Ask HN: I’d like to hire a personal/executive assistant – any tips or advice?

Post by simonebrunozzi » Thu, Nov 25, 2021, 10:04 AM UTC

rewgs wrote: post #138

Throughout my 20s (in my 30s now) I worked as a film composer in Hollywood, land of personal assistants. One thing I took to heart was that the best personal assistants weren't looking to use the opportunity get elsewhere. What you want is someone who wants to stay 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 ra…

Post by simonebrunozzi » Thu, Nov 25, 2021, 10:08 AM UTC

koliber wrote: post #170

This 2 hour video from David Perell is a phenomenal explanation of all the things you ask about. It talks about hiring, onboarding, and working with a personal assistant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ug9fey6GhE

Post by krageon » Thu, Nov 25, 2021, 10:14 AM UTC

noway421 wrote: post #100

throwaway2331 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. It was mostly a tangent I wanted to write out. On "other duties," I think a lot of people have that mindset in a partner: mechanically do these things that benefit my emotional state, while I mechanically do my things that benefit their emotional state, and repeat until death. With the common form of payment being money and material goods, for material services. Transactional. A disheartening state of aff…

I think that's called caring for someone.

Post by Krisando » Thu, Nov 25, 2021, 10:49 AM UTC

krageon wrote: post #182

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Hire someone from roughly your own socioeconomic class and cultural background who won't be tempted to defraud you and just wants a low stress part time job while they work on some personal creative project The original argument was that you don't want someone who will be tempted to leave soon, because that then is a waste of the time spent training them. How about pay someone from a lower socioeconomic class enough…

It is a reality your employees will steal from you at some point, unless you pay them truly astronomical amounts (and even then...) When you have just one, perhaps you will get lucky. With multiple it is a matter of time.

Post by kortilla » Thu, Nov 25, 2021, 10:56 AM UTC

dkdk8283 wrote: post #159

abstract_put wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is definitely a weird thread in that regard. Maybe people aren't appreciating how many people will do all sorts of things for money? The more outrageous requirements require a more trusting relationship between employer and employee, certainly, and a skilled EA (or majordomo, it seems) is hugely valuable. My EA-style friend is in a major US city right now supervising the construction of a house - that absolutely…

I think the background outrage levels are abnormal, doesn’t take much for someone to be on tilt. Could also be some folks thinking if you earn enough to afford an assistant than you earn too much.