The changing role of a PA (B1)

The past, present and future of the role of Personal Assistant

9 March 2022

EXERCISE 1: The Past

1. What were the main responsibilities of a personal assistant in the 1950’s until the
1980’s?

2. Were personal assistants as well respected at that time as they are today? Why? Why
not?

3. What were the technologies that personal assistants used in their jobs in those days?

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4. Was the job of a personal assistant easier or more difficult in those days? Why?

EXERCISE 2: The Present. Read and discuss.

Go back a few decades and the responsibilities of a Personal

Assistant and Secretary were often interchangeable. Advances
in technology eventually brought an end to Mad Men-style
secretaries who spent all day typing, proof reading, answering
phones and making coffee, however the public’s perception of
what a PA does has yet to catch up.

1. What are the main responsibilities of a PA today? How has the job changed since the
20th century?

2. What skills do personal assistants need to have today that they didn’t need to have in
the past?

3. What technologies do PAs use today? Are these technologies changing? If so, in what
ways?

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EXERCISE 3: Look at the infographic and discuss.

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EXERCISE 4: The future. Read and discuss.

When we look at how the role of a Personal Assistant will

change in the years to come, it’s clear that technology will once
again play a leading part. Increasingly, employers will ask for
technical skills that stretch far beyond just having proficiency in
Microsoft Office, into new digital spaces such as cloud-based
applications, social media, and website and database
management.

Whilst sticking with the theme of technology, advances in

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will be another big
driver behind change in the Business Support sector.

1. How will the duties and responsibilities of a personal assistant change going into the
future?

2. Are there any technologies that will have a major impact on the way in which a
personal assistant will work, like artificial intelligence? If so, what will the impact be?

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