It takes a special personality to become a celebrity personal assistant, especially in the entertainment industry. You will need to think quickly on your feet, selflessly devote yourself to the whims of another individual, and do it all with an obsequious smile. In return, you get to meet interesting and influential people, learn the industry from the inside, and perhaps climb into a less demeaning career path.
The principal job duty of a celebrity personal assistant is to create some space between your client and the rest of the world. Everybody wants a piece of a celebrity, whether they are actors, directors, or producers. No one, not least a show biz type, could function under that intense pressure without a doorkeeper to hold back the mobs of audience seekers. The PA must keep the celebrities calendar as open as possible, but always make sure the calendar is up to date and that the celebrity never misses an important appointment. By important, I mean important to the celebrity, not necessarily the other parties involved, who you may have to snub if the celebrity changes his or her mind at the last minute. Graciously snubbing a powerful colleague requires finesse and fortitude, because the PA will be the one to encounter the full wrath of everyone the celebrity wishes to kick to the curb.
To show that the celebrity is human, a PA will have to perform thoughtful acts that would never occur to the celebrity. Sending birthday gifts or sympathy flowers to friends and colleagues is a way of saying “I know you exist, and you owe me one.” Of course, such tokens should be suitably extravagant, depending on where the recipient is situated in the industry power structure. Your celebrity client will not want to spend money on people who can no longer be helpful, so you will have to stay on top of who is in and who is out.
Food is very important to celebrities, so you will have to make sure that all catering includes their favorite foods. Our advice is never skimp on the food, as a well-fed celebrity may be more docile than a half-starved one. Make sure you know the food-craft people responsible for arranging the catering and that they understand that your celebrity must have gluten-free bread for his organic eggplant sandwiches. If your celebrity is a boozer, make sure there is always a stash of his favorite drink available at any time of the day or night. Finally, always keep the celebrity’s checkbook and credit cards close by – don’t give them an excuse to hit you up for money. If you master these simple skills, you can be well on your way to someday becoming a celebrity yourself!