In modern business, administrative and organizational support roles are becoming increasingly diversified and multi-level. Today, a secretary, a personal assistant or a business assistant are expected to have distinct skills and a high level of involvement in business processes. What is the difference between these roles? What purpose does each position serve? What level of trust and responsibility does it entail? Understanding the key differences between them can help the employer choose the right type of employee for their team, with the unique strengths each of them can offer.
Secretary
In this position, the employee does not have the option of remote participation. Even in modern conditions, secretaries are still needed in government agencies or large commercial organizations, where the format and management structure require an office-based employee to handle workflows. Moreover, the employee in this position implicitly contributes to the company leader’s reputation.
Some tend to believe that formal training or a prestigious university degree is not a basic requirement for a secretary. However, work experience often refutes this judgment: most major business leaders value the input from a well-qualified intellectual worker.
- A secretary’s responsibilities most often include:
- Handling incoming correspondence, taking calls and messages
- Welcoming visitors, organizing refreshments (tea/coffee) at meetings, keeping the office clean and tidy
- Communication with courier services
- Issuance of visitor and parking permits
- Ordering stationery and printed goods, provision of office supplies, and more
A secretary is an employee responsible for ensuring the day-to-day and organizational comfort within a company.
Personal assistant
Hiring a personal assistant is a significant decision that involves certain risks. This is because such an employee typically has access to multiple aspects of the executive’s personal life. For this reason, a personal assistant is usually hired for the long term, and — as with a business assistant — signing an NDA is mandatory.
Professionals who choose this career path are skilled planners and organizers who are prepared to partially live someone else’s life, as being on call 24/7 is considered standard practice. To succeed as a personal assistant, one must possess a specific temperament — most often, this entails being service-oriented and diligent, without excessive initiative or ambition. In 85% of cases, a higher education degree is required, with particular emphasis on foreign language proficiency, business etiquette, and strong interpersonal skills.
The typical responsibilities of a personal assistant include:
- Lifestyle: Event planning
- Booking tickets for concerts, theater performances, restaurant reservations, etc
- Scheduling appointments with various specialists and service providers
- Travel coordination, including itinerary planning, visa assistance, ticket booking, and hotel reservations
- Organizing and managing online meetings
- Managing and maintaining a personal email inbox
Business assistant
The business assistant is a modern, indispensable role in the 21st-century workplace. More than just support staff, this individual acts as a true business partner and the manager’s right hand. Entrusted with confidential information about the company and future projects, the business assistant often represents the organization at business events and conferences, serving as a key liaison in the absence of the executive. This role functions as a true manager, supporting the employer in driving business development.
This role demands a highly qualified professional – typically holding one or more higher education degrees – fluent in foreign languages, skilled in negotiation techniques (including profiling), and knowledgeable in psychology and marketing.
Business owners particularly value proactive business assistants who can generate ideas, anticipate needs, think strategically, and assess risks and potential outcomes several steps ahead.
A business assistant can work both in-office and remotely, whether in Russia or abroad. Also, the “24/7 availability” concept is not appropriate for this role: a well-structured weekly or monthly task plan allows for smooth and efficient collaboration among all parties.
Typical responsibilities of a business assistant include:
- Conducting initial meetings with clients and business partners
- Organizing, participating in, and managing business events
- Handling documentation
- Representing the company on behalf of the executive
- Coordinating with other employees and overseeing task progress
- Managing business correspondence
- Developing or overseeing projects contributing to the company’s growth
- Arranging new business meetings, identifying potential partners, and enhancing the company’s positioning
The role of a business assistant is unique and opens the door to significant opportunities.
In conclusion, the position of a business assistant serves as a strong foundation for professional advancement. In fact, 70% of executive secretaries or personal assistants who are interested in career development eventually transition into business assistant roles. This job often serves as a stepping stone towards a top executive position.
By Diana Zuyeva, Founder and CEO of the Major League of Business Assistants professional training school; business assistant at an international development company (Miami)