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The information on this page is an excerpt from the FabJob Guide to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant. It is only a small sample of the valuable information contained in the 107 page complete guide.
Related Article: 10 Steps to a FabJob as a Celebrity Personal Assistant By John C. Havens
Skills You'll Need to Get Hired
Every celebrity personal assistant will have various duties that are specific
to the profession of the person they're working for, but the following
are some basics that you should not be without. And don't forget, the more
you have to offer an employer, the more likely they are to hire you,
and the more you're likely to get paid.
Persuasive Communication
"Liza [Minnelli] didn't have a clue how to live in the real world. If she wanted
something, she expected it to be there. One Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.,
she called me into her dressing room and told me that since we were doing
a benefit matinee on Sunday afternoon, she wanted me to decorate all the
dressing rooms and fill them with flowers. It never occurred to her that
all the florists and stores were already closed.
"By thinking on my feet and dropping Liza's name (and money), I was able to
talk a florist into working half the night. I found one party store that
was open on Sunday. I was there when they opened, then I talked a couple
of my friends into going to the theater with me. We hung crepe paper and
valentines and the flowers arrived and the dressing rooms were beautiful
when the actors arrived. It never occurred to Liza that accomplishing this
was something of a feat."
- Linda Brumfield, former Celebrity Personal Assistant
Your celebrity doesn't care how you get something done so long as you get it
done. From getting the florist to work all night to getting the concierge
to keep his mouth shut, celebrity personal assistants need strong skills
of persuasion to be able to work the 'small miracles' stars seem
to require on a daily basis.
As a celebrity personal assistant, you are at least part miracle-worker,
and this requires being able to convince others to help you out when you
need it. While this may come naturally to some people, others will need
to learn techniques and practice them in order to be persuasive when your
celebrity needs something.
A lot of persuasive communication is psychological, and involves understanding
the needs, motivation and drives of others in order to convince them that
whatever you're suggesting is in their best interests. There are tons of
theories about how the best way to go about persuading people is; the most
important thing is to find a technique that works for you.
Anyone who has a background in sales, politics, law or psychology
may already have many of these skills, having used them on a daily basis
or studied them in school. In fact, if you are interested in this subject
you may be able to take a single course in interpersonal communications
at your local college as a night course or as part of a degree program.
For those who cannot find a course available nearby or want a less expensive option, two helpful books are Get Anyone to Do Anything and How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Style and Etiquette Skills
You may want to brush up on style and etiquette skills, even if it's as simple
as how to dress at different functions. As a celebrity personal assistant
you'll be expected to interact and move comfortably in the realm of wealthand
fame. You may end up attending movie premieres, art openings, etc. with your
celebrity, or he or she may expect you to plan a party of their
own (see Section 2.3.1 of the guide for tips on this subject).
Remember that you will often be the first point of contact for people who
wish to get in touch with your celebrity, and as their representative,
your appearance and demeanor must be impeccable. Your celebrity may even
ask for your advice on social interaction, and as their assistant,
you'd better either know the answer or have a quick and effective way of
finding out.
Etiquette and style knowledge may even help you in interview situations, and overall,
they are an asset to anyone's skill set. Take some time to familiarize
yourself with some of the etiquette resources listed in the guide and bookmark
them for future reference. You will probably want to read at least one
book on the subject from start to finish as well, so you are not caught
off guard.
One warning about your personal appearance: it is generally advised
that celebrity personal assistants and other types of 'household managers'
try to maintain a look that is neat and classy without being alluring or
attractive. You don't want to steal attention away from your celeb (nor
should you try to!) and also, the 'significant other' of your celebrity
may experience jealousy, especially if you are the opposite sex of your
celebrity-or at least of the sex he or she is attracted to!
The above is only a small sample of the valuable information in the FabJob Guide to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant. The complete guide describes the many other skills that can help you get the job, along with detailed information on how to get hired as a celebrity personal assistant. Visit FabJob.com for more information.
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