Author: Silva

A career change case study. Meet Susan Stoke who managed to take the PA Diploma and successfully make a career change. She moved from being an English Teacher in Portugal to become a Team Secretary. She actually gained a role with a salary at the top end of the salary range, despite making a career change. She got the job straight after completing the course and she has never looked back.

Successful Career Change

Prior to your Souters Course, what was your employment situation?

I worked as an English teacher at a private school in Portugal for over five years.

After taking the Souters Courses, what is your current job?

I have just been appointed as Team Secretary/Receptionist for a company in London.

Why did you decide to take a Souters’ course?

After several years as a teacher, I really needed to refresh and update my skills in order to gain the knowledge and confidence to re-join the job market. This paid off well as I started my new job within 1 month of completing the course.

What courses did you complete at Souters?

I enrolled for the Secretary / PA Diploma.

What did you enjoy about the courses?

Being a teacher, I appreciated the structure and confident delivery of the course. The expertise and flexibility of the tutor was very professional and much appreciated.

“Got a High Paying Job after the Course”

In what ways do you feel that the course has benefited you?

As I was working abroad for such a long time, I needed to be catapulted into the job market. The course was ideal as it was intensive and conducted over a short period of time. Most importantly, I got a job!

Secretary Jobs

Were you able to get a job following your course?

Oh, Yes! I was offered a salary at the top end of their salary range.

In particular, how has the course benefited your career?

The course gave me confidence and updated my skills; plus I learned new skills.

What do you advise to anyone who is considering taking the course?

I would say that they should go for it as they will gain the necessary skills and knowledge much needed by any employer. It is a huge asset for your CV.

Following her course, Susan Got a Team Secretary Job

What are your future aspirations in your career?

My aspiration for the future is to continue developing my skills, where needed, so as to be a greater asset to the company.

Would you consider taking another course to further your career and skill set?

Yes, I would like to take the Minute Taking Course.

Over the past year, Europe has seen a dramatic rise in the outbreak of the COVID-19. Souters is offering Virtual Classroom Training Courses. This has led to companies sending their employees home, some are in isolation and some are working remotely from their homes.  This has also caused many people who are working from home to be looking to take part in training courses to use slack time effectively.

Virtual Classroom Training Courses

Souters has been delivering training courses in Virtual Classrooms to corporations across the world. Our trainers have excellent feedback and experience from learners who have elected to take virtual classroom training.

How is virtual training different to online training?

With online training courses, you have to either read text, answer set questions or watch pre-recorded videos. This method of training is popular, but it lacks interactivity and discussion.

With Virtual Training, we set up a Virtual Classroom that enables a live tutor to speak to you completely interactively. You can see and hear them and you can see and hear your fellow students. Additionally, there is a virtual whiteboard, chat boxes and audio-visual learning aids to enhance the learning experience. Our senior trainers have delivered this format of training across the World; here are some of the comments from students.

Testimonials for Virtual Training:

“The course was interactive. Lots of opportunities to ask questions” – W Slooterman, based in the Netherlands

“Going through real case studies in the training and active interaction between the trainer and the attendees were the most enjoyable parts of the training course. He had great presentation skills and ability to make everyone comfortable and to participate in the discussion” – G Braga, Senior Manager

“I like the trainer a great deal, I think he is an excellent trainer. Wish I had had him at uni. I might have attended a few more lectures” – P Buchan, Oracle

These are just a few of the countless testimonials that we have from our Virtual Training.

Benefits of Virtual Classroom Courses

• Gain from the expertise and discussion with your live trainer in the virtual classroom environment
• Gain the interaction and direction, normally only enjoyed in live classroom environments
• Avoid the potential issues with the classroom environment in London, Amsterdam and Manchester
• Gain accredited professional qualification and the same qualification as the classroom version of the course
• Take part in training from anywhere in the world and avoid travel costs

What Virtual Classroom Training Courses are available?

• PA Course
• PA Diploma
• Executive PA Course
• Executive PA Diploma
• Office Manager Course
• Office Manager Diploma
• Administration Course
• Administration Diploma
• Introduction to Human Resources
• Finance for non-Finance Courses
• Bookkeeping Course
• Finance Diploma
• Bookkeeping Diploma

CPD Accreditation

All of the courses are accredited by the CPD Standards. This means that the courses will bring certification and professional qualifications.

CLICK HERE to find details of bookable Virtual Classroom courses.

Here is a selection of some great new Executive PA Jobs. There is a wide variety of Executive PA roles here. There are fixed-term contracts and temporary jobs. There are some highly prestigious employers and locations to work.

Read carefully the job descriptions and apply as soon as possible.

Executive PA Jobs

The below Executive PA and EA jobs are ideal for people who have taken our Executive PA Courses. To find out more about training please CLICK HERE.

Executive Assistant in the UAE

20,000 AED per month

UAE

Permanent

To find out more
about this Executive Assistant role, please go to More information on role here

Team Assistant in London West End

Mayfair based

Permanent

£35,000 – £40,000

To find out more
about this role, please go to: More information on role here

London is a great city to find a job that pays well. However, when you are starting your career, it is difficult to choose the best job option. Some jobs are dead-end jobs with little chance to get ahead. Project Assistant Jobs are not like this at all. Project Assistants get vital Project experience on their CV and this enables them to move up to highly paid Project professionals. Many become Project Managers that lead teams.

Project Assistant Jobs

This naturally means the possibility to get a role that is high paying. However, it is necessary to have the correct skills to become a Project Assistant. There is a mixture of skills that are required to get this Project Job.

• Administration Skills
• Time Management Skills
• Meeting deadlines
• Project Management Knowledge
• Good Excel Skills
• PowerPoint Skills
• Communication Skills
• Good Business Writing
• Team working
• Flexible and Adaptable abilities

Some of these are soft skills (people skills), but they are more essential for Project Assistants than other professions at a similar level. This is because it is a people-facing job. There are often difficult situations in Project Management that will clever usage of interpersonal abilities. However, a knowledge of Project Management is needed.

Careers in Project Management

This means that you need to take Project Management training to learn some practical concepts in Project Management and some of the Project Management models. This can be gained in a short course such as this CPD Accredited Training program, CLICK HERE.

This gives the skills and relevant qualifications, without this you may struggle to get a Project Assistant Job in London. Once you possess this base of knowledge, you can move into a job and potentially continue training in the field.

Many will opt to improve their career options by taking a qualification such as PRINCE2, Six Sigma, AGILE, Waterfall, PMP Certification or another.

This interview with Sarah Clarke is a great career story. Sarah was a teacher who needed to alter her career. She took our Executive PA Diploma and managed to find a great new PA Job in a prestigious Oil and Gas Company.

Prior to your Souters Course, what was your employment situation?

I was a teacher

What is your current job?

Front of House PA in an Oil and Gas Company

Why did you decide to take a Souters’ course?

To gain an insight into the role of a PA and how Executive Assistants relate to Executives

PA Careers

What courses did you complete at Souters?

Executive PA Diploma

What did you enjoy about the courses?

They were taught by people with professional backgrounds in a live tuition format; however, I could take my time to complete exams.

In what ways do you feel that the course has benefited you?

I have gained all the fundamental skills needed to perform the job; the IT skills have proven particularly useful.

Were you able to get a job following your course?

Yes; the course gave me an edge because the fact I persevered and passed all the exams showed a level of commitment which impressed the employer

In particular, how has the course benefited your career?

It has given me the confidence to apply for jobs which I otherwise would not have considered

What do you advise to anyone who is considering taking the course?

100% Go for it!

What are your future aspirations in your career?

I am hoping to move up to more senior PA and then EA positions

Would you consider taking another course to further your career and skill set?

Absolutely

New PA Job

Sarah has shared her story with us and it is an excellent example of how the correct training course, qualification and transferrable skills make a successful career change possible. PA Careers are a great option, as with the correct amount of experience, skills and Executive Assistant qualifications, many people can progress to high paid Executive Assistant jobs. Salaries in this area can be very good and the job content can be challenging and interesting.

Kate undertook a course with SOUTERS back in 2010 which enormously helped her to get a job at University College London, where she still is. She has just learned that she has been successful in her interview for a more senior role at UCL. She is now working as an Executive Assistant at UCL. So she decided to tell fellow Souters’ students about her career path and the massive impact on her job option due to the Souters PA Diploma.

Prior to your Souters Course, what was your employment situation?

Prior to completing the PA Diploma with Souters I was unemployed and looking for a PA job. I worked previously as a swimming teacher and wanted to go back to work as a secretary/PA, something I did for 10 years back in my home country (Czech Republic).

Were you able to get a job following your course?

Within three months of completing my course with Souters, I was shortlisted for a PA/Administrator role at University College London (UCL) and was invited to an interview after which I was offered the job.

Career Study of an Executive PA in London

What is your current job?

I am still with the same department since I joined UCL but my role evolved and I am now the Executive Assistant to Institute Director.

Why did you decide to take a Souters’ course?

I knew I want to go back to work in a higher education sector and I had plenty of experience, however, the experience was in a different country. I wanted to have proof for my potential employers that I can do the job in the UK too. Undertaking the PA Diploma with Souters provided me with that proof.

What courses did you complete at Souters?

I completed the PA Diploma at Souters. When I searched for PA courses Souters came up at the top of the search results. Their website gave me a good overview of the various courses on offer and I liked its central London position.

What did you enjoy about the courses?

The course took one month to complete with daily attendance (Monday – Friday). It was nice to be back in the classroom. The content was well balanced and we covered all the important tasks that PA undertakes. We also had touch typing and MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

In what ways do you feel that the course has benefited your career, especially now it is a few years since you took the course?

A while after I started my job, I asked my manager why they gave me the job and he said that it was the determination that I showed to get this job. Despite having experience in working in higher education, although abroad, I took a UK qualification to prove my skills and he knew that I will always deliver.

What are your future aspirations in your career?

I enjoy working as an Executive Assistant, the job is really varied and I do a bit of everything. I have developed an appetite for project management and would like to develop my project management skills further. I was just offered another job just now that has a large project management element in it and I am looking forward to the change.

What do you advise to anyone who is considering taking the course?

Education is always a good investment. Souters’ courses are very practical and the lecturers and staff are great. Pick what interests you and go for it.

Business Skills and Executive Trainer

Dylan is one of our top Business Skills and Executive trainers. He has extensive professional experience working at major Investment Banks in London and across Europe. Since 2012, Dylan has worked in training and has delivered both scheduled and tailored in-house training to prestigious organisations.

He has delivered courses in London, Abu Dhabi, Geneva, Amsterdam, Spain, Manchester and Dublin.

In 2017, he had notable training project achievement in developing, delivering the first Executive Assistant training programme that was to be delivered to an United Nations agency. Additionally, he gained Accreditation for our Executive PA Course, Executive PA Diploma and Executive Assistant Diploma.

He has developed and written new course material for several of our advanced scheduled courses that are aimed at Executive PAs and Executive Assistants. Here is a list of some of the training courses that he has published:

• Event Management
• Social Media Marketing for a PA
• Introduction to HRM
• Project Management for a PA

Testimonials

“Dylan made the course engaging and covered every aspect in great detail” – Robyn, EA to leadership team, KPMG

“Excellent course would definitely come back. Dylan made the course easy to listen to. Great knowledge. Great trainer” – Isabelle, PA to Directors, Santander

“Dylan was very engaging and he got the group dynamics to work well.” -Libuse, Hergeaths Light Limited

• self-motivated and trustworthy with good attention to detail;
• competent in prioritising and working with little or no supervision;
• punctual and organised;
• to have a good business telephone skills;
• to have a good knowledge of MS Office.

Responsibilities:

• Managing phone calls and correspondence (letters, packages etc);
• Answering the door;
• Keeping stock of office supplies and place orders when necessary;
• Filing and archiving;
• Preparing the meeting room and greeting clients;
• Looking after the building (booking the handyman, ordering necessary supplies);

Assisting colleagues whenever necessary;

The salary to be confirmed. Ideal for a new graduate from the Administration Courses.

This could be a great opportunity for one of your students to gain some experience in the office environment. If you could let me know once it has been advertised, it would be very much appreciated.