Are you talented at booking travel accommodations? Clearing clutter and creating an at-home sanctuary? Finding the perfect wig for a costume? Collecting mail, filing papers, and completing other essential office tasks?
All of these—and many, many more—ways to help clients cross off their to-do lists are included under the Personal Assistance category umbrella. And for many Taskers, Personal Assistance tasks (which include Executive Assistant, Decoration, Errands, Interior Design, or Waiting in Line tasks) are a key driver of their business!
Unsure of how you might be able to apply certain skills to develop your Personal Assistance toolkit? Read on for how Taskers with experience across the spectrum have found success and satisfaction through Personal Assistance tasks.
Scoping Questions You Might Want to Ask Before a Personal Assistance Task
- What are the highest priorities for this task?
- Are there specific challenges you’re looking to overcome?
- How will I gain entry into your home/office to complete the task?
- Do you have a preference for how I label/organize/document my work?
- Will you be present during the task? If not, will you be available via this chat?
Personal Assistance Category Skills & Experience Description Tips
Your Skills & Experience description can seal the deal for a client in selecting you to complete his/her task, especially since Personal Assistance tasks can be broad in scope. Be sure to include any specialties that can make you stand out! For inspiration, check out the article on tips for writing Skills & Experience descriptions and these examples from successful Taskers in this category.
“Resourcefulness & curiosity are my middle names! My experience as an executive assistant in the entertainment industry has allowed me to develop a proactive approach to completing support tasks. Context and details are too important to be overlooked!”
“I’m organized, friendly, and professional. I pay close attention to detail and am comfortable working independently. Great communication is always my priority. Let me simplify your life!”
“I have been a personal assistant both in person and online for almost 8 years. I absolutely love helping others get organized. I’ve done everything from running all types of errands to managing schedules, shopping, gift wrapping, planning vacations, birthdays and weddings, organizing homes and closets, taking care of pets, etc.”
General Personal Assistance Tips
While the range of tasks for which clients book Personal Assistance Taskers is quite broad, some of the key skills that most Taskers in this category utilize:
- Being highly organized and detail-oriented.
- Clearly communicating: written and verbal.
- Taking initiative and offering clients creative problem-solving.
- Being customer service oriented.
- Being dependable.
SF Bay Area Tasker Chelsey P. shared how she puts these skills into action:
“I always start by sitting down with my client or having them walk me around the area I’ll be focusing on. Then, as they explain the task(s), I ask a lot of questions, such as what their main goal is, how they envision the end product, and what their priorities are. That way, if I run into unforeseen decisions or perhaps don’t have time to finish everything, I can make a judgement call and feel confident that I am using my time the way my client would prefer.”
What Are Clients Hiring Personal Assistance Taskers to Do?
It’s a broad category with something for everyone, but there is client demand for Personal Assistance tasks like:
- Office duties (organizing files, internet research, and more)
- Providing small business assistance.
- Facilitating visits from “the cable guy.”
- Overseeing apartment moves while the client is away, or receiving a delivery.
- Measuring, tidying, categorizing, sending, and returning items.
- Scoping out new apartments.
That said, Taskers say that one of the main things that clients always, always want are soft skills like Fauzi L.’s, who tasks in New York City:
“My success in this category comes from possessing the right attitude, swift adaptability, clear communication, and constant reliability. If I’m happy to be there and ready to work, the client will feel that too—it’s contagious! My “special touch” is my cheeriness and always being willing to help (where I can). I care about other people—when people feel seen it has a positive impact on them. That’s important to me.”
Boston Tasker Nyasha P.’s longest ongoing client relationship is with her first-ever Personal Assistance client—they are coming up on 3 years strong! She adds value on a regular basis:
“I was hired by a company whose office manager was moving out of state, and they needed a personal assistant to take care of tasks that required a physical presence in the office. My tasks have evolved from going into the office weekly to check the mail and refill supplies, to being trained to work more independently. Even though I am in the office once a week, I feel like I am part of the team. Being a personal assistant is more than just crossing items off the to-do-list. Most clients in this category have become repeat customers and almost always refer a friend.”
Thank you to Chelsey P., Fauzi L., Nyasha P., and other Taskers for taking the time to share their tips and tricks for doing Personal Assistance tasks with open communication, positivity, and finesse—key ingredients of the special sauce that keeps clients coming back to the platform!
