Applying for a personal assistant job? Even if only one person will likely be reading it — your future boss — an exceptional personal assistant cover letter is imperative.
While the boss’ boss might offer advice and others in the organization may have an opinion, the only person who really matters is the one you will be working for. There is no closer working relationship than that between a boss and personal assistant. This makes it uniquely challenging to write a job-winning personal assistant cover letter.
For expert advice and support with every cover letter preparation step, Resume.io is a leading international resource. We’ve created more than 180 occupation-specific writing guides and free cover letter examples. In addition, we offer formatting tips, plus field-tested templates and builder tools to help you create both resumes and cover letters.
This writing guide, along with a corresponding personal assistant cover letter example, will discuss:
- The personal assistant job role
- Why a cover letter is important
- The best format for structuring a cover letter
- Optimal impact of each cover letter part: header, greeting, introduction, body and conclusion
- Writing psychology — what bosses look for in their future personal assistant
- Common mistakes to avoid when writing your personal assistant cover letter.
What personal assistants do: glide like a swan while paddling furiously
What is the secret hope and fear of every boss hiring a personal assistant?
Personal assistants must be able to handle a large amount of work. If able to cope, they will be of tremendous assistance, but a horrible hindrance if they struggle.
Managing a personal assistant who adds a burden rather than relieves it is the secret nightmare of every boss. It would be politically correct to say they would help their new employee to develop and learn. But the reality is that bosses simply want someone who can get on with the job and add value by gliding serenely through the challenges.
Even if this is not always going to be possible, it’s the impression that all personal assistants should convey in their cover letter: “It doesn’t matter what comes my way. I will deal with it as effectively as I can, and I will make every effort not to disrupt my boss.”
When you are facilitating the success of a high-flying manager, this is far from easy.
Project an aura of control. You are in charge of your workday.
On the other hand, avoid the cover letter pitfall of trying to make the ordinary sound extraordinary. You can only be so efficient in organizing someone’s diary, so describing yourself as “amazingly efficient” is over the top.
While many personal assistant tasks are relatively straightforward, the edge you can have over other job applicants is the ability to organize your time to get as many of them done as possible. That must come across in your cover letter.
Control over what is going on around you is your superpower. Sometimes you will need the help of others to get things done and sometimes you will be able to do it yourself. But the outcomes are ultimately yours to dictate. The best personal assistants are able to influence others and pull the organization's strings to keep things running smoothly for their boss.
Secondary purpose
At the heart of a personal assistant’s role lies the ability to get things done with people who would otherwise have asked the boss for help. Some personal assistants are (unfairly) described as gatekeepers because of their ability to stop unwanted distractions and keep their bosses focused on what matters. But in fact, the best personal assistants are genuine enablers. They help others get things done that their boss would otherwise have to deal with.
In that way, top personal assistants are useful to a far wider circle of colleagues. Your personal assistant cover letter should make it clear that you understand your value to the wider business. You see that your ability to solve other issues means there's less for your boss to worry about.
The best personal assistants exhibit a large degree of selflessness and generosity. Of course, you will still have to say “no” to people a lot — after all, you only have one boss. But the more you simplify your boss's workday, the easier you make it for the boss to focus on what really matters.
Give examples in your cover letter of the ways you bring benefit to the wider organization. Show how you will help the boss’s relationships with others, as well as lightening the load.
Talking about your impact on others is important in any job search, but for personal assistants working as an extension of their boss, it is vital.
For more inspiration, take a look at some related cover letter examples in the administrative category:
- Customer service representative cover letter sample
- Administrative assistant cover letter sample
- Receptionist cover letter sample
- Office administrator cover letter sample
- Office assistant cover letter sample
- Office manager cover letter sample
- Administrative officer cover letter sample
- Secretary cover letter sample
- Call center cover letter sample
- Administrative cover letter sample
- Front desk receptionist cover letter sample
- Virtual assistant cover letter sample
Why you need a cover letter — connect with your future boss
A key purpose of any cover letter is to establish a personal connection with the hiring manager at the firm where you want to work. In that regard, it serves as an essential companion document to your resume, which is much more impersonal. Regardless of occupation, all job seekers should include a cover letter with their application, even if it’s not explicitly required.
For a personal assistant job candidate, the personal connection goal of a well-crafted cover letter is especially critical because it’s aimed directly at your future boss. At the same time, the job role expectations for may be less clear-cut than they would be in other instances — say, for a marketing manager or ICU nurse position.
Your role as a personal assistant will be hugely dependent on the requirements, strengths and weaknesses of your future boss. Other than gleaning a few hints from what may be a hastily written job description, it is incredibly hard to get into the mind of prospective bosses and understand what they need before you meet them. It is therefore tricky to target your application letter to fit the role.
On the other hand, there’s an upside to simply portraying yourself in the most open and honest way possible. Simply outline your most relevant, satisfying and enjoyable experiences. Let potential employers make their own gut-feeling decisions based on what they are looking for. Their choice may not be a perfect job description fit, but rather the best personal fit.
The ideal outcome would be a future boss you will get along well with. Anything less and your boss may be fooled, resulting in a situation that doesn’t last long or is miserable.
Best format for a personal assistant letter
Your personal assistant cover letter should follow the same basic structure that is recommended for all occupations. Each of the following cover letter components serves a specific purpose.
- The cover letter header
- The greeting
- The introduction (or into)
- The letter body
- The conclusion
- The signature
An overview of each section and some general advice is provided in our overall guide to writing cover letters. Now, let’s explore each one in a personal assistant sales context.
Dear Mr Wallace,
I have saved previous construction employers millions and countless weeks by spotting mistakes, troubleshooting issues and repairing relationships.
Few construction projects run smoothly, but it is often the job of a personal assistant to ensure that workflows get back on track. If pride yourself in deeply understanding the process, you can offer a valuable perspective to a boss who is often too busy to notice the finer details.
For a construction PA to add value, they have to get involved with more than scheduling, meeting planning, and invoice management. At Filler Construction, I worked with the procurement team to save over $2.5 million, I coordinated efforts with the sales team to bring 45 new corporate clients on board, and I managed the logistics of 250+ staff and contractors.
Additionally, I was a regular in our corporate box at every baseball game. Great relationships are key to winning more business, but even more important when things don’t go to plan.
I would hope to replicate the following achievements with you at Vlasker:
- Coordinated employee engagement efforts to improve metrics by 24 points.
- Managed and prioritized an increase of 60 percent in client communication with my boss.
- Project managed introduction of a new CRM system — doubled outbound marketing.
I have an honest and straightforward communication style and will always seek to push through improvements where I see possible. I am not afraid to challenge those around me and aim to add value by thinking as well as doing.I have many more stories of how my PA activity has made a tangible difference to the success of my employer and would welcome the opportunity to discuss them at interview.
Sincerely,
Mary Blake
Cover letter header
Attention to the small details is the hallmark of any personal assistant. Your cover letter should demonstrate that right away by including the essential contact information in the header.
Get this basic step right and you can then focus on the core messages of your letter. It is standard to provide the same header information — ideally with a matching design — in both your resume and cover letter. You never know when the inspiration to invite you for an interview might strike the hiring manager, who needs access to your your contact information at first glance.
An additional reason to ensure your cover letter header is complete and properly formatted is for scanning by the applicant tracking systems (ATS) software that many organizations use. One function is to enter your information into the recruiting database. It’s wrong to assume every HR department does this task manually. Just as your resume should be ATS-optimized, it is exactly the same with your cover letter.
The aim of the cover letter header: share your contact information with your prospective boss and for scanning by the ATS software.
Cover letter greeting
The formality of your cover letter greeting may seem like a relatively small detail. Yet, it can have a significant bearing on how your letter comes across. If a contact person is indicated on the job application instructions, that is who your cover letter salutation should address by name.
“Dear Mr. or Mrs. X” is the safest greeting format. Only if you know the hiring organization is acceptably informal should you use the greeting “Hello” or “Hi.” If in doubt, always err on the formal side.
If you do not know the recipient's name or job title, “To whom it may concern” may be acceptable, but not likely welcomed by many employers these days, when personality and workplace culture fit are important recruitment considerations. A far warmer variation might be along the lines of “Dear Company Name Team” or "Dear Personal Assistant Hiring Team."
There is an argument for researching the hiring manager’s name if it is not clear. But discretion is advised, if there is any chance of seeming a bit presumptuous. If you don’t know who will be reading your cover letter, it’s best not to second-guess it in your cover letter greeting and risk offending the right person.
The aim of the cover letter greeting: start the letter off on the right note.
Cover letter greeting and introduction
The introductory sentences of your personal assistant cover letter should paint a compelling picture of your motivations at work. As previously discussed, it's risky to try second-guessing what an individual boss might be looking for. But if you are as candid as possible about what makes you tick, the chances of finding a perfect fit are far higher.
Use descriptive language to show prospective bosses the sort of person that they will be spending the majority of their time with. Describe what it is like to work with you and think about what sets you apart from the typical personal assistant. What is your special brand of fairy dust?
Cover letters are often read after the resume, so make sure you double down on any core messaging. Don’t be concerned about repeating some of the messages from your resume summary. Make sure you use different language. But if you have something worth emphasizing, then the first few lines of your cover letter are not the worst place to do it.
The aim of the cover letter introduction: Make an impact by getting to the core of why you come to work.
Dear Mr Wallace,
I have saved previous construction employers millions and countless weeks by spotting mistakes, troubleshooting issues and repairing relationships.
Cover letter body
The body of your personal assistant the cover letter is where you show that your previous experience matches up to future job role expectations. While you might still be uncertain about the type of person required, it should not be too hard to explore what the job may entail. Read between the lines of the cover letter and think about the demands that may be placed on your boss.
Make sure that your examples of past accomplishments are not mundane descriptions of responsibilities. This will add no value to the understanding of who you are as a person. Include personal stories that show how you made a difference and add some warmth and personality.
The body of your cover letter allows space to expand on your relationship skills. While the introduction might contain an adjective or phrase hinting at your personable approach, the middle section is where you introduce seeds of the stories you wish to tell when interviewed. There have no doubt been countless occasions when you succeeded despite the odds. Mentioning them here sets the stage for telling the full story at a later date.
The aim of the cover letter body: Tell a couple of stories about your experience and hint at what you want to discuss when interviewed. Sound like a person, not a job description.
Few construction projects run smoothly, but it is often the job of a personal assistant to ensure that workflows get back on track. If pride yourself in deeply understanding the process, you can offer a valuable perspective to a boss who is often too busy to notice the finer details.
For a construction PA to add value, they have to get involved with more than scheduling, meeting planning, and invoice management. At Filler Construction, I worked with the procurement team to save over $2.5 million, I coordinated efforts with the sales team to bring 45 new corporate clients on board, and I managed the logistics of 250+ staff and contractors.
Additionally, I was a regular in our corporate box at every baseball game. Great relationships are key to winning more business, but even more important when things don’t go to plan.
I would hope to replicate the following achievements with you at Vlasker:
- Coordinated employee engagement efforts to improve metrics by 24 points.
- Managed and prioritized an increase of 60 percent in client communication with my boss.
- Project managed introduction of a new CRM system — doubled outbound marketing.
Cover letter conclusion and signature
You want your application letter to end with one thought firmly planted in the reader’s mind: “this person could be the one to make my working life a dream.”
Personal assistants live and breathe for the success of those they work closely with. So conveying a passion for the success of others — and not only your immediate boss — would be a great sentiment to express in your final words. If you show confidence in your ability to do this, you will go a long way to allaying the boss’s fears of whether you will fit.
It is also entirely acceptable to end with a call to action. You might see yourself as a junior member of the team, but this is no reason to feel unworthy of asking for an interview.
Personal assistants make a huge difference to the effectiveness of management in an organization. Setting out your case clearly, saying you are keen to meet for an interview, is another way of letting your confidence shine through.
The aim of the cover letter conclusion: Project your personality with confidence, and so the impression that you might be “the one” will linger until the interview.
I have an honest and straightforward communication style and will always seek to push through improvements where I see possible. I am not afraid to challenge those around me and aim to add value by thinking as well as doing.I have many more stories of how my PA activity has made a tangible difference to the success of my employer and would welcome the opportunity to discuss them at interview.
Sincerely,
Mary Blake
Writing psychology – what are bosses really looking for?
While a personal assistant’s job description might seem a little functional and uninspiring, most bosses will be looking far beyond whether you can manage a social media stream, co-ordinate internal meetings or touch-type so fast that the keyboard starts to smoke.
It's likely the softer personality aspects will decide who is hired, no matter what the official job description might dictate. So, what do bosses really want?
- Sounding board: Many bosses actively ask their personal assistants for advice. Few people will be closer to that role and have the opportunity to be impartial. So although it might not be in the job description, show you can be a confidant(e) to your boss and that you are not scared to share your thoughts if asked.
- Emotional support: Most bosses are under immense pressure to deliver. With the plague of mental health issues an ever-present threat in office settings, supporting your boss through tough moments is a critical part of a personal assistant’s role. Again, this will never be written in a job description, but sometimes a boss needs a friend as well as an organizer and gatekeeper.
- Independent spirit: There are times — weeks and even months — in a boss’s career when the bandwidth is not available to develop the personal assistant's talents. The boss simply needs someone to come in and do an awesome job. This independent streak is often very important. If you need training or development, you can go and seek it yourself. Again, this won’t be in the job description, but it will be secretly valued by any boss who is interviewing you.
Word choice matters!
Select your words wisely when writing a cover letter. Using categorical and complex language rather than merely self-centred phrases is more likely to result in a job offer, according to research published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment.
Common mistakes in a personal assistant cover letter
Avoiding errors and close attention to detail are very much part of a personal assistant’s DNA. So, it's a huge red flag if certain mistakes appear on your personal assistant cover letter. You will be writing emails to a large number of important people and communicating messages that cannot be mixed up, so your boss will rely on you to get it right every time.
Here are three (albeit obvious) things to avoid when you are writing your personal assistant cover letter:
- Be fanatical about punctuation and grammar. When you are writing a few carefully constructed sentences, there is no excuse for spelling errors or glaring grammatical slip- ups. Evidence of carelessness and disorganization is impossible to ignore.
- Keep it professional but friendly. While much has been written in this guide about the importance of relationship-building skills, the bottom line is that there must always be a professional edge to everything you do. It is entirely possible to be professionally friendly; that is the image you must convey.
- Don’t just talk about yourself. When you are a personal assistant, your job is measured by your impact on those around you. Make sure you talk about how you improved the working lives of your current or previous boss and colleagues. When you dedicate your working day to one person, a cover letter that only talks about you seems strange.
Key takeaways for a personal assistant cover letter
- Aim your letter towards your future boss — make it a personal appeal to them.
- Think about the hidden agenda behind what your boss is really looking for.
- Project an aura of control. You are in charge of what is going on around you.
- Give some depth to your examples, not just a list of your responsibilities.
- Show attention to detail by avoiding common grammatical mistakes.
With Resume.io, writing a cover letter that complements your resume is the gateway to your dream job. Download one of our professionally designed, field-tested cover letter templates today and use the cover letter builder tool to finish in no time.
