What is a Celebrity Personal Assistant?

Professional entertainers, athletes, politicians and other public figures often have demanding private and professional schedules. Maintaining such a high-profile and busy lifestyle can lead to the hiring of at least one celebrity personal assistant. A celebrity personal assistant's job duties generally include coordinating his or her employer's appointment schedule, fielding incoming communications, running routine personal errands, assisting the celebrity during personal appearances and working out the logistical details of out-of-town meetings. Sometimes a well-known public figure may employ other assistants to handle specific tasks, such as a personal chef or nanny, but quite often a celebrity personal assistant becomes a full-time jack of all trades to his or her employer.

A celebrity personal assistant's average workday may start early in the morning as his or her employer begins a long day of work, meetings, personal appearances and private obligations. An assistant to a celebrity or public figure often agrees to sign a legal document which prevents him or her from revealing confidential information to anyone while employed. The first duty a celebrity's personal assistant may perform is a brief run-down of all existing daily appointments and commitments. A personal assistant may have to arrange for transportation to these appointments or make adjustments to the schedule as necessary. Many celebrity personal assistants spend many hours a day with their employers, but still work in relative obscurity. A personal assistant may work out of an office or literally follow his or her employer from meeting to meeting.

Many of the tasks assigned to a celebrity personal assistant are far from glamorous, but they are usually essential for the employer. A public figure may not have time in his or her daily schedule to drop off or pick up dry cleaning, for example. A well-known celebrity may not be able to pick up personal prescriptions from a pharmacy or shop for gifts in a department store, either. These routine tasks often become the daily duties of a trusted personal assistant who would not trigger unwanted media or fan attention. Some celebrities may place unusual demands on their personal assistants, but the majority of tasks assigned to personal assistants are routine and largely uneventful.

An ideal candidate for the position of celebrity personal assistant will have some experience working for high-profile clients, along with strong organizational skills and an ability to work well under pressure. Working as an assistant for a celebrity or other public figure can have some interesting perks, such as regular access to exclusive nightclubs or restaurants, interaction with other well-known public figures and the ability to network with other personal assistants. The work hours may be very irregular, however, and some employers may be notoriously difficult to work for. Some personal assistants for professional entertainers find the work to be very rewarding, while others say the salary and benefits are not commensurate with the demands of the job.

Finding employment as a celebrity personal assistant is usually through word-of-mouth, since current assistants and their employers are often looking for new employees to handle an increasing workload. There are also employment agencies which specialize in hiring trustworthy and bondable personal assistants for high-profile employers who require exceptionally discreet and motivated individuals who can handle the unique challenges of the position.