Writing your CV comes with some important steps to make it stand out to employers, from content tips to structural guidance, you’ll need to know what to write and how to write it.
1. Start with a strong personal statement
2. Follow with your work experience, listing previous roles in reverse chronological order.
3. Include a section for key skills and qualifications relevant to a welder role.
4. You can also include additional information such as hobbies or references, but they’re not as important.
If you need any additional guidance on how to write a CV, you can also look at our writing tips for general help.
How to Write a Personal Statement for a Personal Assistant
Writing an eye-catching personal statement is important to help your CV stand out against other candidates. Your personal statement should be between 100-150 words in total and let the employer know what you can bring to the role in terms of skills and relevant experience, and why you’re interested in the position they are advertising.
Personal Assistant Personal Statement CV
“I am interested in your Personal Assistant position as I have worked in a Secretarial position for three years and I’m looking for a change of pace and something new to challenge me.
In my current job, I have spent a lot of my time speaking to clients and staff to set up meeting plans and taking information from them for my manager. I am adept at using calendar and email software as well as speaking on the phone and in person. I like to create a relaxed environment for clients so that they feel comfortable while speaking with me.
I am organised and able to solve problems, especially when a client is unhappy and we need to work to find a solution to their concern. The skills I can provide match well with the type of employee you’re looking for and I am motivated to excel in a new role.”
Ideal Work Experience for a Personal Assistant CV
When describing your work experience, only use jobs that have relevant skills. There are numerous roles that can provide the skills that the employer is asking for, so be sure to mention them. Use bullet points to separate the roles and the skills you’ve acquired from them.
Which Jobs to Include
Most Personal Assistant roles will require relevant experience in a similar field such as secretarial or administrative roles, as you will be expected to have some knowledge and understanding of administrative tasks and handling correspondence.
Use our list of Personal Assistant Jobs to find something suitable or relevant to what you’re looking for.
PA CV Work Experience Example
Your work experience should be separated by job role, and each job should come with a list of relevant skills. Use bullet points to separate each job and remember to start with your most recent relevant employment, working your way backwards:
-
Secretary at [company name] from [start date] to [end date]
-
As a secretary I have learned how to accurately input appointments using calendar software and follow up with clients using email and phone correspondence.
-
I learned how to be empathetic to the needs of clients to keep them comfortable when dealing with the company, and I often received compliments from clients when they visited as my conduct was always appropriate.
Use this layout to list the rest of your jobs and their relevant skills.
Key Skills & Qualifications for a Personal Assistant CV
An employer will include the qualifications and skills they expect a candidate to have in the job description, but it’s useful to know if there are any additional skills that you might have that could be beneficial to your application.
Important Skills for a Personal Assistant
Essential skills for a Personal Assistant include communication and interpersonal skills for speaking with clients, individuals and teams. A PA should understand the importance of confidentiality and be trustworthy, as they deal with sensitive information, and they will need to be organised and able to handle multiple tasks efficiently.
These are all skills that can be acquired through experience in other jobs.
Qualifications Needed to Be a Personal Assistant
Generally, there are no formal requirements to become a Personal Assistant outside of standard GCSEs in Maths and English, however, additional qualifications such as specific A-Levels or degrees in areas such as business or administration can also be useful.
We have more detailed information about becoming a Personal Assistant, and what skills and qualifications you will need.
Additional Content to Boost Your Personal Assistant CV
Once you have written about the job specific requirements such as your employment history, skills, qualifications and education you can now mention any hobbies and interests that offer relevant skills and add some references to your CV.
Hobbies & Interests
When including your hobbies or interests, they should help develop skills such as time management, team leadership, problem-solving, or organisational skills. This can include group sports or activities, small events planning or charity work, or smaller hobbies such as arts and crafts.
Avoid writing too much about your hobbies, but this section is ideal to help an employer get to know you.
References
Sometimes an employer will want to speak with a reference, this is someone in a higher position who worked closely with you such as a manager or senior. Anyone you use as a reference should have positive things to say about your work ethic. It is important that you get permission before using someone as a reference.
How to Make a Personal Assistant CV Stand Out
The best way to make your CV stand out is to write with confidence and keep your information to the point. An employer needs to know that you are a worthy candidate with the right skills and experience before hiring you.
Make sure you section your CV appropriately, using titles and bullet points for your employment history and your education, these should be kept separate and hold important details about your skills and qualifications.
Talk about positive experiences you had such as times when you excelled at your role and your manager or senior noticed, or when you received positive feedback from any clients. Back this up with relevant references so that the employer knows you’re being honest.
Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid making your CV too wordy to keep an employer’s interest in your application, only write down necessary information that will be useful to the job. If your CV isn’t formatted correctly, this can be distracting to an employer, make sure you double check your CV for spelling or grammatical mistakes, or ask someone else to read it for you to make sure it’s easy to understand.
Personal Assistant CV Example
When you’re ready to write your Personal Assistant CV, we also provide a free CV template that you can download. Use this to influence the layout and structure of your CV, so you can write your CV with confidence.
