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Home Business The New Face of the PA Industry

The New Face of the PA Industry

by Uma Rajagopal
Jessica Gardiner

“73% of assistants are not offered any training or development in their current role” this is exactly where The Assistant Room steps in. A platform created to inspire those who are stereotypically known as ‘just a PA’ and aid those who have the misconception of the ideal as well as the importance of the job role. 

I grew up in Leigh on Sea, Essex with my parents and two sisters. I started my career working as a PA, and by the time I was 23 I was supporting a Mayfair CEO however, I required a challenge. Reaching out to a famous influencer, with no expectation of getting a reply, I was lucky enough to organize a glass of wine which resulted in us discussing opportunities for our future working alongside one another. During my experience with her, I saw the impact she had as a digital creator of authentic content and had a beautiful aesthetic with a contemporary and modern feel. This was the point I realized there was a gap in the market within the global PA industry. I created a platform where my team and I would produce a wide range of bespoke support resources for individuals to access anywhere at any time. Including events, podcasts, and now online tools. As a business we have expanded into recruitment, this was a natural development as many people were coming to me asking for recommendations on where to find a fantastic PA, as a result, we established The Assistant Room Recruitment. 

The Assistant Room was set up in response to feeling like I had hit the glass ceiling by the time I was 25. When working as an EA I began to feel like all my effort was going into someone else’s successes and I was constantly hitting my head against the wall due to my success not being the main focus. I was doing nothing to better myself and finally decided this needs to stop. The idea of my platform was to be a place I looked for and needed during my experience as a PA. Being an engaging lifestyle platform it tackles every aspect of the role with relatable advice and guidance. With the world constantly changing it is difficult to understand how to create and navigate a successful career, The Assistant Room offers mentors depending on peoples’ individual needs. I work with over 15 Personal and Executive Assistants on a 1:1 basis every month to help them grow in their professional abilities. This has helped them increase their impact on the business exponentially.

This platform will maintain members’ confidence and motivation within their job roles. The role of a PA is extremely important, 49% of assistants are considered as key-decision makers or influencers within their business, however, aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. I believe we need more female CEOs, not typical female c-suite roles, female change makers who have men looking up to them, not AT them. I aim to bring power to females whilst influencing a gender equality future. I will be contributing and helping in any way I can.

Just do it is one thing I wish I had told my younger self; overnight success isn’t a real thing, however: hard work pays off. Being willing to do anything and if it doesn’t work you can always find another route. Running the business through a pandemic it has taught me and even forced me to embrace the uncertainty and unknown. Ever since I was a young girl, I was taught to work towards a mission. It enables you to bend and mould to factors outside of your control however having a mission keeps you focused. As I follow this method it has managed to allow everything to fall into place and to this day hasn’t failed me. I want to carry on and constantly develop new content and material that helps companies realize the importance of ROI to their business staff. I aim to build the most incredibly effective talent headhunting service in existence with full consultancy, to align the business support needed based on experience.