Breaking Into The Celebrity Personal Assistant Job Market

As a former celebrity personal assistant to some of the world's most powerful people, I'm often asked by aspiring personal assistants how one can break into the market. Let the truth be told that it is not as hard as you may think.

There has been an enormous explosion of wealthy people in America. While it's true that about 1% own approximately 90% of the wealth, the rich are simply richer than ever.

There are over 1000 billionaires in the United States today. In addition, there are over 45,000 families in America that have net worth between fifty and five-hundred million dollars. What that means is there are phenomenal opportunities for personal assistants to make a career out of catering to the whims of the super rich.

Because celebrities and high net worth families live throughout the United States, one does not need to live in Los Angeles or New York to do this job. Moreover, you don't need a 4-year degree either. I have worked with Hollywood celebrities and royalty and do not have a "prestigious" 4-year diploma.

You need to start my identifying the celebrities and high net worth families in the city in which you live. Do your research and find several home and business addresses for them. Write to their lawyers, publicity agents, and whoever else you can contact.

Send a short letter along with your resume. Explain why you are qualified for the job. They may not being hiring at the moment, but if you impress them with strong business acumen, you are likely to get a call.

The rich and famous are always looking for trustworthy candidates to help them with their day to day lives. As a celebrity personal assistant, you may be privy to safely guarded secrets, so you will probably have to go through a background check and sign a confidentiality agreement.

The pay scale can vary widely in the personal assistant profession. If you are a beginner and your employer isn’t necessary “famous”, you can expect to make as low as $10 an hour to start. On the opposite end of the scale, it is possible to make up to $150,000 a year. I am even privy to one candidate who made $250,000. It all depends on your experience and duties. If you are going to be on call 24/7/365 and in charge of sensitive business dealings, then you can expect to be paid on the higher end of the scale.

One deal-break for many candidates is the fact that the hours are long and hard. It is not uncommon to work 14 hour days for weeks at a time. In other words, you have to have thick skin and be an out-of-the-box problem solver. If you can take the heat, then you will get to live the life of a rock star without having to pay for it: private jets, expensive dinners, and fabulous gifts.

As hard as it is to get the job, it is even harder to keep the job because getting fired is not that uncommon. One skill that a celebrity personal assistant must possess is to follow instruction exactly. What may make sense to you does not necessarily mean it is what your boss wants. The bottom line: you can never get in trouble for following instructions. If things go wrong, assess the situation and handle damage control to the best of your ability.