How can I become a celebrity PA? This is career goal for many Private PAs and it’s a question we are asked a lot at Anderson Hoare! However, being a celebrity PA doesn’t always live up to its seemingly glamorous title. While you might get to go to celebrity premiers and meet some famous people this is a role that comes with a lot of last minute demands, exacting requirements and added details that most private PAs won’t have to consider.

Due to the complexities of a celebrity lifestyle the reality of working as a celebrity PA will often mean being part of a group of assistants and working long hours because of unpredictable schedules. However, if this doesn’t put you off, and you are someone that thrives in a fast paced, demanding environment then becoming a celebrity PA could be an ideal fit for you. At Anderson Hoare Private we’ve sourced PAs for some extremely well-known names and have a little black book that is brimming with opportunities for anyone looking to become a celebrity PA. The first thing to do is register with us by sending us your CV, from there we’ll get you in for an interview, understand what you’re looking for and start matching you with suitable roles.

For us to match you with a celebrity then we’ll need to be sure you have the relevant experience and skills. Below we’ve listed 4 top tips for how to prove to any recruitment agency or hiring manager that you would be perfect in the role of a celebrity PA.

1. Show experience in event planning

When working as a celebrity PA your event planning skills are even more important than when working for someone non-famous as celebrities attend, and host, a lot of events! It sounds clichéd but as is often the case, clichés are usually true. You’ll need to show experience of dealing with event planners and making decisions on behalf of your executive, taste is important here and if you can show experience of events you have planned that both looked beautiful and ran successfully this is even better. A celebrity’s reputation is extremely important, and they will want to be sure that whoever is representing them and making decisions on their behalf does so in a tasteful and impressive manner.

2. Demonstrate an unflappable nature

If you want to become a celebrity PA then you have to be prepared to deal with a lot of last minute changes in plan! You might spend hours meticulously planning a schedule to have to suddenly cancel everything due to a last-minute press conference, event invitation or just because your celebrity has changed their mind. In this situation you can’t lose your cool, celebrities are used to getting their own way and probably won’t have had much experience in planning their own lifestyle, therefore you need to be able to smile through chaos and think on your feet. You’ll be expected to always be able to provide a solution and be someone that your celebrity can rely on to fix things and make the impossible, possible. Therefore, to secure a role as a celebrity PA you’ll need to show experience of this on your CV. What examples can you give where you’ve kept your cool and sorted a last minute change of plan? Have a couple ready to talk through in an interview.

3. Show examples of your interpersonal skills

Reputation is everything in the world of celebrities, and as a celebrity PA you will be responsible for upholding, and potentially managing, your celebrity’s reputation. You’ll need to be polite and conduct yourself with decorum when you go for the interview so ensure you are well dressed and don’t speak rudely or impolitely about anyone you have worked with previously. A celebrity more so than anyone else needs to be able to trust you and rely on your discretion and confidentiality at all time. Communicating that you are still respectful of your past employers is a great way to demonstrate this.

4. Network

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know and as a celebrity PA a strong network of reliable suppliers and contacts is invaluable. When you’re suddenly asked to arrange a private jet for an hours’ time or find the best sushi chef in London to come and cook your celebrity dinner, knowing who to call to ask for help is a lifesaver. Other PAs are your secret weapon here, they’ll be in the same boat as you and many community groups exist online where private, business and celebrity PAs can ask each other for help, recommendations and support. Our LinkedIn group, AH Insider, is a great place to start, it’s a private group so you’ll need to request to join but once in you’ll be part of a select group of PAs that share advice, tips and recommendations and may just save your bacon on a few occasions. These forums are also great places to ask if anyone knows of any live celebrity PA jobs, lots of celebrities won’t like to advertise so if you can get an interview off the back of a recommendation from their former PA that’s a fantastic way in.

Ultimately, being a celebrity PA involves many of the same responsibilities as being a Private PA, therefore if you have Private PA experience, you’re in a good place to apply for a celebrity PA position. The above tips will help but the best thing to do is get in touch with us today so we can get you in for an interview and start your search.

If you liked this blog you may also be interested in our other articles about life as a Private PA: How To Become A Private PA and A Day In The Life Of A Private PA.