Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?
Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood, land of personal assistants.<p>One thing I took to heart was that the best personal assistants <i>weren&#x27;t</i> looking to use the opportunity get elsewhere. What you want is someone who wants to <i>stay</i> in that role, because as a lot of other comments here point out, it takes a lot of time for the person to learn enough about you to become truly useful rather than a time suck or a liability. I.e. you want someone who just wants &quot;a job&quot; and doesn&#x27;t necessarily want to move on from it. If they want to use this job as a rung on the ladder on the way to where they really want to be, they&#x27;ll be gone before they&#x27;re super useful.<p>Meaning: you must pay them quite well, and not work them too terribly hard. Remember that this is someone who works to live. Give them firm boundaries and time off. Make them feel valued; you get out what you put in in this regard.<p>This should of course go without saying, and for any employee, not just a personal assistant. But it seems to apply extra here.