Okay, so I decided to spend a day shadowing a PA, just to see what their life is really like. I’ve always been curious, you know? So, I got in touch with my friend Sarah, who works as a PA for some big-shot CEO, and she agreed to let me tag along.
Getting Started
First thing, I woke up super early. Like, ridiculously early. Sarah said her day usually starts around 6:30 AM, so I wanted to be ready. I grabbed a quick coffee and headed over to her office building.
The Morning Rush
When I arrived, things were already buzzing. Sarah was juggling phone calls, responding to emails, and setting up for a morning meeting all at once. It was kind of insane!
- Answering phone calls and take messages.
- Sorting through a mountain of emails, flagged the urgent ones.
- Prepare meeting room, made sure there was coffee, water, and all the necessary documents.
The Never-Ending Tasks
Throughout the day, it was just one task after another. Sarah was scheduling appointments, booking travel arrangements, handling expense reports, and even running personal errands for her boss. She was running those errands, picking up dry cleaning, getting lunch, that kind of stuff.
Lunch Break (or Lack Thereof)
Lunch? What lunch? Sarah barely had time to grab a sandwich at her desk while continuing to work. I was starting to realize that being a PA is not for the faint of heart. She was just answering emails and managed some other staffs’ schedules.
Afternoon Meetings and More
The afternoon was filled with more meetings and a ton of follow-up tasks. Sarah was taking notes, sending out summaries, and making sure everyone was on the same page. The level of organization and attention to detail was seriously impressive.
Wrapping Up (or Not)
Even as the “official” workday was ending, Sarah was still tying up loose ends, preparing for the next day, and responding to a few last-minute requests. Finally, I helped Sarah to packed everything, said good bye and left.
It’s definitely a demanding job, but it’s also clear that a good PA is absolutely essential to keeping things running smoothly. My hat’s off to Sarah and all the other PAs out there – you guys are the real MVPs!
