My day job

I never thought of becoming a Personal assistant (aka PA), I just kind of stumbled into being one.

I got my first PA job in 2005 while I was living in California. It was not the best PA job, but it did teach me a lot. I quickly realised that I was pretty well suited to being a PA. So I decided I would continue along this career path and see where it went.

A few months after returning to South Africa I landed a much better PA job with a well known company. I am still working there now, but I am hoping in the next year or two that I will either find a more exciting PA job, win the lottery or quit PA work to become a full time writer.

I think the thing I most enjoy about being a PA is the organising aspect. I also like that a PA job can be very different depending on the environment and person you work for.

I definitely dont want to do this job forever, but until I get my dream job being a PA is paying the bills.

Question: What do you do for living? What is your dream job?
>
*Notes: The winning answer (which was obviously wrong) to the last poll question "What does brazen do?" was Graphic Designer with 17% of the votes.
A new poll is up - Please play along and vote.

39 comments

  1. There are WAY too many organizational skills needed to be a PA. I just don't have them. I envy people like you who do.

    I am a lowly CSR.. have been for 9 years. my dream job? One that pays me for sitting at my puter at home and blogging as I do now. I'm not talking about putting ads and crap all over my blog (not that there is anything wrong with that.) I'm talking about doing what I do now all the time and getting a nice chunk of change.

    Yes... I know.. I will keep my day job and keep dreaming

    ReplyDelete
  2. My dream job...? Mmmm. So many. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would like to be a director. Seriously. They opened a branch of the Ne York Film Academy here in Abu Dhabi and I'm thinking of taking the evening courses.

    I currently work in finance. That is a world away from what I want to do...

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm also a PA/secretary,but my idea of a dream job has always been a freelance photographer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think I got it right! ;)

    My dream job? I guess I'm kind of doing it by being a mom.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, I think I got it right! Maybe because I'm a fellow PA!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dream Job, frontman for a Rock Band!

    I never thought you were a PA Brazen I must admit.
    We aren't allowd to call our PA's 'Personal Assitants', they have to be addressed as 'Professional Associates'. Ha ha...Frankly, I prefer their first names because I'd freak if someone kept refering to me as The PA.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I work in a small business doing a little bit of everything. It serves me well, while I work at becoming famous.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been a PA too, and find I'm quite good at it as I'm an organised type of person. I'm still freelancing as an illustrator, which I really enjoy, and my ultimate dream job, I think, would be to write and illustrate my own children's stories.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I guessed wrong :( I thought you were a travel agent b/c of all the traveling you have done!

    My dream job? To own a bakery! How fun to bake heavenly concoctions all day and make people fat :)

    For now - I work in National Accounts for a copier company. Not as glamorous but it pays well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm a librarian, and as a kid it's what I always wanted to be. I grew away from it for awhile, but then gravitated back.

    The next thing I want to be is a Mum!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I guessed right! I am a teacher's assistant but my dream job is to be rich housewife. lol.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've always wanted to know what it is like to be a PA. I think I would like it do, becauase I love organizing things!

    ReplyDelete
  14. "If I told ya, I'd have to kill ya!"

    But, I'd love to work somewhere where I can do nothing but be an advocate for the LGBT community. Unfortunately, in my area of the state (small conservative towns), and where the S.O. wants to live, that might not ever come to fruition. :( But, I've also toyed with going back to school for an outdoor recreation degree--THAT would work fanTAStically around here!

    ReplyDelete
  15. My last "real" job was as a PA to a crazy man who owned a small but lucrative business calibrating and repairing specialty machinery. I had to do all sorts of weird (but not illegal!) stuff that had nothing to do with the job! I didnt even make good money! On the bright side, I had the company gas card and the company credit card and got to drive the company Mustang whenever he sent me on errands!

    I think I much prefer being a full time mom!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Im a computer programmer.. im not sure what my dream job would be, but definitely something i can do from home and that will earn me the bucks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm kind of a plumber for leaky organisations, teams and projects. I have worked for government organisations for the past 6 years and usually spend 6-18 months in one place. I love that its always new, I get to work with some really smart people and it's very satisfying to walk away knowing you are leaving things in a better state.
    I think I am really well suited to the contracting/freelance aspect of this work - I like the change.
    I don't harbour desires to do anything different for a job, but I would love to take a year or two off and go back to Uni.

    ReplyDelete
  18. and you work for Meryl Streep?

    Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'm a copywriter but one day, when I'm big, I'd like to be a columnist... or a travel writer... or magazine editor...

    Or a professional wine taster! ;)

    One day, some day...

    ReplyDelete
  20. heh,isnt that pic from the Devil Wears Prada? I hope to be a lawyer someday.Anything which pays an obscene amount without much to do would be a dream job.Oh wait,nothing like that exists :(

    ReplyDelete
  21. No disrespect intended here, but isn't a PA the new term for a secretary? I know that is a politically incorrect term here in the states these days (support staff seems to be in vogue these days).

    Not that a PA / Secretary is a bad thing...I know from experience that they do 90% of the work for 10% of the pay.

    ReplyDelete
  22. My dream job? Retirement.....I have more than enough to keep my busy around our house creating and fixing things than I will ever have time for in this life time. Passing the time, creating or fixing something is the dream job....getting paid for it would be a bonus!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm a paper pusher in a forensics office. Sounds cool but it isn't.

    Dream job? I don't know, just not what I'm doing now - it barely pays the bills!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm an executive administrative assistant. Kind of a PA, but probably with more typing.

    Or not.

    :-)

    My dream job? Writer, of course!

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  25. I always struggle to answer when people ask me what I do... I work in IT, but my job description is very vague... Often involves making sure others are doing their jobs properly which I find quite exasperating. Dream job? Hmmm.... A Formula 1 driver! :D

    ReplyDelete
  26. My dream job is to work in a zoo. Right now though..sometimes I feel I already do :)

    I'm an international spy..hihi..yea whatever

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think you will be an amazing writing... amazing.. I work for our family own business.. I am the director of marketing.. My dream job would be to own a lil creative shop and to be a stay at home mom with lots of lil kiddos:)

    ReplyDelete
  28. hi! i stumbled across your blog from over at Adorably Distracted and I can't wait to read more!

    I'm a registered Oncology nurse and after five years of working on an inpatient bone marrow transplant unit, I now work in an outpatient chemotherapy clinic! It's kind of my dream job.. Maybe other than being..

    Retired and a world traveler? At age twenty-six, of course!

    ReplyDelete
  29. My dream job was being a legal secretary or court stenographer...then I found out how fast you have to type and the dream went *poof!*

    ReplyDelete
  30. I am loving your polls!

    I need a PA for my general life so badly. I am the most unorganised person on the planet. I am an anti-PA.

    ReplyDelete
  31. hmmm, my dream job is to be a graphic designer, which is what i'm doing. but in my dream i want to work in chicago. i'll get there some day.

    have you worked for any cruella devilles?

    ReplyDelete
  32. I'm actually working for my dream company... the company i've always wanted to work for; however, I'm not working the position I want with the company. I have to work this position to get higher. I hope that when people say patience is a virtue aren't lying.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I thought you were a travel agent. I am a physical therapist. SOme days I believe I work at my dream job. Others, I fantasize about how great my show on the travel channel will be, as I travel around the world and make people laugh and fall in love with places they've never been.

    ReplyDelete
  34. PA was my second choice, honest! But your blog header is so pretty I voted graphic designer...
    My dream job used to be actress (not movie star), now I'll go for b) fashion/lifestyle columnist or c) published author!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'm a professional writer - and that is my dream job. Lucky me!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would like to be a psychiatrist working in an asylum with all those truly crazy types - you know, the ones who are completely psycho and need strait jackets 'n stuff. The Hannibal Lectors of this world. Sick, I know, but totally out there!

    ReplyDelete
  37. I would love to be a PA. My daughter had an internship last summer with DiNiro. . . So cool!!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I totally think you should follow your dreams and become...a WRITER!! You're so good at it.
    I currently recruit for a living and I love it. However, my dream job, believe it or not, would be an elementary school teacher. :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. I have my dream job - sort of. Actually it's my dream career, just not at the school I want to teach. I LOVE TEACHING!!! The greatest thing is that I was able to change to this career later in life and I get to spend the rest of my "working" days doing the thing that I love! I am truly blessed by this. Some poor people have the entire lives filled with suck-jobs and I used to be one of them.
    While I don't love the school at which I teach; I love teaching and in this career field changing schools is just part of the game. So one day I will be at a better school, but until then, I still have the DREAM CAREER!!!

    ReplyDelete

Leave me a comment....