In this age of anti-gender stereotyping, men are taking on traditionally female roles, but some professions have been quicker to embrace equality than others.
More men are going into Personal and Executive Assistant roles, but they’re still a minority and in some companies even a novelty.
According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, women accounted for 94 percent of personal assistant and secretarial roles in the UK in 2017.
Matthew Maney, 34, from Prenton, Wirral, is about to start a new role as PA to the authors of the famous diet cookbook and blog Pinch of Nom.
Matthew previously worked for a wealthy family as their PA and Private Flight Attendant.
His role, for which discretion was of utmost importance, involved signing a disclosure agreement. He was responsible for arranging everything for family members from flights, top-level meetings, hotel accommodation and shopping.
His most unusual task was to fly back from Spain, where the family was holidaying, to pick up their dog – and his doggy passport – as they were all missing their pet.
“In the five years I worked for the family I flew all over the world,” says Matthew. “If you’re well organised and efficient this is a great job for you. I think the stereotype of the PA role as a lady who types letters and makes tea and coffee is very outdated. I do make tea and coffee, but I also liaise with the CEOs of major companies to set up meetings. These skills are not gender based.
“I’m the kind of person who knows where everything is in my house and if it’s one of my friends’ birthdays I’ll organise every single part of it, down to the tiniest detail. That’s the kind of person I am. I’m a very good multi-tasker.
“The White House appointed its first male PA in 2011 and I think many in the industry are getting wise to the fact that men can make great PAs. It’s also an excellent stepping stone to other jobs.
“As a PA you have to be a people person as you’re dealing with all types of people from the bosses of huge global organisations, to the boy who delivers the post. You’ve got to be good at reading people and situations and acting accordingly. Gender shouldn’t come into it.”
PA and secretarial recruiter, Lily Shippen, who has placed Matthew with his new employers, says: “A PA is a great job, regardless of gender, but men are starting to see the benefits and opportunities of such roles. Matthew is a natural – he’s experienced, versatile, personable, highly organised, hard-working and has the intelligence to handle situations efficiently.”
Lily says, although no specific qualifications are necessary to become a PA, people start as an administration assistant and work their way up, or go on PA training courses to learn the necessary skills.
“Salaries can vary depending on the industry and individual that you are supporting. PAs and EAs in Manchester can typically expect to earn between £30,000 – £40,000 per annum depending on experience and Private PAs in London can earn anything up to £80k. Bonuses can also be very attractive if the PA supports a senior individual or entrepreneur.”
Nice work if you can find it. However, despite efforts to achieve gender equality in the workplace, both candidates and employers still resist men working in roles that since the second world war have been dominated by women — and sometimes called “pink-collar jobs”.
But that is changing, albeit slowly. The EPAA (Executive and Personal Assistant Association) conducted a ‘Not Just a Girl’s Job’ Campaign, in 2017 and received 50 responses from male Executive and Personal Assistants from across Europe, North America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
However, its survey revealed that 42% of participants had experienced negative comments from colleagues based on inaccurate and outdated gender stereotypes.
The issues raised by survey participants ranged from colleagues questioning their ability to perform the role to a satisfactory standard because of their gender, to people making assumptions about their sexuality because of the outdated cultural stereotype of the EA/PA role being a female career choice.
One participant was rejected for a role because they ‘wanted a pretty face’.
Recent statistics used by the ONS for the Business Support Profession have placed the gender split as high as 94% female to 6% male for the UK!
There are very few professions in the UK which operate under a similar percentage and have this ratio of women to men.
Says Lily: “As a PA, you are often trusted with confidential information and have the opportunity to add real value to a business or individual(s).
“As technology evolves, PAs are required to add value in different ways and this is often seen by people taking on project, event or portfolio/property management which can be extremely rewarding and appealing to individuals. The career opportunities are endless. ”