A quick note before you start: this is a longer read, about 2,500 words but I wanted to share my story in full. If you’re reading this with a coffee, you’re in for a proper sit-down piece that charts my journey from apprenticeship to EA. The Beginning - My journey into the EA and PA [...]
Manchester has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s most dynamic tech hubs. With a thriving ecosystem of startups, scale-ups, and established global players, the city continues to attract ambitious entrepreneurs and investment alike. As these businesses grow, the demand for operational excellence and strategic business support has never been greater, and that’s where [...]
What In-House EAs Can Learn from the Virtual Assistant Model […]
I was sat soaking up the expectant chatter, just observing. A room full of Executive and Personal Assistants, and I felt it. As I always do. That unspoken buzz, part admiration, part quiet self-check. A mix of competition, sharp minds, big energy, calm confidence, and that little voice in the back of your head wondering: [...]
Can You Really Have It All? […]
Our original blog, How To Become a Private PA, published in 2020, remains one of the most-read articles on the Lily Shippen website. It continues to attract readers looking for practical advice on how to build a successful Private Personal Assistant (PA) career. As the demand for Private PAs increases, we have updated our advice [...]
Over the past year, we’ve seen a rise in professionals exploring a career change into PA (Personal Assistant) and EA (Executive Assistant) roles. At Lily Shippen, it’s something we’re asked about almost weekly. Many people want to know how to break into this competitive field without prior experience. […]
When I embarked on my career as a Legal PA in 1991, the workplace looked vastly different from what it does today. Computers were in their infancy, and the tools I relied on were a typewriter and a hefty amount of manual organisation. Back then, the idea of machines assisting with complex tasks or making [...]
In 2024, I highlighted a major issue on my LinkedIn with the National Careers Service’s (NCS) website. Their salary guidance for Personal Assistants was outdated and significantly undervalued the profession. At the time, they listed the average salary for a PA as between £18,000 to £35,000 per annum, a figure that simply did not reflect [...]
The role of a Chief of Staff has become increasingly prominent in businesses of all sizes, from innovative start-ups to global corporations. Despite its growing importance, the position is often misunderstood, with many unclear on what a Chief of Staff truly does. This misunderstanding is compounded by common misconceptions that frequently blur the lines between [...]
