What is an executive assistant?

An executive assistant typically offers administrative support to C-suite executives, board members or other high-level roles within an organization. Their duties can include:

• scheduling: oversees the executive’s calendar, scheduling appointments and meetings as needed and also arranges travel for business trips
• communications: acts as a liaison between the C-suite and other departments and prepares business documents, presentations and reports
• screening: determines what communications require the executive’s attention, prioritizing phone calls and visitors, delegating tasks to others and ensuring that the executive can focus on important tasks and make decisions effectively
• project management: oversees special projects, including developing timelines and conducting strategic planning
• security: maintains access to sensitive information about the company, its finances and its customers and may exercise discretion in all aspects of their business dealings
• onboarding: helps with interviewing job applicants and training new team members

What is a personal assistant? 

A personal assistant (PA) can work closely with an individual, supporting both the professional and personal aspects of their life. They may work for managers, celebrities or other people who require assistance with their schedules. Their tasks can include:

• time management: schedules appointments and meetings, manages their boss’s personal and family schedule and provides reminders of important events
• travel and event planning: organizes both personal, social and business events
• correspondence: prepares and sends e-mails, letters and other forms of correspondence
• record keeping: prepares statements or invoices and forward them to the designated recipients
• household management: manages a variety of household responsibilities, including overseeing household staff and expenses, scheduling home maintenance, arranging babysitters or reservations, creating a grocery list and shopping, doing errands and managing prescriptions

What are the key differences between an executive assistant vs. a personal assistant?

While there is some overlap within these two roles, there are also distinct differences. Here are a few ways to differentiate between an executive and a personal assistant:

• Scope: Both positions focus on supporting an individual with their daily tasks. An executive assistant helps an executive carry out their professional duties. A personal assistant can assist with an individual’s professional needs, but their primary focus is often personal needs, such as managing a household or running errands.
• Authority: While both assistants are entrusted with scheduling and travel arrangements, the executive assistant typically has greater authority to make important decisions. They are often left in charge of special business projects, developing timelines and setting budgets.
• Availability: While an executive assistant is usually expected to keep traditional working hours, a personal assistant must be highly flexible when it comes to availability. They can be asked to work weekends, evenings or be on call overnight.
• Venue: Executive assistants spend the majority of their time working within your business, interacting with team members and actively participating in your company’s daily operations. Personal assistants may spend some time within the office setting, but largely perform their duties outside the workplace, attending to household tasks and running errands.

What skills are required for each position?

While executive assistants and personal assistants both require organizational skills, time management, the ability to delegate and strong interpersonal skills, some abilities are more applicable to one position than the other. Here are some of these skills and abilities:

Executive assistant

• Strategic planning: Executive assistants can examine a situation from all angles, helping executives develop, implement and coordinate strategies that align with and accomplish company goals.
• Communication: These individuals require excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to compose professional e-mails, reports and presentations.
• Technological know-how: Executive assistants are often required to use technology in several aspects of their job, including scheduling and time management, PowerPoint presentations, travel arrangements and conducting research.
• Analytical ability: This position requires the ability to anticipate a plan’s possible outcomes, identify potential problems before they occur and aid in the development of solutions.
• Networking skills: As a liaison between executives and departmental heads, strong networking and interpersonal skills are imperative. An executive assistant must also be comfortable interacting with members of the C-suite and other high-level professionals.
• Administration: Executive assistants perform administrative duties, such as conducting business correspondence, scheduling, budgeting and preparing reports and presentations.
• Corporate event planning: Another important aspect of this job is planning and facilitating company events, requiring the ability to budget, coordinate schedules and logistics, select and hire vendors, think creatively and quickly adapt to changes that may arise.

Personal assistant

• Multitasking: This role typically requires the ability to conduct several activities simultaneously, handling multiple responsibilities skillfully. For instance, a personal assistant may be required to complete an assigned task while responding to urgent e-mails, answering phone calls and performing errands as they arise.
• Household management: PAs are often called upon to run a household, engage in domestic chores and oversee household staff.
• Organizational abilities: This position likely requires an individual with organizational skills who can prioritize tasks, manage a busy schedule, make travel arrangements and work at a fast pace.
• Personal event planning: Personal executives are often called upon to work as event planners, planning, organizing and facilitating personal and family events like birthdays, anniversaries and other functions.
• Budgeting: These individuals may need the ability to formulate and adhere to a budget when purchasing groceries, running errands, booking travel and planning events.
• Interpersonal skills: People skills are essential for building a strong rapport with the employer, household staff and valued contacts.
• Resourcefulness: This skill helps enable effective problem solving, proactivity and thorough research and potential cost-effective solutions.

Do you require an executive assistant or a personal assistant?

If you are deciding between hiring an executive assistant or a personal assistant, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do you need someone to handle the administrative tasks that pull you away from urgent business?
• Are you currently managing several projects simultaneously?
• Is your workload interfering with your family life?

If you respond “yes” to any of these questions, you may require an executive assistant to take on your administrative duties, oversee a project and screen your phone calls and visitors.

Additional questions may be:

• Are you longing to achieve an improved work-life balance?
• Do you require help running your household?
• Is your personal “to-do” list not being used?

If this describes your current situation, you may need a personal assistant to oversee your personal schedule, run errands and plan family functions.

Choosing between an executive assistant and a personal assistant depends on your needs: EAs excel in business administration, strategic support and office operations for executives, while PAs manage personal life, household tasks and flexible schedules. Assess your workload (e.g. professional vs. personal) to hire the right fit for better efficiency and balance.