The recession proof job: Demand high for good PA's with salaries of around R350 000 PA

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Secretarial or administration roles have become recession proof
jobs with salaries at around R350 000 pa and average annual
increases of close to 21%. "In a bad recession of the sort we have
experienced this year, good back up staff such as personal
assistants and administrators are worth their weight in gold," Liza
van Wyk, CEO of top training organisation BizTech. "We have found,
however, that instead of a personal assistant working with just one
executive she or he may work with two or three. Another trend is
that lots more men are entering this field as they have discovered
its high earning potential."

Kelly Personnel released 2008 salary survey results which found
that office or administration managers received a 20.84% average
increase last year. The average salary is now R9 753 but executive
secretaries earn on average R11 259 a month but for senior
executives they can earn as much as R100 000 a month with perks
including cars, travel allowances and housing assistance

High salaries for this job follow global trends.

Gender is not an issue when it comes to the best secretaries or
PA's in the global market. In fact some of the best secretaries are
men and this position can get their foot in the door of top
international corporations.

Corrie Fourie who was a finalist in 2009 Top PA of the Year
awards is an exSA National Defence Force officer. A married father,
Fourie started his working career in the army and was often tasked
with administration duties which led to him working in the human
resources division of the SANDF and the South African Transport
Services. In 2004 he resigned from the Defence Force and after six
months of job hunting a friend recommended he go for an interview
as a PA for a Regional Director with a large multi-national in
Midrand.

Fourie got the job and had to learn very quickly how to use an
electronic diary, he recalls. "This was not a nine to five job. My
position was seen as a high level executive PA and therefore I was
expected to sometimes be available 18 hours out of 24. The best
secretaries or PA's have to have the ability to create miracles,
make fast decisions and use initiative," said Fourie. "If your CEO
has to fly back to Johannesburg from Kruger Park to attend a board
meeting and there are no flights you need to make a plan - charter
a flight. No, is not an option."

"The best secretaries also have to be able to continue the
business in the absence of the CEO and therefore it is critical
that the individual takes an interest in the organisation and
learns more than just the basics," Van Wyk said, "the popularity of
our courses on minute taking, graphs and numerical statistics as
well as business writing show us how important good general
knowledge is."

"The high level best team secretary or PA is looking at a
package between R350 000 and R450 000 per year," said Fourie.

In 2008 office supply maker and event organiser Leitz announced
that the winner of Germany's best secretary award was 32-year-old
Marc-Oliver Schlichtmann. Schlichtmann who often receives
correspondence addressed to "Mrs Schlichtmann," said he used to
watch his mother with wonder as she worked as a secretary and that
thanks to his strong organisational skills and flair for foreign
languages Schlichtmann had decided to follow in her footsteps.

Schlichtmann is one of the two percent of secretaries and office
managers in Germany who are men; he has worked for over seven years
as a personal assistant at an international law firm Allen & Overy
in the northern German city of Hamburg.

In South Africa recruiters are not allowed to specify male or
female without reason but overseas ads looking for male secretaries
in software companies, consulting firms and shipping go as far
afield as Qatar, Egypt and India.

"At BizTech we recognise that Becoming the Best Team Secretary
or Administrator is a critical need in the current market," said
van Wyk. "While it is not essential to have a degree or diploma,
qualified team secretaries are usually far more attractive to
potential employers than those who lack a tertiary education.
Working experience is no longer enough and candidate selections are
CV-based or orchestrated through recruitment agencies, and thus the
strength of your CV is of paramount importance when applying for
jobs."

BizTech offers secretarial training courses to assist delegates
in achieving practical, high-level business skills at a recognised
South African training institution which can boost the candidate's
CV.

Other essential skills for this role would be a high level of
information technology knowledge, excellent organisational skills
and the ability to prioritise tasks for a number of executives.

In England a team secretary must be able to type 50 words per
minute to secure a secretarial job which is the same average in
South Africa.

"This type of profession opens opportunities in various
sectors," said Van Wyk. "Being a secretary or administrator means
you are often the backbone of a company and therefore it is up to
you to ensure the team stay on track and handle the daily
stresses."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
LIZA VAN WYK, CEO BIZTECH 011 582 3211 or 082 466 8975 or liza@biztech.co.za or www.biztech.co.za

Issued by CSC
011-646 7637
www.charlenesmith.net