and part personal assistant - the personal part REALLY sucks.
Really? Anything to look out for? What sucked about it
The things you have to do start to get demeaning. I was asked to pick out the gift AND the card for my bosses 10th anniversary with her husband. I cleaned out all her basement files and was completely filthy.....it just gets to the point where you want to throw up your hands and have them pick up their own freakin' dry cleaning...
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| Posted 8/15/06 8:53 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Posted by johnsae
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by johnsae
I was part exec assistant and part personal assistant - the personal part REALLY sucks.
Really? Anything to look out for? What sucked about it
The things you have to do start to get demeaning. I was asked to pick out the gift AND the card for my bosses 10th anniversary with her husband. I cleaned out all her basement files and was completely filthy.....it just gets to the point where you want to throw up your hands and have them pick up their own freakin' dry cleaning...
I think the job I have is a lot more administrative, thank god, but I'm not sure yet, you never really know
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| Posted 8/15/06 9:00 AM |
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johnsae
Sip.
Member since 3/06 18677 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by johnsae
Posted by JenniferEver
Posted by johnsae
I was part exec assistant and part personal assistant - the personal part REALLY sucks.
Really? Anything to look out for? What sucked about it
The things you have to do start to get demeaning. I was asked to pick out the gift AND the card for my bosses 10th anniversary with her husband. I cleaned out all her basement files and was completely filthy.....it just gets to the point where you want to throw up your hands and have them pick up their own freakin' dry cleaning...
I think the job I have is a lot more administrative, thank god, but I'm not sure yet, you never really know
well, I am an Executive Assistant, so I can help you out with some administrative tips as well 
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| Posted 8/15/06 9:04 AM |
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nrthshgrl
It goes fast. Pay attention.
Member since 7/05 57538 total posts
Name:
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
I've been a personal assistant & I've worked with many of them.
What starts out as part-time will probably wind up being full-time quickly.
Downside is that if you're a full time personal assistant, you're on call at all hours. I remember hearing a celebrity's personal assistant ***** about having to pick up her car at 4:30am and another high-level executive assitant driving dinner from a Manhattan restaurant out to the Hamptons on a Sunday night.
Upside is you can be making a lot of dough if you're willing to travel and have flexible hours. If you break that down by the hour, you're making peanuts. For your own sanity NEVER break it down by the hour or make sure to agree to an hourly rate.
Always repeat in your head "If you want to pay me x dollars a year to pick up your wife's present/dry cleaning/x-rays, I'll take it."
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| Posted 8/15/06 9:47 AM |
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Lucky09
2017!
Member since 1/06 7537 total posts
Name:
DW
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Did you see the Devil Wears Prada? I don't think that is too far off.
I was an executive assistant when I first graduated from undergrad and my boss had me printing 200 menus for his daughter's sweet 16  .
On the upside, I did get a lot of nice gifts and made a pretty decent salary for my first year out of school!
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| Posted 8/15/06 9:51 AM |
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Blu-ize
Plan B is Now Plan A
Member since 7/05 32475 total posts
Name:
Susan
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
I'm an exec asst but do a lot of personal things just because of my boss' schedule.
I plan her vacations, arrange for dog care, help her furnish her home and office, book her hair and other beauty appts. Arrange social appts..
I'm lucky..she's a great boss. The job is not difficult, but I do work long hrs sometimes. Mostly 8-6, but sometimes on the weekends and at night from home. The latest I ever had to stay was until about 9. But then we went out to dinner.
The job is about 85% administrative and 15% personal.
Most of the my time is spent doing calendar and time management, arranging events, planning offsites and manipulating on data for quarterly business reviews..distribution to other business units and working with the HR department for recruiting. We are hiring a ton of technologists.
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| Posted 8/15/06 10:01 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
I've been on the job an hour and I'm already annoyed. I got an email this morning with a to do list but most of it required more info from him, I did what I could do, and now I am waiting for the follow up info to do the rest and I am just sitting here.
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| Posted 8/15/06 10:15 AM |
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4monkeys
boys will be boys =)
Member since 9/05 7205 total posts
Name:
:)
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
The only way I would do this was for TOP TOP dollar, and Im the type that if Im doing something "just for money" (esp full time) it will wear me down, make me resentful eventually. It wont truly make me happy.
But Id have a hard time being "below" someone, because I dont care how much money you have, I dont think youre above me and I dont think Im above anyone either...
ONe personal asst I worked with, she was the CEO's asst. She worked it out that she got paid hourly plus overtime, she she loved it and was able to separate it from affecting her personally, if that makes sense.
She made great money, and was out the door come 5pm.
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| Posted 8/15/06 10:15 AM |
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BigB
C & J are 10!
Member since 6/05 5914 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
I really think it depends on who you are working for. I have done a lot of this type of work for some of NYCs pretty wealthy people and I really like it. Maybe I am a glutten for punishment, but I love running errands and making phone calls!
Good Luck!
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| Posted 8/15/06 10:32 AM |
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JenniferEver
The Disney Lady
Member since 5/05 18163 total posts
Name:
Jennifer
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Re: Has anyone ever been a personal assistant?
Posted by BigB
I really think it depends on who you are working for. I have done a lot of this type of work for some of NYCs pretty wealthy people and I really like it. Maybe I am a glutten for punishment, but I love running errands and making phone calls!
Good Luck!
I kind of like doing little odd things and it's better to me than doing the same thing every day. I can't stand being in an office. I've tried it and it was NOT for me. The good thinkg about this is he's na industry person and a lot of the work is going to be helping me to get contacts in the industry and learn the business side. So I think it's going to be good.
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| Posted 8/15/06 12:28 PM |
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