Interview with Emma Bannister

1. What does a typical day look like for you?

I have a wide variety of tasks I must complete each day, these can be anything from running reports and booking travel or organising car hire, to monitoring and assisting other PAs with their responsibilities. The nature of my role means I have to deal with a lot of correspondence on a daily basis, so a lot of my time is spent writing and answering emails. Then I’m also required to do this on behalf of my boss, so all his correspondence must be written in his tone of voice.

2. What are the main skills required for your role?

You must have a personable nature and be able to interact with people at all levels; I have to liaise with lots of different people in the business, including the chairman. It’s also essential that can be tactful and methodical when dealing with confidential matters and can demonstrate diligence and patience at all times. The more practical skills required include the ability to multi-task, good computer skills and an excellent telephone manner.

3. What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of your role?

The most challenging part is diary management; say you have to get three CEOs in a meeting at the same time, it can be extremely tricky. But then, when you see something come to fruition, like a conference you’ve organised all the logistics of, it can be extremely rewarding.

4. Why did you choose to use Page Personnel Secretarial & Business Support in your job search?

My Page Personnel consultant, Barney, rocks – he was actually recommended to me by a friend. He exemplifies what a recruitment consultant should be; he’s concerned with finding a good candidate fit for the roles he handles, rather than getting as many placements as possible like a typical high street recruiter.

5. How did you find your experience with us?

Amazing!

6. What advice would you give someone looking for a role like yours?

I would say approach Page Personnel – Barney and his team are great – and be really clear about your expectations and the type of role you’re looking for then don’t waiver from this. The more consistent and clear you are in your job search, the more efficient your recruiter can be.

Favourites

What are you reading/watching at the moment?

I’m actually reading 50 Shades of Grey at the moment and watching The Tudors.

What are your favourite websites to use?

My favourite websites to use and the ones I use the most are Boohoo, Facebook, Chockers and Missguided.