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What Private PAs should Expect when interviewing in the US

Written by: NYCA in association with Rosie Evans
Published on: 10 Nov 2014

Private PA Interviews in the US

In this article, SecsintheCity discusses Private PA jobs in the US with Erica First,the Programming Chair of the New York Celebrity Assistants. Erica has worked and lived in the US with various celebrities for over ten years and she currently lives in New York City and works with Emmy-award winning actress Debra Messing, who can now be seen on NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura." In this article, Erica shares her tips for succeeding in a Private PA job interview.

What Private PAs should expect when interviewing in the US

Your Private PA CV has been sent. An interview is scheduled… And the excitement of securing a new position begins. When scheduling an interview, one would probably expect to be called into an office, conference room or something of this sort. However, when applying for a job as an assistant to a high profile individual, the location might be a bit more unconventional. One of my interviews took place on a private jet, just to give you an idea!

So, what can one expect from a Celebrity/HNWI Private PA interview?

Think outside the box:

Since the nature of Private PA jobs is so personal, the types of questions could really run the gamut. Be ready for anything, even personal questions!

You can read our Private PA Interview tips to read some more example questions and find out more about how to prepare.

Salary:

Be prepared to discuss salary but it might not come up in the first interview. When you interview with a high profile individual, the first step might be more of a meet and greet. The salary and fine print details could be discussed later with a business manager or one of the principle’s representatives.

In our latest salary survey report, Private PA’s topped the pay table with average salary of £55,179, a 9% increase on the previous year. It’s always worth having a salary you are prepared to accept in mind.

A day in the life of…

In most interviews, the principle will take you through a typical day in their life so you get an idea of what is expected. It is also important to remember that each day is usually different from the next unless you are interviewing for a true Executive Assistant position. You will find that on one day you can be in your employer’s home, another on a set of a project they are working on, or perhaps a red carpet event. In some cases, the principle might even ask the interviewee to shadow them for a day, which can be very helpful.

What would you do if…

One might be presented with a hypothetical situation and asked how they would handle things.

Do you like to travel?

Many high profile individuals travel frequently so they will want to know: a) Are you willing to travel?
b) Have you traveled domestically and internationally?
c) Do you have contacts in different cities, domestically and internationally?

Or some jobs might require you to stay back and hold down the fort.

Every Private PA position is truly unique. That’s the exciting aspect of the industry. It’s always different. Every day, every hour, every second. To prepare for an interview in this business, you should be able to speak about all of your experience, confidently, and have a few personal stories that could help answer some questions about your background. People love to hear how you have put fires out or handled a situation in a previous position.

Before your Private PA interview, it’s important to read the job description carefully and assess if the position will play to your skills. You can read our article on succeeding as a Celebrity Private PA to get a further understanding of what is required in these top positions.

Private PA jobs on SecsintheCity

If you’d like to find out more about how to flourish in a PA Job interview or how to become a celebrity pa, you can find further resources on our blog.

Ready to apply? You can browse the latest Private PA jobs on SecsintheCity today.