A Personal Assistant provides direct administrative and organisational support to one or more senior executives. The job involves managing complex diaries across multiple time zones, booking international travel, preparing board packs, handling correspondence, and acting as a trusted gatekeeper for your principal's time. In a busy week you might coordinate a European roadshow, prepare briefing notes for investor meetings, and handle a dozen logistical crises before lunch. PA roles exist across financial services, law, media, tech, and private family offices, with direct reporting to the executive you support.
Charlotte Davies
Personal Assistant
📍 London, UK✉️ charlotte.davies@email.com
Summary
Highly organised Personal Assistant with 5 years of experience supporting founders and directors in fast-paced start-up and SME environments. Expert in diary management, travel coordination, and project support.
Work Experience
Personal Assistant to CTO at RevolutMay 2022 — Present
Manage complex diary for CTO coordinating across 4 time zones with 30+ weekly meetings
Organise international travel for leadership team covering 15+ trips per quarter
PA to CEO at SeedrsJun 2019 — Apr 2022
Supported CEO and 3 co-founders across investor relations, events, and daily operations
Planned company all-hands events for 200+ employees including venue and catering logistics
Personal Assistant CVs must show organisational skills, discretion, and the ability to anticipate needs. Recruiters want to see the seniority of people you supported, the complexity of tasks handled, and your ability to manage competing priorities.
Key Skills to Include
Diary management, travel coordination, meeting preparation, expense management, event planning, document management, and confidential correspondence. Include specific tools like Google Workspace or Outlook.
Common Mistakes
Not specifying who you supported and the scale of work. Supporting a start-up founder is very different from supporting a FTSE 100 CEO. Be clear about the level you operated at.
Formatting Tips
One page. Use a clean, elegant template. Lead with the names and seniority of people you supported. Your CV should demonstrate the attention to detail you claim.
Average Salary — Personal Assistant
United States
$55,000 – $85,000
United Kingdom
$35,000 – $58,000
Germany
$40,000 – $60,000
UAE / Dubai
$45,000 – $70,000
Canada
$48,000 – $70,000
Australia
$55,000 – $78,000
Figures in USD. Ranges reflect mid-level experience (3–7 years). Senior roles and major metro areas typically sit at the top of these bands.
Top 5 Interview Questions — Personal Assistant
1How do you manage a complex diary when multiple stakeholders all want the same time?
Show your judgement about priority and your communication style. Explain how you pre-empt conflicts, how you negotiate politely on your principal's behalf, and how you keep everyone informed.
2Tell me about the most complex travel itinerary you have arranged.
Go into detail: multi-leg flights, visa requirements, ground transport, accommodation preferences, time zone management, and backup plans. This is a "prove it" question — vague answers lose marks.
3How do you handle highly sensitive and confidential information?
Talk about discretion as a professional standard, not just a rule. Give an example of when you handled something sensitive and explain your discipline around who knows what and when.
4Describe a time your executive changed plans at the last minute and you had to adapt quickly.
Show calm under pressure and creative problem-solving. The best answers show you anticipated the change and had contingencies ready, or that you sorted it faster than expected.
5What systems and tools do you use to stay organised across multiple priorities?
Name specifics: Outlook or Google Workspace for calendar, Concur for expenses, Monday.com or Notion for task tracking, Zoom or Teams for scheduling. Show you build systems rather than just reacting.
How to Tailor Your CV
Investment banks like Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan want PAs who are unflappable under pressure, have impeccable attention to detail, and are comfortable in a demanding culture. Consulting firms like McKinsey value organisational precision and the ability to manage multiple senior stakeholders simultaneously. Family offices and private equity firms like Bridgepoint want high discretion, excellent judgment, and experience supporting C-suite executives with both professional and personal logistics.