Soft skills such as organisation, multi-tasking and calm professionalism count as much as sector experience.
Reception roles are a genuine route upwards, heavily involved in the operational support of the business.
Job stability matters: around three years in one role is considered a decent tenure.
Executive assistants in smaller firms often hold substantial, varied and very well remunerated hybrid roles.
Private equity firms attract top candidates for their business support roles due to the excellent remuneration and benefits on offer. Exceptionally high standards are the norm. While sector experience is generally preferred, the soft skills required to make the business support seamless (being highly organised, skilled at multi-tasking, professional and calm under pressure) are regarded as equally important.
The different roles in Business Support
Roles include receptionist, team assistant, personal assistant, executive assistant, and office manager. Often candidates start as receptionists and work their way up. Reception jobs are no longer just ‘meet and greet’ roles but are heavily involved in the administration and operational support of the business.
Team assistants typically support business teams (between three and fifteen people), managing diaries, travel, expenses, and reports. Executive assistants are more senior, acting as their boss’s right hand. Theirs is an immensely important job requiring unwavering professionalism.
In smaller companies, executive assistants sometimes manage a few senior partners, as well as covering the office manager role. Those roles are often quite substantial, varied and very well remunerated.
Skills and Experience
Graduates are often preferred, with some clients insisting on degrees so that their EAs truly understand the sector. Relevant experience within private equity, venture capital, family offices, or investment banking is highly valued.
Job stability is crucial. Short stints at various companies are regarded with suspicion; an average of three years in one role is considered a decent tenure.
The Office Manager Role
The office manager is the eyes and ears of the office, overseeing day-to-day operations, supervising staff, managing budgets, and coordinating projects like office moves. It is incredibly varied, with no two days being the same.
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