After the polls comes the search for tech-savvy PAs

A new crop of leaders has assumed office following the end of the national elections, many of whom were elected for the first time.

They will now find themselves inundated with requests proportional to their positions and wondering how to deal with them and remain sane.

To perform efficiently, they will need stellar personal assistants (PA) and the right technology. In this article, we explore some of the digital skills that can help personal assistants succeed in busy offices.

Leaders rely on personal assistants to support them in most areas of their work. In addition to being office managers and administrative assistants, PAs have a wide range of valuable skills and engage in an array of duties.

Among their responsibilities are answering the phone, taking messages, forwarding calls, scheduling appointments and maintaining the calendars of their superiors.

They are responsible for arranging meetings and events, as well as setting up and maintaining electronic or paper filing systems.

A day hardly passes before they write memos, edit documents and prepare reports. They are like the proverbial jack of all trades.

Personal assistants must therefore be proficient in digital technology to be successful at their jobs.

It is important that they are familiar with standard digital hardware and software to help the leader do his or her job faster and more efficiently.

A tech-savvy assistant should be proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Top on the list of responsibilities of a leader is communication. An aide should therefore know which tool to use for each communication, and the tone of voice to use based on the message and the communication channel.

It's about remaining professional even when using more relaxed but trendy forms of communication, such as WhatsApp or Meta.

Colourful words

Social media is an essential communication platform for leaders of all stripes. They tweet or post several times a day, and when they make mistakes, netizens make them aware in less than colourful words.

Hence, PAs need to be familiar with the various platforms and how to use them.

Organisational skills, of course, are critical for a personal assistant. As a leader’s priorities shift and change, PAs should be able to adjust their schedules accordingly and sometimes on short notice.

Exceptional personal assistants impress with their skills. Whether it's PowerPoint or Apple's Keynote, these people possess the skills required to make a presentation that will blow you away.

They use graphic design software such as Adobe InDesign to create unique and creative presentations. They also use these skills to create social media images and advertising materials that wow their audience.

If you have these skills and aspire to work for the freshly minted leaders, knock at their doors and showcase your stellar skills, and hope they pay you for what you are worth.

Mr Wambugu is an Informatician. [email protected]. @Samwambugu2