Prepare yourself. Being a personal assistant is mentally, emotionally and physically draining. You are a receptionist, a secretary, a maid, a travel agent a calendar, an organiser, an alarm clock, a waitress and a confidant

Organise. Nearly every aspect of personal assistant work has to do with organisation and scheduling. Prepare your boss’s calendar daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Remind him or her of upcoming events. Stay up on VIP dates and keep track on personal and business events.

Ask questions. The more you know, the better your performance will be. Asking specific questions will make your job easier and save time later

Avoid arguments. Personal assistants spend a lot of time with their bosses. You will not agree with everything and if you are tempted to speak your mind, chances are, you will open up a whole can of worms. So cool off and save yourself a lot of stress.

Anticipate. No matter what else you do, anticipating the needs of your boss will score you major points and make the job much, much easier.

Mistakes are crucial. Try to learn from them. Initial mistakes are good - they are bound to happen and act as excellent learning opportunities. Try not to repeat the same mistake twice.

Source: News Straits Times - 1Klassifieds - Monday, October 4, 2010