Profession personal assistant to an executive: what is interesting and promising about this job? Overview of the Internet profession personal assistant to an executive

They tell a story that in the old days, before giving an employee a day off, one boss told her to plant seven rose bushes under the windows, wash the floors, weed the beds, grind coffee for seven weeks and much more. Who knows, maybe they're lying. It's a long time ago.

“Competence is the ability to discover and satisfy the personal tastes of superiors” (Laurence Peter).

But when it comes to rose bushes, people are still divided into two categories: the first obediently go to the garden, and the second try to figure out what the boss really meant.

Interpreting the boss's instructions is an art, but it can and should be learned. Any production task should be approached consciously. And this also applies to the boss’s sacred directives: best success Sometimes it is the one who reads between the lines and correctly interprets the instructions of his superiors who achieves success.

Useful when the question "Why?" ahead of everything “How?”, “When?” and “What will happen to me for this?”, but it is not necessary (and sometimes even harmful) to ask this first question to the boss directly. Ideally, the goal is to learn to work proactively, discarding obviously unnecessary tasks, but at the same time not harming yourself and your business.

I'll figure it out myself

One day I snuck out to have lunch with Tanya. We studied together, and then I turned to the path of journalism, and she confidently walked through life as an assistant to the general director of a large travel agency. The hot food had not yet been brought, and her mobile phone was already insistently calling out from her purse.

Tanya opened the diary with lightning speed and began to write something down, repeating from time to time: “Yes. Okay. I will do everything... Yes! Definitely! Definitely!” After writing two pages, she ended the conversation and asked for another minute to put her notes in order.

She read it carefully for about 10 seconds, and then crossed out a good third of the points, and marked half of the remaining ones with a plus. I was surprised, but Tanya quickly dotted the i’s.

When asked how to become an assistant manager, she replied that she is guided by a simple principle: before you begin a task, you should ask yourself why it is needed. The answer to it automatically transfers a number of instructions to the list of optional ones.

Let's say, if the boss asks to do a price analysis among several companies in the region, then he is probably going to renovate the premises, but is not yet ready to tell her about it. Not ready - and don’t need it, she guessed it herself.

She also has a friend at a construction agency who will find the best office for best price, which means that analysis is not necessary (the main thing is to formulate your proposal correctly). The result is minus several hours of painstaking work.

How to become an assistant manager: psychological portrait

Personal assistant to the manager - profession on this moment quite in demand. This is primarily due to the development of a market economy, since in conditions of fierce competition the financial condition of any company depends on correct and timely management decisions.

The success of a director largely depends on the skills, business management skills and personal qualities of the trustee. An assistant manager, whose responsibilities vary widely from banal office matters to operational decisions, will become an indispensable employee, the “right hand” of the boss, and most importantly, a guarantor of completing assigned tasks on time.

When choosing a “right hand,” a company director often pays attention not to education, but to personal human qualities. Most likely, preference will be given to a person with less extensive experience, but with similar opinions, than a specialist with excellent recommendations, but different life beliefs.

An assistant manager, whose responsibilities are almost impossible to formulate, must have the ability to read minds and determine the mood of the boss at first glance. Complete all tasks, regardless of specifics - these can be assignments of a personal nature. If you are a sentimental person and always take everything personally, then this is not the job for you.

The assistant manager should not pay attention to the boss's dissatisfaction and breakdowns. The assistant must be dedicated and loyal to his superiors. His work, in addition to monetary remuneration, is motivated by a single goal - increasing the well-being and competitiveness of the company as a whole.

An assistant manager, whose duties include negotiating and concluding contracts in the absence of the company's chief executive, is to some extent the face of the company. It is by this that competitors judge the state of affairs, and clients and partners make decisions about cooperation.

Video materials on the topic of the article

What every leader should be able to do:

Responsibilities of a personal assistant:

How the interview goes:

Job responsibilities assistant (assistant) to the general director– this is, first of all, assistance to the company’s chief executive. The job description of an assistant (assistant) to the general director may include specific requirements (for example, knowledge of two foreign languages) and responsibilities. In any case, a sample job description for an assistant (assistant) to the general director will help you in drawing up a personnel document.

Job Description for Assistant to the General Director
(Job description for Assistant General Director)

I APPROVED
CEO
Last name I.O. ________________
"________"_____________ ____ G.

1. General Provisions

1.1. The assistant (assistant) to the general director belongs to the category of specialists.
1.2. An assistant (assistant) to the general director is appointed to the position and dismissed from it by order of the general director of the company.
1.3. The assistant to the general director reports directly to the general director of the company.
1.4. During the absence of the assistant (assistant) to the general director, his rights and responsibilities are transferred to another official, as announced in the order of the organization.
1.5. A person who meets the following requirements is appointed to the position of assistant (assistant) to the general director: education - higher or incomplete higher education, experience in similar work of at least one year, knowledge of office equipment (fax, copier, scanner, printer), Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel), office work.
1.6. The assistant (assistant) to the general director is guided in his activities by:
- legislative acts of the Russian Federation;
- The company’s charter, internal labor regulations, and other regulations of the company;
- orders and instructions from management;
- this job description.

2. Job responsibilities of the assistant (assistant) to the general director

The Assistant to the General Director performs the following job responsibilities:
2.1. Plans the working day of the General Director (meetings, calls, reception, etc.).
2.2. Provides technical support for the activities of the General Director (ordering transport, tickets; organizing meetings, negotiations, etc.)
2.3. Accompanies the General Director at meetings, on trips, etc.
2.4. Takes part in negotiations, business meetings, special receptions; keeps minutes and other documents documenting the progress and results of meetings and negotiations.
2.5. On behalf of the General Director, coordinates individual issues with employees structural divisions, communicates to them the instructions and orders of the manager; controls the execution of instructions and orders.
2.6. Collects materials and information necessary for the General Director, prepares analytical, informational, reference and other materials and presents them to the director.
2.7. Conducts office work, receives correspondence received for consideration by the General Director, accepts documents and personal statements for the General Director’s signature, maintains their records and registration, and transmits them to the manager.
2.8. Makes an appointment with the manager and organizes the reception of visitors.
2.9. On behalf of the General Director, drafts letters, requests, and other documents.
2.10. Performs work on preparing meetings and meetings held by the General Director (collecting the necessary materials, notifying participants about the time and place of the meeting, the agenda, their registration), maintains and draws up minutes of meetings and meetings.
2.11. Performs individual official assignments of the General Director.

3. Rights of the assistant (assistant) to the general director

The assistant (assistant) to the general director has the right:
3.1. Receive information, including confidential information, to the extent necessary to solve assigned tasks.
3.2. Submit proposals to management to improve your work and that of the company.
3.3. Request personally or on behalf of the manager from departments of the enterprise and other specialists information and documents necessary to fulfill his official duties.
3.4. Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties and the safety of all documents generated as a result of the company’s activities.
3.5. Make decisions within your competence.

4. Responsibility of the assistant (assistant) to the general director

The assistant (assistant) to the general director is responsible for:
4.1. For failure to perform and/or untimely, negligent performance of one’s official duties.
4.2. For non-compliance current instructions, orders and instructions for maintaining trade secrets and confidential information.
4.3. For violation of internal labor regulations, labor discipline, safety and fire safety rules.

) is an indispensable employee for a manager. He performs so many functions and has such great powers that in fact he becomes the second person in the company. It is almost impossible to fully formulate his job responsibilities. Finding a personal assistant for a specific manager is a “mission impossible” task, so it becomes super difficult.

My experience working in a recruitment agency has formed a special view of this amazing profession.

SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED PERSONAL ASSISTANTS ON THE PERSONNEL MARKET

A personal assistant is a separate subspecies in the hierarchy of administrative specialties.

As a rule, job search sites post vacancies with a standard set of requirements - document management and organizational work. Such vacancies as twins are similar to each other, with the exception of the size of the company and the field of business. But in fact, there are unspoken and specific requirements for the position great amount. They are not included in the job description on websites, but it is these requirements that are decisive in the selection of candidates.

During a personal meeting with the employer and a substantive discussion of such vacancies, “marginal notes” appear - a long list of requirements not published in the vacancy, which determine the strategy for finding a candidate for the RA vacancy. Here are examples of exotic requirements: speed of counting banknotes manually; presence of a sports category; ability to count in your head; experience in managing investment projects; knowledge legislative framework; excellent knowledge of all premium brands; contact database for owners of elite restaurants. Habitual requirements: pitch (timbre) of voice, height, weight, clothing size, knowledge of languages, etc.

The manager also puts forward an additional list of requirements for the personal qualities of the assistant, which is perhaps the most extensive. At the same time, official requirements for professional skills and experience do not become less important.

So it turns out that there are only a few ideal candidates on the market and it is very difficult to select an RA for a manager.

But for each employer, the ideal of an assistant is different, but there is a constant - everyone needs a reliable, devoted and responsible assistant, capable of taking on all organizational and information tasks, freeing the manager from wasting time and skillfully solving standard and non-standard problems.

DIFFERENCES PERSONAL ASSISTANT FROM OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS

Before we outline the differences, let’s define the types of administrative positions. It is important to understand what kind of administrative professional we are talking about and what functions are assigned to him.

Business assistant (BA) (personal assistant (PA), personal assistant)- necessary for the manager or owner of large companies (both Russian and international). Submits only to his leader.

A person “close to the emperor” right hand, confidant, "underboss." Plans a work plan and schedule, a business calendar, a “link” with the outside world. Can be a guide, translator, nanny, house manager, weather forecaster, search engine, a travel agent, often does part of the work for the manager (the boss appropriates the results of the work), has special knowledge/education in the field of business and the activities of the manager, and is able to make decisions independently.

Secretary- necessary for managers of any companies. Reports to all top managers. The functionality is simple: document flow, meeting guests, tea/coffee, office life support, telephone conversations, processing correspondence, carrying out simple instructions from management.

Requirements: age - about 23-30 years, secondary vocational or higher education(depending on the level of the company), lack of work experience is acceptable, computer skills, experience with office equipment, high typing speed, knowledge of business etiquette, and, if necessary, knowledge of a foreign language are required. Personal qualities: responsibility, diligence, goodwill, ability to perform monotonous work.

Assistant Secretary- necessary for a manager with a company staff of up to 50 people. Submits to the leader. Combining the functions of a secretary with partial functions of an assistant manager. Carry out simple instructions from the manager.

Requirements: higher or incomplete higher education, age - about 25-32 years, high typing speed, ability to use office equipment, similar work experience of at least one year. Personal qualities: diligence, responsibility, discipline, ability to perform monotonous work.

Office Manager- necessary for medium-sized companies with a staff of 30 people or more. Reports to both the director and top managers. Responsible for the logistics of the office, maintains primary documentation, and can perform the functions of a secretary (meeting guests, making calls, document flow).

Requirements: higher education, age - 25-35 years, experience in similar work, organizational skills. Personal qualities: sociability, friendliness.

Reception secretary- necessary for companies with a staff of 50 people or more, with a large number of visitors. Reports to the administrative director, assistant manager, office manager, management team. Performs technical tasks: meeting guests, tea/coffee, calls, interaction with couriers/drivers.

Requirements: good external characteristics, age - 22-27 years, lack of work experience is acceptable, ability to use office equipment, mini-PBX. Personal qualities: friendliness, sociability, stress resistance, smiling.

In the description of administrative positions, despite the similarity of responsibilities, there is a main difference: the main task of the secretary is to manage the information flow, and the main task of the personal assistant is to manage the productivity of the manager.

There are a number of distinguishing factors that will help you understand the classification of these positions:

Our advice

During the interview, always clarify the range of duties performed, the availability and scope of personal assignments, schedule and salary level, because some employers do not see any difference between the positions of “secretary” and “personal assistant”.

WHAT SHOULD A PERSONAL ASSISTANT BE ABLE TO KNOW?

In order to best correspond to a high level of leadership, PAs must have certain skills, qualities and abilities, a type of character and, perhaps most importantly, a special personality type. So what should a “one-man band”, this “universal soldier” and “multifunctional gadget” be able to do?

Professional skills:

• records management;
• time management;
• organization of work events;
• work as a deputy (second person functions);
• financial literacy;
• secretariat management;
• maintaining business contacts;
• travel support;
• work as a translator;
• management of personal affairs of the manager (personal support)

Let's take a closer look at them.

Records management:

• working with documents is the competent preparation from all points of view of business letters, papers, statements, contracts, orders, various reports, etc.;
• if necessary, editing letters and papers drawn up by the boss, issuing orders, preparing presentations and draft documents;
• working with mail: sorting the boss's mail by importance and urgency, knowing where to forward letters, who should answer what, who to ask gracefully from and who to strictly demand.

Time management:

• drawing up and planning a schedule, prioritizing tasks, tracking schedules;
• recording tasks and reminding the manager about them, informing about deadlines, meetings, trips and other business events;
• optimal organization of the manager’s working day;
• planning your own working time.

Organization of work events:

• preparation of meetings, negotiations, conferences, presentations requiring the participation of the manager;
• keeping minutes, sending notifications and invitation letters to event participants, providing information about the results of meetings;
• organization of business trips.

Work as a deputy (second person functions):

• have perfect knowledge not only of basic professional knowledge and skills, but also have certain knowledge in various fields;
• ability to manage: organize employees (including top officials of the company), influence department heads and monitor the implementation of tasks;
• oversee individual business projects;
• independently resolve some business issues (for example, about holding certain meetings);
• be a representative of the manager at business events, express his position and answer questions;
• act on behalf of the boss, be able to negotiate and bargain correctly;
• act decisively, do not be afraid to take responsibility.

Secretariat management:

• setting tasks for drivers and couriers, making purchases for events, combining the functions of an office manager;
• drawing up agreements with suppliers, contacting the necessary authority to promptly resolve issues with technical support for the work process;
• life support for the manager's office and reception area.

Maintaining business contacts:

• be able to manage information flows (know who and when can be connected/passed to the boss, who can be switched to another responsible person, and almost always make these decisions independently);
• keep abreast of all events in the company;
• protect the manager from unnecessary contacts without damaging the image of the boss and the company;
• resolve any issues in the shortest possible time - and always with a positive result;
• Congratulate the company's clients and maintain contact with them.

Travel support:

• organizing business and travel for executives (visas, booking railway and air tickets, transfers, hotels);
• organization of the most complex logistics of flights and charters in both directions;
• personal acquaintance with airline executives;
• travel arrangements: from purchasing tickets, ordering transfers, dinners to choosing gifts. Each trip is accompanied by a specific program, writing a “script” for the trip - from meetings and events to the exact time of dinner in a restaurant according to a specific menu;
• control of contractors and services in other countries;
• careful monitoring of prices for renting luxury cars, yachts, business jets, the ability to negotiate discounts.

Work as a translator:

• translation at business meetings;
• written translation of documents;
• conducting business correspondence in a foreign language.

Management of personal affairs of the manager (personal support). A personal assistant is called “personal” for a reason: its functionality includes solving not only work tasks, but also personal assignments of the manager:

• you need to navigate different luxury service areas - from restaurants to gifts;
• if the manager has children, monitor the work of nannies/teachers/tutors, monitor attendance at clubs/sections/classes;
• organization of recreation - from recommendations of countries and places to daily control of food and movement (including organization of trips on airplanes, business jets, yachts, ships);
• organizing the maintenance of country houses, interaction with service personnel;
• organization medical events(registering for preventive examinations, organizing operations, research, treatment, monitoring the timely taking of prescribed medications);
• excellent knowledge of luxury brands and brands of clothing/shoes/accessories - haute couture, ready-to-wear, interaction with famous fashion designers and foreign fashion houses, working with personal measurements;
• knowledge of the best Russian sculptors, artists, antique dealers, since you often have to buy their works as a gift;
• organizing the boss’s sports hobbies: custom-made equipment according to personal measurements, purchasing the latest collections of accessories;
• monitor the opening of new restaurants, golf courses, sports car races, racetrack schedules, and key landmark events;
• organizing similar support for the boss’s relatives, his parents, friends, partners, etc.

And here’s how modest a typical vacancy looks, which involves all of the above functions:

Responsibilities:

• administrative and organizational support for the activities of the manager;
• direct participation in negotiations, business meetings, receptions, meetings, projects;
• conducting business correspondence (including in English), oral and written translation;
• organizing/providing business and personal trips for the manager;
• record keeping, document flow and correspondence;
• collection and preparation of analytical, information, reference and other materials for the manager;
• communicating instructions, instructions, instructions from the manager to the heads of departments, monitoring their execution exactly on time;
• carrying out personal assignments of the manager;
• business trips (accompanying the manager during meetings and trips)

In fact, the functionality and number of tasks cannot be described and listed during an interview. Be prepared that unexpected tasks will “catch up” with you already in the process of work and fall down like sand.

And the manager will expect a prompt and professional solution from you.

Therefore, the willingness to work in an irregular mode, with an endless flow of information and with a lot of instructions, while remaining the “shadow” of the boss, showing respect to him

maximum devotion and loyalty is a combination of qualities of a special type of people. There are few of them, so they are highly valued, and deep dive in the performance of duties, often to the detriment of personal interests, is usually compensated by a decent salary.

A task catalog system will help you avoid chaos and confusion. It is based on the rule of priorities:

1) instructions related to business;

2) personal orders from the boss;

3) various current affairs;

4) long-term plans.

If you receive several tasks in an hour that are absolutely impossible to complete at the same time, you need to inform your manager about the current situation and ask him to set priorities.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A PERSONAL ASSISTANT

Requirements for a PA are formed from the tasks and scope of functional competencies that are determined by the manager: the assistant can be fully involved in the business, or can be hired exclusively to organize the manager’s personal space. For some, it is not important to have a specialized higher education, others require, first of all, knowledge of languages, for some it is important what kind of coffee the assistant brews or what he looks like.

But, despite the range and specificity of tasks in different companies, the key requirements always remain the same.

Requirements:

• higher education (full-time graduates with honors diplomas from the top five universities are always given preference);
• At least two years of experience in a similar position (experience working with senior officials is always desirable);
• fluent knowledge of the required language (often a native speaker level is required);
• Willingness to travel and work irregular hours;
• age (not specified in vacancies, but is the most important requirement);
• personal qualities (each employer has his own wishes, the main ones: diligence, analytical mind, communication skills, high efficiency, competent speech)

Grammatically correct speech. Practice shows that the most successful PAs are graduates of linguistic universities. Financial and legal education is also in demand, but it is important that the assistant is fluent in a foreign language and has an excellent knowledge of Russian, has developed speech and a rich vocabulary.

High cultural level. A high cultural level is the most sought-after quality of a personal assistant. You can quickly master the functionality and acquire the necessary skills, but culture is acquired from childhood and is formed over the years. For example, Moscow employers rarely choose candidates from other cities. They have a prejudice that the behavior of visiting girls, even with a good education, has a touch of provincialism, their speech is characterized by a special dialect, accent, irregular stress, and representative functions for an assistant are extremely important, although there are many exceptions here.

How to combine an irregular work schedule with family and children is unclear. But if you have a successful practice of such a combination, then having a family is an advantage. Children must be over three years old.

Age. There is a lot of subjectivity in the age requirements for a personal assistant. Some managers are based on aesthetic standards and give preference to youth. But most often we work with companies whose managers consciously make choices in favor of older women.

Serious corporations are always associated with large financial transactions and great legal liability. In addition, customers are pleased with the image of the company's stability. In this sense, the long-legged beauty is noticeably inferior to a respectable business woman who has experience working in complex and responsible situations and knows how to professionally “take a punch.”

“Feel” the boss. Perhaps the most important factor. For successful work full psychological compatibility with the leader is required. To do this, the assistant must at least have certain qualities.

“SHOULD WE DO A SURVEY?”

The main requirements for a personal assistant are loyalty and devotion. First of all - to the manager, then to the company as a whole.

The assistant is as close as possible to the leader and his family, which means that he must be as reliable as a rock, as persistent as a scout during interrogation, and caring like a mother.

In order to find out what is most important for a manager in the personality of an RA, we conducted a survey. 100 large companies took part in it, where the interviewees were 70% owners and 30% employees general directors. We asked to answer the questions: “What qualities should a personal assistant have? What should an effective assistant look like for you? The same questions were asked to personal assistants to take into account the opinions of both sides.

Here's what we got:

Absolute devotion - 22%. Most important quality for the leaders it turned out to be loyalty. Loyalty, working for an idea, not for money, the ability to read the thoughts of a first person, determine the boss’s bad mood over the phone, not pay attention to dissatisfaction addressed to you when accumulated irritation spills out due to the irresponsibility of subordinates, dishonesty of partners, problems with relatives, unsuitable weather, etc.

A distinctive feature of a loyal assistant is a sincere and constant willingness to help, even if the solution to a given problem is not specified in the contract.

Therefore, managers, moving horizontally or vertically along their career path, often take with them a personal assistant, with whom they have a special working relationship.

Efficiency - 20%. Responsibility, punctuality. What is important here is precise execution of the task without initiative, initiative or personal opinion. Difficulty: there is only one attempt to hear and understand the task and a minimum of time to do it clearly; no one will repeat it twice.

Intelligence - 19%. This is a proactive position and the ability to keep your finger on the pulse, maintain a conversation with partners about the current political and economic situation in the country and the world, the ability to understand how this or that technical innovation works, the ability to multitask, resourcefulness, quick reaction in atypical situations, ingenuity, intelligence, analytical mind.

Ability to store information - 13%. The degree of trust in a personal assistant is, as a rule, very high: he is entrusted with payment cards and PIN codes, various confidential information, assistants participate in solving problems in the personal life of the manager. The key to trust is maintaining subordination, listening skills, and maintaining confidentiality.

Contacts - 11%. Connections, database of the right people/organizations. Personal acquaintances with the managers of restaurants, yacht centers and airlines, hotels, foundations, VIP clubs are important - this makes it possible to quickly and effectively solve the boss’s problems.

Communication skills - 8%. Mobility, efficiency, adaptability, the ability to find a common language with people completely different in status. A personal assistant is rightly considered a communication genius.

He can win the favor of almost any person, put a rude person in his place, resolve any conflict and at the same time remain a charming and respected person.

Workaholism - 5%. Ability to work actively in irregular hours.

Initiative - 2%. Initiative is a stable personality trait with a conscious and determined desire to implement or transform something. Managers noted that the assistant’s initiative interferes with the management process and brings discomfort to the boss, because if an assistant can organize his boss, defend his position in communication with him, be convincing and constructive, then it is not clear who is the boss.

The assistant’s task is not the desire to become a successful business unit with ideas, but the desire to help the manager by accurately executing orders and implementing his initiatives.

Appearance. For most managers, appearance is not important - rather, on the contrary: they try to avoid bright, “decorative” assistants who will look comical in a serious business with respectable clients. Mentions of “presentable” appearance are found in one ad out of ten. Most often, such vacancies come from small companies. In vacancies for personal assistants to owners in large companies, there is no mention of appearance.

We analyze the results of the survey on both sides.

Portrait of an assistant according to managers- a dedicated, intelligent performer, moderately sociable, not talkative, efficient.

Portrait of an assistant according to assistants- an initiative leader, with a bright appearance, a genius for communication and ideas.

The table shows that the answers of assistants are fundamentally different from the vision of managers. This is the main problem of candidates (and already working assistants) misunderstanding what the manager really wants from his assistant.

Taking as a basis the answers and wishes of managers from the survey and reinforcing this with our practice of working with requirements for vacancies, we are convinced that professional skills alone are not enough to work as a personal assistant. This position values high intelligence, education, life experience, ability to quickly navigate extreme situations, erudition, sharp mind, sense of humor, devotion and with excellent communication skills with possession of extensive information - the ability to keep one's mouth shut.

Personal qualities of an assistant:

• the ability to obey, feel the mood;
• the ability to predict the leader’s reaction;
• communication skills;
• organizational skills;
• multitasking;
• resourcefulness, quick reaction;
• stress resistance;
• ability to store information;
• erudition, knowledge of various fields;
• high efficiency;
• friendliness, smiling;
• desire to develop (self-development);
• diplomacy;
• accuracy;
• knowledge of etiquette

HOW TO PASS AN INTERVIEW WITH RECRUITMENT AGENCIES?

When viewing vacancies, you need to consider not only job search sites, but also contact recruitment agencies, since not all vacancies are posted on the Internet.

Almost all large and medium-sized companies known on the market try not to advertise the search for an assistant, especially if the owner of the holding needs an assistant. If the reason for the vacancy is the replacement of an existing employee,

then the position generally becomes strictly confidential, and it is impossible to find out about its existence. In such cases, the agency itself will contact you if your resume is in its database.

Interaction with a recruitment agency for a vacancy has a number of advantages:

• they will tell you in detail about the company, the specifics of the business, the personality of the manager, and some additional requirements;
• will provide free advice on how to behave during an interview with an employer;
• will help you edit and format your resume correctly;
• They will give you a number of recommendations on how to look at a meeting.

When starting contacts with a recruitment agency, remember that from the first minute of interaction you are already being assessed and you are already undergoing “secret” testing. Communicating with you on e-mail, the agency consultant makes the first conclusions on the correspondence and style of presentation of information. This also applies to telephone communication - voice timbre, diction, friendliness, businesslike manner, and speed of reaction are important. Before the first meeting, you take a test for punctuality and composure.

It is necessary to be prepared for the competition and remember that a colossal number of candidates are being considered for these vacancies who meet the formal requirements: professional experience, education, age, marital status, appearance, performance, resistance to stress, knowledge of foreign languages, etc.

Then the candidate is tested using various methods (tests, questionnaires, graphology, physiognomy, sign language). This is done in order to determine personal qualities and the type of temperament of the candidate, identify qualities that are absolutely incompatible with this job and with this manager, and understand whether they can find a common language.

As a result, out of hundreds of applicants, we manage to select a few, but, despite the length and bias of selection at the agency, you will have a series of equally biased meetings with the employer.

As a rule, by assigning a vacancy to a personal assistant, the employer relieves himself of all the complex and painstaking work of screening candidates based on professional competencies, and reserves for himself an important, final function - selection based on their psycho-emotional compatibility with the manager.

Even if you already have extensive job search experience, remember that you need to prepare in advance for each new interview:

• you need to study all available information about the company and the leader, read interviews, speeches, articles of the future boss and draw conclusions for yourself;
• prepare short story about yourself (a story about the family and the activities/occupations of the parents should also be prepared - this is an indicator of a person’s life values);
• success depends on self-presentation skills.

Promote yourself with all the trappings of marketing advertising. There is no need to describe your strengths and list your functions (all this is already in the resume). Talk about how you can benefit your manager, talk about victories at your previous place of work, what high-profile people you interacted with, what large-scale events you organized - confirm your professionalism and achievements with facts;

• It is necessary to briefly formulate the reasons for leaving your previous job. You will also need an explanation of why you want to become an assistant to this particular manager;
• They will definitely conduct an interview based on competencies, i.e. you will be asked to describe real cases from your practice, in which you showed your qualities and miracles of intelligence. You need to remember all the difficult situations in advance, remember a few good examples. Prepare honest examples of failures. They may also be asked about them, and here it is important to show that you corrected the mistake yourself;
• there is an absolute probability that they will conduct a situational interview with you (based on cases). You will be offered and described a situation similar to those that may arise in practice; accordingly, you will need to find the right way out and solution. Here are examples of cases:

Exercise 1. Your boss is on his way to the airport, time is limited, and suddenly he discovers that he has lost mobile phone. There had been a number of meetings before this, and he doesn’t know exactly where he left it, and theft is possible. The boss calls you from the car, from his driver’s phone, and says that he expects important calls within the next 30 minutes, but there is no phone. Your actions?

Task 2. It is necessary to rent a Porsche to travel around Italy. How can you save money?

Task 3. On instructions from your boss, you are driving your car to an urgent meeting with an important partner and in your haste you break traffic rules. The traffic police stops you, takes away your license and calls the traffic police. There is minimal time left before the meeting. Your actions?

Target: test for reaction speed (how quickly the personal assistant is able to switch to the next step), methods for solving a problem (independently, asking for help on a personal level, involving other people, etc.).

At the moment of solving this problem, a behavior pattern appears in difficult situation- the priority of actions is determined (either solving your problem, or getting to a meeting on time), the degree of conflict (I will demand, I will scandal, I will prove), the tendency to redirect responsibility (I will call my boss/partner and explain the situation, I will say that I can’t do anything), creativity, originality of the proposed solutions, the number of alternative solutions (versionary thinking), the presence of the necessary skills and experience in solving similar situations.

Task 4. You are traveling on instructions from your boss to a partner you don’t know to give him a gift (which the boss himself brought to the office in a large, beautiful box). You have the company's address, the phone number of the partner for whom the gift is intended, the designated time for delivery of the box, and the boss's approval that the partner is there and waiting.

When you arrive, you find out that your partner has just left for an urgent meeting and it is unknown when he will return.

You don't have much time and you can't wait. The following options are available to choose from:

• leave with a gift for the next task;
• call your boss and get instructions on what to do next;
• give the gift to the secretary with a request to transfer it to the partner immediately upon his return;
• offer your solutions.

Target: determining the maximum desired model of behavior within the proposed vacancy. Qualities are revealed that are absolutely unacceptable for a future boss.

Provocation 1. At the end of the interview, the candidate is asked the question: “Rate me as an interviewer on a scale of 1 to 10.”

Target: Such a proposal most often causes confusion. After all, it’s one thing to evaluate the consultation of a service operator of some company over the phone, and quite another to look a person in the eyes and tell him that he didn’t do a good job. Thus, a personal assistant is tested for courage and loyalty.

Provocation 2. What is 17% of 258,450? Response time - 3 seconds.

Target: testing stress resistance, erudition, ingenuity, monitoring the actions of a personal assistant. Under stress, interviews and limited time, personal assistants become confused (“Why should I count? I’m not an accountant!”) and immediately give up (“I won’t be able to count that quickly”).

• you need to think about the form of clothing, because... the assistant must have an impeccable sense of style. It is necessary to look well-groomed and neat, because the assistant is the face of the company, the link between the manager and business partners, clients and employees.

Career success is only 30% dependent on professional skills. The decisive 70% is the ability to communicate with people, kindly and constructively.

The internal decision to hire an employee is made in the first 40 seconds of communication (the forty second rule). This is the very first impression that everyone is warned about. And you don’t need to think that the first impression is a beautiful hairdo, neat manicure and a stylish knee-length skirt. All this, of course, is important. But an experienced recruiter will only need two seconds to see you from your shoes to the roots of your hair. There are 38 important moments left that you need to make the most of and that will determine your success.

“HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M SUITABLE FOR THIS POSITION?”

Whether or not to send your resume to a tempting vacancy is up to everyone to decide for themselves.

But if you partially “do not meet” the stated requirements, it is advisable to send your resume and waste time only if you meet the key requirements for the position.

Let us highlight the most important points of “compliance”, to which the employer is unlikely to turn a blind eye.

Experience. In most cases, having some experience is critical. By indicating in the requirements the duration of work in a similar position, the employer is counting on a certain level of qualifications acquired by the candidate. An assistant working for two years will not have enough experience to perform the required tasks well.

There is a high probability of interest in your resume if your work experience is less than required, but obtained in larger companies. It is also worth especially emphasizing your achievements and the quality of completing assigned tasks in complex projects.

Sphere. Knowledge of certain business specifics can be a strict requirement if a personal assistant is expected to participate in various company projects. When clarifying the functionality, it will be clear whether this is just a wish based on the idea of ​​an ideal candidate. Candidates from similar structures may be considered, but experience in a similar field will be an undeniable advantage.

Company size. Organizational structure, the number of management levels, interaction with departments, areas, divisions, the presence of merger and diversification processes of the company, the level of suppliers, clients and the market of competitors, areas of presence, turnover, profit, company staff - these are the factors that determine the quality and experience of communications of a personal assistant , his understanding of business processes, level of involvement in the company’s activities. This determines the professionalism of the assistant.

Therefore, as a rule, large companies are looking for an assistant from an equally large business, otherwise the employee will not be effective.

Knowledge of languages. In cases where the position involves working in international company or a lot of communication with foreign colleagues or partners, English language for an assistant it is the main work tool. If your knowledge of the language does not reach a fluent level, there is no point in trying; the first test will immediately confirm the fact of wasted time.

Age. The moment is sensitive and delicate. As you know, employers were prohibited from indicating the age of candidates in job descriptions (clause 6 of Article 25 of the Law of the Russian Federation of April 19, 1991 No. 1032-1 “On employment in Russian Federation"; in ed. dated December 29, 2015). Despite the legal prohibition, this requirement is key and decisive, and if the manager is determined to hire a young attractive girl,

then it is unlikely that he will agree to accept a woman of pre-retirement age. Unfortunately, age is the most common unofficial reason for refusal. How do you know if you are the right age? First of all, you need to be more careful: it is often clear from the text and hint words in the vacancy what age group it is intended for.

There is a pattern: a young manager chooses a young assistant. A mature boss with a wife and children chooses a mature assistant. For a mature leader without a wife, as a rule, the age of the assistant is not important. Study the company’s corporate website: most often there is information there that will help you roughly understand the age preferences of managers. On the contrary, your resume should indicate your date of birth and include a photograph in a strict business style.

DEMAND. SALARY. PROSPECTS

The need for a personal assistant may arise:

• when two or more levels of subordination appear in the company;
• if the manager has a need to maintain a large number of contacts outside the company.

But the realities of the market are such that no manager can do without a personal assistant. And the more serious the business and the larger the company’s tasks, the greater the need for a personal assistant (businessmen are well aware of the importance of this person both for the manager and for the entire corporation).

Depending on the level of requirements and variety of tasks, assistants are paid different amounts of money:

• $1500-2000 - standard duties of a secretary and combining the functions of an office manager;
• $2000-3000 - in addition to the above: travel support, administrative support, execution of individual personal assignments;
• $3000-5000 - in addition to the above: management of business projects, implementation of changes, management of the boss’s personal affairs in full, management and control of the affairs of all partners;
• $5000-6000 or more - in addition to the above: professional skills sports training, the presence of a category in martial arts and shooting, personal accompaniment of the boss at all meetings.

There is no career growth for the position of personal assistant. This is truly the highest rung of the administrative ladder. And the manager won’t let you go anywhere - the boss values ​​a smart personal assistant more than top managers. But there is an interesting way if there is a desire to develop within this position - by maximizing your professional competencies and skills, expanding your range of responsibilities (appearing in the ratings of the best personal assistants), you will know and be able to do more, and accordingly, your income and status will be higher.

Communication skills with top officials of various companies, organizational skills, experience with business documentation and the ability to analyze the situation will be useful for a personal assistant in the field of marketing. HR and lawyer are a couple more career options, but will be required additional education, specialized courses and a hard parting with the boss, because the manager will not let go of his valuable assistant.

The most ambitious improve their management skills (if they have the ability to do so) and plan for their further development the chair of the deputy manager, but these are isolated cases when the boss allows his assistant to officially occupy this top position.

Answers

Exercise 1. Immediately make a forwarding to yourself, then, when important calls are made, block the boss’s number and get a new SIM card, but at the same time search for the lost phone.

Task 2. Renting a Porsche for trips around Italy for a day costs €2,500, but the same Porsche can be rented for the same money in Germany for a week. The boss's driver goes to Germany, picks up a car there and delivers it to the boss in Italy. In Italy, the boss drives for a week, then leaves the car, and the driver takes off and drives it back. The result is colossal savings.

Task 3. Several possible solutions.

Task 4. Choosing the first option: in fact, the task was not completed, and this choice characterizes the inability to act in unexpected circumstances.

Choosing the second option: there is a desire to complete the assigned task under any circumstances, but there is a lack of intelligence and ingenuity. There is also a tendency to redirect responsibility.

Choosing the third option: there is a desire to fulfill the order, but the consequences are not calculated, because the gift is intended specifically for the partner, not to mention possible confidentiality.

Provocation 1. The answer (flattery, compliments, slight criticism, honesty) will determine how well the assistant will work with a particular boss, taking into account his psychological type and management style, because often even slight criticism of the boss is unacceptable.

Provocation 2. The main thing when answering such questions is not to refuse to give an immediate answer, not to remain silent, calculating in your head and suffering for several minutes. Can:

• take a piece of paper and calculate the percentage;
• take a mobile phone and calculate on a calculator;
• start thinking out loud that 50% is approximately 130,000, 25% is approximately 65,000, and 17% is approximately 50,000. Nobody needs an exact answer, what is important is your reaction, your train of thought and resourcefulness in any situation.

His place in the management system is often discussed, his role in modern business a lot has been written, its sphere of influence is expanding, and its functionality is becoming more complex from year to year. Only its status remains unchanged. Assistant - who is he? What does he do? Why does his humble person attract so much attention?

From the history of the profession

It is believed that the first mates appeared in Ancient Rome. Roman jurisprudence, which developed formulas for legal transactions, needed to put them in traditional written form. Gradually, mechanical work on legal materials becomes not only more independent and creative, but also almost exclusive. Its representatives in the era of the republic were scribae and exceptoreset notarii - scribes who were involved in putting legal material into documentary form. Scribae were in public service, exceptores et notarii - in the service of private individuals. The office of scribae could only be held by Roman citizens who were not deprived of civic honor, but by persons who had suffered disgrace civil rights, did not have access to this position. Their election was for life and was not limited to the term of service, but extended to their successors. Scribae could give up his seat to another person for a fee.

From among the more capable scribes, the magistrates elected assistants, whose duties included the preparation of public documents (tabulae publicae) and the maintenance of public accounts (rationes), as a result of which they were called scribae librarii. The assistants occupied a high social position. One of the names that has come down to us from the depths of centuries is the name of the close assistant of the ancient Roman Emperor Augustus - Maecenas, who carried out diplomatic, political and private assignments. His patronage of poets, artists and scientists made the name “Patron” a household name.

Who do they hire as assistants?

A leader today is, first of all, a leader who is distinguished by intelligence, flexible thinking, the ability to analyze and introspect, emotional maturity, organizational skills and amazing performance. Naturally, such a leader cannot exist in a vacuum. He needs a connecting link, a conductor of his ideas and tasks, a person who will take upon himself the solution of many problems and relieve him of the burden of routine. The faster a business develops, the larger the company and the more successful the manager, which means the need for a serious assistant becomes urgent.

When choosing a personal assistant, a successful manager makes the highest demands not only on his education, professional qualities, work experience, practical skills, but also on personal characteristics. A personal assistant is not so much a position as a special status of a trusted person that a manager needs . A personal assistant is a professional, responsible person, capable of taking on enormous responsibilities to support the activities of a manager and freeing him from wasting time.

It is difficult to find a truly professional assistant. An experienced recruiter approaches the selection of a personal assistant with full responsibility: he does not even consider proposals from applicants who often change jobs, without education, work experience, and resumes compiled with grammatical and stylistic errors will not arouse his interest.

There is an opinion that a person between 25 and 30 years old can be an assistant. Many experts are very skeptical about establishing such boundaries. Work that requires high stress and great concentration places special demands on professionalism, psychological stability, and communication skills, which are acquired solely through knowledge, experience, and reputation. That is why in Lately The position of a personal assistant has “matured” significantly. Focusing on a set of objective and subjective parameters and characteristics, a person who has reached full personal and professional maturity can be considered a reliable assistant. From this perspective, turning 30 is not the end of an assistant's career, but rather the starting point.

Until recently, it was mainly the fair sex who became personal assistants. Today, a male assistant is no longer uncommon– he is distinguished by purposefulness, determination and emotional restraint, he has intelligence and the ability for strategic thinking. In turn, female assistants are more stress-resistant, adapt better, feel the nuances of relationships more subtly due to their flexibility, quickly find a way out of a difficult situation, are attentive to details and have the ability to listen, and are more patient when performing routine work. Therefore, the choice of an assistant should be based not on his gender, but on professionalism and a set of skills.

The educational requirements for a candidate for the position of a personal assistant are not too stringent: he can be a specialist with a higher education in any field, the main thing is the presence of other components necessary to perform the functionality of this position. Most often, humanities specialists - specialists in the field of tourism business, public relations and documentation support for management, historians, translators, journalists, philologists - succeed in the role of assistants. An assistant may have a technical, economic or legal education - such specialists often have an analytical mind, demonstrate their abilities in preparing reviews, reports or supervising projects, and perform tasks of increased complexity. And of course, education that matches the company profile is always welcome.

At the same time, the requirements for work experience and professional skills of an assistant are very high. Those who think that it is enough for a personal assistant to have secretarial skills - to know a foreign language, to use a computer, to have experience in writing business letters and providing business trips, booking tickets and organizing business meetings - are wrong. In addition to all of the above, the assistant must:

● have an analytical mind and abilities for systematic logical thinking;

● have a good memory, have quick reactions;

● be hardworking, resilient, stress-resistant;

● have a broad outlook, competent speech;

● be able to take responsibility;

● have good taste;

● be loyal to the corporate interests and personal interests of your leader.

Assistant Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of an assistant manager include the following:

● administrative support for the manager;

● planning the manager’s working day, coordination and organizational support for meetings and receiving visitors;

● information and analytical support for the manager: searching and processing the necessary information; preparation of information, analytical and presentation materials, reports and speeches, analytical reviews, reports, etc.;

● conducting business correspondence of the manager;

● preparation of meetings, councils, meetings held by the manager, formalization of the results of business meetings/negotiations;

● participation in negotiations, business meetings, receptions; accompanying the manager at meetings, on trips, etc.;

● organization and provision of business trips and meetings (logistics of optimal routes, booking tickets, hotel rooms, transfers; visa support; registration for participation in conferences and seminars; organization of leisure activities);

● maintaining relationships with representatives of companies, enterprises, organizations, government and administrative bodies to resolve issues that do not require the direct participation of the manager; obtaining documents and information from government and management bodies on behalf of the manager;

● oral and written translations, language support for business negotiations and meetings;

● organization of presentations and protocol events, representation activities;

●preparation of expense reports;

● carrying out personal assignments of the manager.

This list is not complete; the responsibilities of an assistant may vary in a particular company.

About trust

The issue of trust is the very cornerstone, the foundation on which the entire system of relationships “assistant - leader” is built. For many managers, an assistant is not just a trusted person, a person exposed to the secret of knowledge, but also almost a member of the family. The degree of trust is sometimes so high that he is entrusted with confidential information, bank account numbers, payment cards and PIN codes, large sums of money, safe codes, company seals and personal secrets. That is why many assistants ensure not only the organization of the manager’s official activities, but also solve his family and home problems: they buy gifts for family members, order baskets of flowers for loved ones, select household staff, organize children’s holidays, etc.

It is important to remember that trust is given to an assistant who:

● skillfully masters business communication skills;

● knows how to hear and listen;

● maintains subordination;

● maintains neutrality and confidentiality;

● maintains a balance between confidence and compliance, has his own opinion, is ready to defend his position, but understands well when it is necessary and where he needs to retreat.

Pros and cons of the profession

Let’s start with where they usually end, modestly leaving it “for later” - with the question of wages. The very high requirements for candidates for the vacancy “personal assistant to the executive,” as well as serious offers from applicants, have significantly raised the bar for salary expectations and offers. In Moscow the approximate average wage for an assistant manager varies from 40 to 60 thousand rubles, in the regions - from 20 to 30 thousand. Having work experience, recommendations, and knowledge of foreign languages ​​allow the candidate to qualify for a higher remuneration.

Daily management experience, an increasing level of responsibility, and a change in the nature of the tasks being solved allow the assistant to acquire invaluable knowledge in this position. Assistant is a position that involves constant growth and self-realization, improvement of personal qualities, abilities, and talents; opening up real prospects for professional activity. Taking into account all of the above, a professional assistant in the future can apply, at a minimum, to the position of head of the secretariat, office, business management, but another development of events is also possible - executive, administrative, managing director or organizing your own business.

The downside of any profession is the price we pay for mastering professional skills. An assistant's working day lasts longer than a manager's working day, so it often starts early in the morning and ends late in the evening. In addition, a personal assistant must be available to his boss almost around the clock. If a manager has only one assistant, sometimes it is difficult to even take a day off or go on vacation - the assistant is strictly limited by the vacation limits of his manager.

In addition, existing relationships, teamwork, and personal attachment to the leader often play against the desires and aspirations to change anything, making the assistant a hostage to a specific official, and, consequently, to the profession.

The position of an assistant must be considered as a launching pad, and his career and personal growth depends on determination, a clear awareness of his capabilities, desires and the amount of effort made.

Name in history

The names of figures who left a mark in the history of world politics, culture, science, and diplomacy are known to everyone, but the names of their assistants, who took on hard and sometimes thankless work that contributed to the birth of many achievements, are not always preserved by history for posterity.

Pavel Ivanovich Yaguzhinsky ( 1683–1736) – assistant to Peter I, statesman and diplomat. An active and energetic man, from 1701 he became Peter I’s constant companion on all campaigns and trips abroad, found himself in his place everywhere and earned the favor of the Tsar. IN different years held the positions of Prosecutor General of the Senate, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Polish Sejm in Grodno, Cabinet Minister, was envoy in Vienna, ambassador in Berlin. Peter I repeatedly entrusted him with important diplomatic missions. Pavel Ivanovich conducted very difficult negotiations with the kings of Denmark and Prussia. Yaguzhinsky, as the tsar's personal confidant, took part in all European congresses without exception. Including because he spoke English, German, Spanish and French languages, not to mention Polish and Lithuanian. The Emperor was not mistaken in his choice of the Prosecutor General. Yaguzhinsky zealously and very promptly carried out all the instructions of Peter I. He never delayed execution, as other nobles often practiced, and, having received any task, within a day or two he reported to Peter I about the results.

Contemporaries who observed Yaguzhinsky in the service were unanimous in their assessments: “A prominent man, with an irregular face, but expressive and lively, with a free manner, capricious, proud, was smart and very active; he did as much in one day as another could not do in a week.”

Petr Petrovich Konovnitsyn(1764–1822) – Assistant to Mikhail Kutuzov, Adjutant General, Count. Unusually brave and passionate about military matters, Pyotr Petrovich was at the same time an excellent staff worker, extremely neat, diligent and punctual.

Contemporaries assessed him as “an extraordinary type of Russian nature.” After the retreat from Moscow, Kutuzov appointed Konovnitsyn as duty general of the Russian army headquarters, on whose shoulders fell a huge burden of organizational work in the army: supplying ammunition and food, fodder and medicine, uniforms and transport. This appointment was not accidental: Mikhail Illarionovich, given the general confusion after the loss of Moscow, needed a balanced and firm person nearby. In addition, honest Konovnitsyn seemed to neutralize the chief of staff L. Bennigsen, who was intriguing against Kutuzov. From that time on, Pyotr Petrovich became the first speaker for the commander-in-chief; all of Kutuzov’s combat correspondence with his subordinate military leaders passed through him.

In 1815–1819 Konovnitsyn served as Minister of War, from 1819 - member of the State Council, head of military educational institutions, chief director of the Page and other cadet corps and the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

Charles Maurice Talleyrand-Périgord (1753–1838) – assistant to Napoleon Bonaparte, an outstanding French commander and statesman. An entire era is associated with his name: royal power, revolution, Napoleon's empire, restoration, July Revolution. Fate connected these people for 14 years. Napoleon appreciated Talleyrand: “He is a man of intrigue, a man of great immorality, but of great intelligence and, of course, the most capable of all the ministers I have had.” Talleyrand became a holder of all French orders and almost all foreign ones. Back in 1807, at the peak of Napoleon's power, Talleyrand wondered how long the emperor's triumph would last. Being a sophisticated politician, Talleyrand felt it was time to leave and left his ministerial post. The experienced diplomat was not mistaken in predicting the collapse of Napoleon. Talleyrand, showing miracles of diplomacy, convinced the allies to leave the throne not to the heirs of Napoleon, but to the royal family - the Bourbons and, again finding himself in favor, became Minister of Foreign Affairs and head of government for the third time.

Alexey AndreevichArakcheev(1769–1834) - assistant to three tsars - Paul I, Alexander I, Nicholas I.

He served in the Gatchina garrison, which was transferred to the full control of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, the future Emperor Paul I. At one of these reviews, the executive lieutenant Arakcheev was noticed by the future emperor. Soon Arakcheev became the commandant of the palace, he treated his duties with diligence and diligence - he was on duty at any time of the day. Under Paul I, by the age of 28, Arakcheev had risen to the rank of commandant of St. Petersburg and received a baronial coat of arms, into which, with the permission of the emperor, he inscribed the motto: “Betrayed without flattery.” Under Alexander I, he began the widespread planting of military settlements, the idea of ​​​​creating which had long occupied his thoughts; from 1815, he actually concentrated in his hands the leadership of the State Council, the Committee of Ministers and His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery, and was the only rapporteur to the tsar on most departments. From 1817, during the reign of Nicholas I, he held the post of chief commander of military settlements. Arakcheev refused to take part in the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, for which he was dismissed by Nicholas I

Friedrich Engels(1820–1895) – assistant to Karl Marx, one of the founders of scientific communism. The meeting with Marx, which took place in Paris in 1844, marked the beginning of a creative collaboration that lasted until Marx’s death. Engels actively participated in the organization and activities of the “Union of Communists”, together with Marx he wrote the program of the Union - “Manifesto Communist Party"and published the "New Rhine Newspaper", in 1849 he participated in an armed uprising in southwestern Germany. Having received an inheritance from his father, Engels provided constant financial assistance to Marx. Together with Marx, he led the activities of the First International. After his death, he began publishing volumes of Capital, compiling the final text from Marx’s draft manuscripts.

Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich(1874-1947) - Russian artist, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler, public figure, politician. He painted about 7,000 paintings and created almost 30 literary works, the author and initiator of the International Treaty for the Protection of Artistic and scientific institutions and historical monuments (Roerich Pact), founder of the international movement for the protection of culture. At the age of 24, he became assistant director of the museum at the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts and at the same time assistant editor of the art magazine “Art and the Art Industry”. Three years later he took the position of secretary of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

Evgeniy Petrovich Petrov (Kataev)(1903–1942) – assistant to the Russian prose writer Ilya Ilf, writer. Together with I. Ilf, he wrote the extremely popular novels “The Twelve Chairs” and “The Golden Calf.” In 1932–1937, Ilf and Petrov wrote feuilletons for the newspaper Pravda; during this period they traveled around the United States, the result of which was the joint book “One-Storey America.”

The creative collaboration of the writers was interrupted by Ilf’s death in 1937. Petrov joins the Pravda newspaper and writes film scripts.

During the Great Patriotic War, he worked as a correspondent for the newspapers Pravda, Krasnaya Zvezda, and Sovinformburo. Awarded the Order of Lenin.

Igor VasilievichKurchatov(1902–1960) – assistant to physicist Abram Fedorovich Ioffe, an outstanding physicist, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the first and long-term leader of the Soviet nuclear program.

Kurchatov organically combined the talents of a physicist and an organizer. It was he who was chosen by Academician A.F. Ioffe, who obtained permission to organize a nuclear physics department at his institute and recommended that Kurchatov be appointed head of the atomic program - and this largely determined the rapid success of the development of nuclear weapons. In 1943, Igor Vasilyevich founded and headed the institute, which later became known as the Institute atomic energy Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Under his leadership, the first cyclotron was built in Moscow, the first atomic reactor in Europe, the first Soviet atomic bomb, the world's first thermonuclear bomb were created, the world's first industrial nuclear power plant and the largest installation for research into controlled thermonuclear reactions. 104th element periodic table Mendeleev is named Kurchatovium in his honor.

Yuri Mikhailovich Baturin(born 1949) - Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Russian politician, scientist (lawyer and political scientist), cosmonaut (382nd cosmonaut of the world and 90th cosmonaut of Russia), Hero of the Russian Federation, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation.

From 1993 to 1994 worked as an assistant to the President of Russia on legal issues, in 1994–1996 – on national security issues, in 1996–1998 – as an assistant to the President of Russia. In 1998, he was appointed to the position of test cosmonaut at the Russian State Research Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training named after. Yu.A. Gagarin. Since 2000 – deputy commander of the cosmonaut corps for research and testing. This is the first time a civilian has been appointed to an administrative position in a military cosmonaut detachment, which is the TsPK detachment. Since 2008 – member of the Scientific Council under the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

M.E. Tarasova,
head of organizational and administrative service
CJSC NK Rusneftekhim

Assistant manager is a position that is present in the personnel structure of almost any Russian large or medium-sized enterprise. Often, specialists occupying this position are viewed as secretaries with a very limited range of functions and responsibilities. But this is a completely incorrect approach to understanding the specifics of the position in question. The assistant manager can be vested with the widest range of powers. The requirements for his qualifications and competence can be very high. What are the specifics of the position in question? What are the typical rights and responsibilities of an executive assistant in a Russian company?

Specifics of the position

What kind of position is this - “assistant manager”? What are the responsibilities of such an employee? In most cases, the position “assistant manager” refers to a secretary. In rare cases, this phrase denotes the position of deputy director - but this is typical, as a rule, for small companies. In more or less large businesses, the duties of the personal assistant to the manager are reduced mainly to secretarial functions. Which one exactly? First of all, this is office work, working with correspondence, solving problems related to organizing various meetings and other events in which the head of the company is directly involved. The duties of the manager's secretary (assistant) also almost always include answering phone calls in the office.

In some cases, the corresponding position is differentiated into several types. Thus, secretaries who perform primarily technical work—receiving phone calls, processing correspondence, etc.—are called assistants. In turn, those specialists who are responsible for organizing events and office work are called office managers. There is a point of view that for a position such as an assistant manager, the responsibilities and powers are assumed to be broader in comparison with typical secretarial ones. In particular, these may be expressed in the need for personal presence at events in which the manager takes part - corporate parties, business negotiations, holidays. In this case, the assistant may be responsible for the presentations prepared by the manager, or for the image component of his boss’s participation in the event. It may be noted that in work books the position of assistant manager is most often designated as “secretary”.

Requirements for an assistant manager

Let's consider such an aspect as the typical requirements for candidates for the position of “assistant manager”. The duties expected to be performed by an employee in the relevant position require certain skills and qualifications. Their specific list is largely determined by the job specifics of the secretary’s activities. So, if the activities of an assistant manager will primarily correspond to the position of a supervisor, then the requirements in this case will not be so stringent: secondary education, minimal work experience, basic skills in working with a PC and office equipment. In turn, if the competence of the executive assistant includes some managerial functions, then the list of requirements in this case will be larger, and the job responsibilities will require a higher level of qualification of the candidate for the position of secretary.

A typical set of skills that an executive assistant should have in most cases is: knowledge of common foreign languages, knowledge of popular computer programs for working with documents, images, presentations. An important aspect of the qualification requirements for an executive assistant is personal qualities. These include politeness, attentiveness, goodwill, responsibility, and readiness to solve new problems. The preferred age range for a candidate for the position of assistant manager in many organizations is 18-35 years old. But, of course, there are enterprises that especially value the experience of an employee, and therefore willingly hire people who are much older.

Many companies, at the same time, prefer to recruit specialists without great experience. This may be due to the specifics of the business segment in which the company operates. In some cases, it is better to train an employee to work in a company that, relatively speaking, opened the first Russian production of microprocessors for smartphones and tablets, from scratch, with immersion in all the necessary nuances of such a high-tech business segment, than to try to explain to an experienced person that old methods of solution tasks in some cases do not work.

Main responsibilities

Let us consider in more detail the responsibilities that characterize such a position as assistant manager. We noted above that these largely boil down to secretarial functions. But it is not always the case. It often happens that the assistant manager of a company, especially if we are talking about a large organization, is involved in making key management decisions. He can accompany negotiations in which the boss participates - and not only in the technical aspect, but also join in the relevant dialogues, express opinions and advice.

In a number of cases, a manager can delegate some of his functions to his assistant - for example, in terms of informing the enterprise team about any significant management decisions. Of course, an employee in the position in question often performs work related to ensuring the comfort of his boss’s activities - in terms of ensuring that his office has an optimal microclimate, there is always, so to speak, fresh tea, so that the main equipment used by the manager is stable. functioned.

Operating mode

So, we now know what the job responsibilities that characterize such a position as an assistant manager are. Our next task is to study the specifics of the employee’s work regime in the corresponding position. Of course, in the general case, the assistant performs his duties according to the schedule established by the Labor Code, that is, within the framework of an 8-hour working day, 5 days a week. But in practice, significant deviations from the corresponding regime are possible. Similar scenarios may be typical for a position such as an executive assistant with additional responsibilities.

The fact is that a specialist working in this position can be involved not only in the affairs of his company, but also in solving problems not directly related to internal corporate activities. Thus, an assistant with the appropriate powers can be sent on business trips, to seminars, and conferences. An employee can also carry out certain intermediary responsibilities between his supervisor and managers working in other organizations - for example, in terms of document flow or the implementation of joint projects. The work schedule for solving such problems, of course, may be far from what is provided for by the Labor Code. In fact, it becomes irregular, often longer than the standard 8 hours.

Let's look at what a job description for an assistant manager might look like. The structure of the relevant document, as a rule, begins with general provisions. They may indicate that the assistant manager belongs to the category of specialists. Thus, already at the level of a local source of law, a company can record the fact that the person in the position in question is not a manager (not a deputy director). Most likely - a secretary or, for example, a personal assistant to a manager with additional responsibilities.

Assistant job description: general provisions

IN " General provisions» The job description may also contain wording reflecting the qualification requirements for a specialist. For example, that an assistant manager should have professional education and some work experience. Sometimes the same part of the job description specifies the area of ​​business in which it is desirable for a person to have experience in conducting activities.

The “General Provisions” set out the key competencies of the employee. They can be expressed in requirements for knowledge of the enterprise management structure, internal and foreign policy the employing company, the principles of the company’s communications with authorities and other organizations, standards characterizing office work, rules of business communication, as well as internal labor regulations in the company.

Job responsibilities of an assistant

The next key section of the instructions is “Job Responsibilities.” What are its specifics? IN this section Mainly the functional responsibilities of the assistant manager are recorded. These could be: planning the boss’s working day (in terms of meetings, calls, interviews), organizing technical support work of the manager (in terms of ordering transport, organizing business meetings), participation in business trips, business negotiations, maintaining minutes and other documents, ensuring interaction of enterprise managers with other structures of the company, maintaining communications with government agencies.

Assistant rights

The job description always includes the rights that the assistant manager has. Responsibilities provided for by the specifics of the position are always complemented by corresponding preferences. So, what rights does an employee have in the position in question? Interestingly, the responsibilities of an assistant to the head of an enterprise are quite correlated with them. For example, the right to sign and endorse certain documents arises in connection with the need to periodically work with such sources. An example of another right of an employee in a corresponding position is to request from immediate management, as well as from other specialists of the company, the necessary information for inclusion in documents. The assistant manager also has the right to demand that the boss provide comfortable working conditions. The job responsibilities of a person in the relevant position may involve the periodic sending and receiving of documents - and these procedures must be carried out using various technical means. The Secretary has the right to expect full access to such.

Assistant Responsibility

So, we have studied what the responsibilities of an assistant manager are, as well as what the range of his rights may be. But in most job descriptions For specialists of the profile in question, there is another section - “Responsibility”. What wording may be present in it? The assistant manager is most often responsible for: improper performance of duties provided for by the instructions in question, but within the limits set forth in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation; offenses committed by him in the course of his activities - again, within the limits of Russian legislation; for causing harm to the company - within the limits established in the Labor and Civil Codes of the Russian Federation and other sources of law.

Summary

So, we have studied the specifics of such a position as assistant manager, the responsibilities and requirements that characterize this position in the personnel structure of the enterprise. The specialist performing the relevant work most often performs secretarial functions, but may have significantly broader powers. In rare cases, the concept of “assistant manager” corresponds to the position of deputy director, but this is typical mainly for small enterprises.

In the “classical” interpretation of the phrase “assistant manager,” the work of a person in the corresponding position can be close to the functions of an assistant, a clerk, or, for example, an office manager. In the work book of an assistant manager, most likely there will be an entry “secretary” or “assistant”, although much, of course, depends on the corporate standards adopted in a particular organization.

The need to invite specialists of the profile in question to work characterizes the activities of the managers of most Russian enterprises. The effective work of a top manager depends on how well his assistant will solve his problems - seemingly secondary from the point of view of practical enterprise management, but in fact extremely significant for the organization. The work of the secretary is the most important in the communication structure of the team, which is headed by the head of the company.

Note that many companies practice the appointment of several assistant directors at once. However, the status and powers of each may vary. One specialist may be responsible for secretarial functions, another may be an office manager, and a third may accompany the manager at events. At the same time, HR managers can practice the interchangeability of employees within the relevant areas of activity.