Interviews, Job Competencies

PA (Personal Assistant) Interview Questions and Answers: Ace Your Next Personal Assistant Interview!

Posted on by Andy Bosworth
Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
13
May

Q1. Tell me about yourself. Why would you make a good PA? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

2 Top Tips For Answering This Question

  1. Use the words professional, organised and conscientious in your answer.
  2. Tell the interviewer you take pride in your work and that you enjoy being the person who has the responsibility of organizing things for others.

Sample Answer

I am professional, conscientious and a highly-organised person who has a passion for my work. So, I take the responsibilities of my role seriously. So, I very much enjoy being the person who has the responsibility of organising and planning things for my employer.

I am a positive person who will not crumble under pressure and am able to plan, multi-task and organise my work in accordance with strict timescales.

In my opinion, I would make a great PA simply because I care about my work, I very rarely make mistakes. So, I understand the role is very important to my employer. If I do not perform to the required standard as a Personal Assistant, other people suffer as a consequence.

Q2. What are the Top 3 Skills for a PA Position? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

3 Top Tips for Answering This Question

  1. There is no right or wrong answer, but give the interviewer 3 skills that will be of benefit to them.
  2. Look at the job description and pick out the key requirements of the role.
  3. Being ORGANISED, PROFESSIONAL and being able to MULI-TASK are up there with some of the main key skills.

Sample Answer

The top 3 skills, in my opinion, are being ORGANISED, PROFESSIONALISM and being able to MULTI-TASK.

Without the skill of organisation, a PA cannot manage his or her workload effectively, nor can they prioritise tasks based on importance. Without the skill of professionalism, people you come into contact with on a daily basis, will not have faith in your abilities. Additionally, you have to remember as a PA that you are, effectively, a role model for the company you are working for. Professionalism is very important and you also have to maintain confidentiality at all times in this role.

Finally, being able to multi-task is an essential skill. A PA will be given many and varied tasks each day. So, you have to be able to multi-task whilst under pressure. There are no excuses for not getting your work done to the required standard and on time.

Customer Service Interview Questions and Answers

Q3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

2 Top Tips for Answering This Question

  1. Show the interview panel you are someone who does not change jobs often.
  2. In 5 years’ time, you should want to be still working in the job you are applying for.

Sample Answer

If successful at interview today, and you are pleased with my work, I plan to still be working here at your company in many years to come. I am looking for a stable employment position as a PA where I can really get to know the role well, and perform the duties to the best of my ability.

It’s important to have a PA you can trust in and reply upon. Trust is built up over a prolonged period of time and do not plan to move jobs if I am successful in this role.

Q4. How would you organise your day as a PA? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

2 Top Tips for Answering This Question

  1. Being organised is very important and you have to make sure you do not forget anything or miss tasks or deadlines.

  2. Consider saying you would use a PA organisational app to make sure nothing gets missed!

Sample Answer

Being organised is critical to the role of a PA. Whilst I do believe I have an exceptional memory, I always make sure I write everything down on my ‘to-do-list’ that sits next to me at my desk, and I tick off the tasks and jobs, as and when they are complete.

I also utilise the Wunderlust programme on my computer, as I can access this anywhere, and on any device. For example, if I was off work and you needed me to do a task for you, I could access the Wunderlust app on my phone and get access to the information I needed, quickly.

Whilst I haven’t made many mistakes in previous jobs, I do understand the importance of being highly organised and also making sure everything is backed up, just in case things go wrong.”

Q5. How would you take minutes in a meeting to make sure everything was covered? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

2 Top Tips for Answering This Question

  1. Taking minutes in a meeting is an important and acquired skill, so you need to know how to answer this interview question, effectively.

  2. There are a number of things to consider, and they are as follows

Sample Answer

Yes, I already have plenty of experience of taking notes and minutes in a meeting. First and foremost, I would plan the meeting well in advance, to make sure the meeting room was prepared and people were fully aware of the time and location etc. I would also ensure the meeting participants receive the agenda items, are aware of the people who are attending, and they also receive any previous meeting minutes, if applicable.

Then, during the meeting I would note the names of the participants and any apologies or absentees, the agenda items, the main discussion points, the decisions made by the participants, any calendar or due dates and also any future decisions or future meeting dates.

Following the meeting I would quickly organise the minutes to check for accuracy before asking my manager to check them over before finally sending them out to the meeting participants.

Q6. What’s the Biggest Mistake You’ve Ever Made at Work? – Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

2 Top Tips for Answering This Question

  1. Be honest when answering this PA interview question. We all make mistakes, but how we respond to them is the important part.

  2. Identify the mistake you made, acknowledge the mistake and put steps in place to make sure it never happens again.

Sample Answer

Early on in my career I made a mistake which I have never made since. I was working as a customer service agent and I inadvertently sent out the wrong order to a valued customer. The mistake I made had the knock-on effect of impacting 3 other customer’s orders, so I was absolutely distraught at the error I had made.

I immediately identified the mistake and informed my line manager straight away so we could take steps to sort it out as soon as possible. We worked together to resolve the issue for our customers and I then volunteered to undertake some additional training in my own time to ensure it never happened again.

I am an honest person and would always put my hand up if I made a mistake. However, I learned a tremendous amount from that incident and I am pleased to say I have not made any mistakes since.

MORE PERSONAL ASSISTANT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. What would you do if you disagreed with the way your manager wanted you to handle a situation or problem as a PA?
  2. Tell me your greatest strength.
  3. What is your greatest weakness?
  4. Why did you leave your last job?
  5. What experience do you have for PA role?
  6. What additional job training have you done recently?
  7. Tell me what you know about our organisation and what we are striving to achieve.
  8. You are working as a PA and a valued client calls you to discuss a problem he has. Your boss isn’t available, and it is an urgent issue. He starts to get irate with you on the phone, how would you deal with him being irate?
  9. Describe a time when you have been flexible in a work-related situation.

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Personal Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
Andy Bosworth

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