15 years ago, The Devil Wears Prada arrived fashionably late into cinemas, introducing the world to Miranda Priestly, perennially dieting Emily and doe-eyed Andy. Along with delivering some classic one-liners , it gave the wider world an insight into the world of celebrity PAs and the lengths some have to go to look after their principal\u2019s every need.<\/p>\n
Even after a decade, there\u2019s plenty modern-day personal assistants to celebrities can learn from Emily and Andi\u2019s triumphs and disasters when working with a demanding principal. As one of London’s best executive assistant recruiting firms<\/a>, we still love this movie!<\/p>\n A celebrity assistant job, or in fact any PA job can be incredibly stressful, with a large workload and a wide range of complex tasks. Andy\u2019s flustered approach at the beginning of the movie sees her running around in circles (at one point, literally!), before growing into her role and conquering each mountain Miranda puts in front of her with ease. Her ability to stay calm under pressure and think quickly allows her to get tasks completed efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\n Finding a copy of the yet-to-be-released Harry Potter manuscript? No problem. No matter the challenge, both Emily and Andi find a way to satisfy Miranda\u2019s every requirement, often exceeding expectations. When confronted with such challenges, it\u2019s important to remember that your boss isn\u2019t setting you up to fail \u2013 they want you to step up to the plate. It\u2019s up to you to prove yourself.<\/p>\n Working with a busy executive or celebrity means conversations need to be short and sharp. Miranda\u2019s commands come with no explanation or detail, leaving Andy to figure things out on her own. When given precious face time with your principal, it\u2019s vital to be asking the right questions right off the bat, so you have the best chance of fulfilling their request.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth remembering never to ask your boss anything you can look up yourself! With limited time, this is wasted opportunity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Your principal will be interacting with a number of high-net-worth individuals and busy decision makers, most of whom are leaders in their industry. Therefore, you need to know exactly who the key people are in your principal\u2019s professional and personal circles and treat them with the appropriate levels of courtesy, respect and gravitas.<\/p>\n A personal assistant to celebrities or UNHWI provides ongoing support to their principal, so it\u2019s important that they are available at all times. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean out of office hours, but there\u2019s nothing worse than being missing in action during the working day. Your principal is counting on you to be their right-hand person \u2013 often literally \u2013 so you need to be accessible. After all, you wouldn\u2019t want to miss a call from Lagerfield just before he\u2019s about to board a 17-hour flight to Australia.<\/p>\n That\u2019s all.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n1. ‘I rarely say this to people who aren\u2019t me\u2026but you really need to calm down!\u2019<\/h4>\n
2. \u2018You want the unpublished manuscript?\u2019<\/h4>\n
3. \u2018Go bore someone else with your questions\u2019<\/h4>\n
4. \u2018Can you spell Gabbana?\u2019<\/h4>\n
5. \u2018When I am not here… Andrea, you are chained to that desk!\u2019<\/h4>\n