You either have secretarial blood, or you don’t. In our view, there is no middle ground. Our management, having worked for years as an international Personal Assistant, knows no different; information and service are second nature.
That is our benchmark and therefore our motto: first you are a top-class (Executive) Secretary, only then can you become an outstanding Personal Assistant.
Experienced professionals
As a former international PA, in my last role I travelled with the CEO and COO to various (capital) cities across Europe to set up new offices there on behalf of an American company.
Amsterdam was the head office at the time. We were actually there less often, because the CEO preferred London and Paris. So we were in London, Paris and also Frankfurt every week.
My mobile office consisted of a ring binder (keep in mind, this was 1999/2000), a laptop, two mobile phones – business and private – and a small suitcase.
When, at the end of 2000, the head office moved to London, my job was made redundant. At that moment I immediately decided to start my own business. I had already taken the plunge many times before. So I did it again. I went straight to the Chamber of Commerce, registered the company name and secured several domain names for name protection. And I built my first website. It looked awful, of course. But I was up and running.
About us, from PA to PA Online: 17 November 2000
That is why I know the profession, the challenges, and the solutions from my own experience.
And that is how our recruitment and secondment agency for highly qualified Executive Secretaries, Personal Assistants and Office Managers came into being.
How does PA Online differentiate itself from other agencies?
The answer is simple: when you know the work of a PA in all its facets, you recognise a real PA. During the intake interview, the PA in question immediately builds rapport through that recognition with the interviewer. Nothing more, nothing less.
The result: employers very quickly understand, “OK, you know what I am talking about. You know what I am looking for!” The same applies the other way around for PAs and EAs. That is why they turn directly to PA Online.
Enjoying your work
What makes this profession so rewarding? Simple: everyone enjoys a new job and a new challenge.
When you create the right match between a company and a strong PA, EA or (Executive) Secretary, and all parties are happy and satisfied, our smiles are from ear to ear. It is a wonderful feeling, as if you have done a good deed.