Brian Daniel, who worked as a personal assistant for the ultra-wealthy for decades, told The Cut that many people assume this sort of job is “red carpets and Lamborghinis.”
When, in fact, a lot of it entails sitting behind a desk. Another challenge is isolation.
“Even when you’re on the road with a client, you’re isolated in many ways. One family I was traveling with for three months, they had profound inherited wealth and they just wanted privacy, even from each other. So we were getting these big villas that were very quiet. Each person would go to their own wing, with their own kitchenette and fridge, and we’d keep it stocked with what they wanted and they wouldn’t have to see anybody. Sometimes they would give me their phone and be like, ‘I don’t want to talk to anybody. If anything important comes in, deal with it.’ And that might go on for days,” Daniel shared.
According to the veteran PA for the ultra-wealthy, the fundamental thing to understand is that your client will want things to be run a certain way.
“When they come home, they want the towels folded this certain way, rolled up like sushi. They want to be addressed in this manner. They want staff everywhere, or they don’t want to see staff at all,” Daniel told The Cut.
He also warned that some billionaires hire people as their PAs on a whim. Impulsively. That means that some of their staff might have little to no actual skills, interacting with other employees who are far more experienced.
According to Daniel, everyone working with the rich signs non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). They’re “standard operating procedure.”
Meanwhile, people working as PAs have to have thick skin and incredible patience.
“The way you word things is so important. Your intonation and speed of delivery—I mean, it’s an art. You’re working for people who are not used to hearing no,” he told The Cut.
Another challenge is that there might be issues with personal boundaries, because you spend so much time around your clients.
“You get sucked in, and the water becomes very muddy. A lot of these people are lonely. They’re in their megamansion all alone with you, and then they’ve had a couple lines, and then they’re telling you all their problems, and you become like a psychiatrist. It’s tricky,” he warns.
According to the Personal Assistant Institute, if you want to become a personal assistant to the wealthy, you have to start off by getting experience.
You’ve got to enter the job industry, get some entry-level PA work, and climb the career ladder.
After all, it’s incredibly unlikely that someone who is rich will hire people who are completely inexperienced. Instead, they’ll usually opt for professionals who already have the skill set they need.
It’s not just work experience that matters, though. Your wealthy clients might care about your academic qualifications and certifications, too. So, you may want to strongly consider investing in your education.
There are lots of different aspects of a personal assistant’s job that you can focus on. For instance, communication skills, business studies, accounting, and office software.
