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America Ferrera’s on-screen antics as the hilarious bespectacled PA Betty Suarez in the hit US comedy Ugly Betty have inspired massive interest in a new body developed to represent the interests of PAs in the UK.
The Association of Personal Assistants (www.paprofessional.com), which represents Britain’s half-a-million Ugly Betties, has been inundated since the show took Britain by storm earlier this year. Gareth Osborne, director general of The APA, said: “We are delighted with the way Ugly Betty highlights the outstanding work of personal assistants. We have noticed a large increase in the number of people wanting to know the best way to launch a career as a personal assistant and even more wanting to be recognised as a professional PA.
Betty handsomely portrays the role of a typical PA. She is under constant pressure in a world of instantaneous communication and disastrous consequences but always has her boss’s best interests at heart.” In the show, which attracts millions of viewers around the globe, Betty is constantly getting boss Daniel Meade out of all manner of scrapes while juggling a complicated personal life.
“She uses her intelligence and wits to keep her boss ahead of the game like our members do day in and day out,” said Osborne. “In the series Betty might come across as being a bit daffy but at the end of the day she wins through and gets things done which is what a good PA always does. Gone are the days when a PA was an office-based note-taker and glorified secretary. PAs are the guardians and gatekeepers of business leaders and as such wield great influence. The modern PA is a sophisticated communicator, outstanding time manager and consummate pacifier of demanding challenges. She or he will often be offering advice or guidance in the boss’s absence and regularly operates close to the top of the command chain.
It is no coincidence that Richard Branson went to great lengths to hold on to his PA Penny Pike for 30 years while he built his empire,” continued Osborne. The APA estimates there are more than 500,000 PAs, 80 per cent of which are women, working in Britain’s 3.7 million businesses. The organisation aims to represent their interests and ensure they have access to the latest and best practices in their field and to recognise their skills and talents as well as the essential role they play in Britain’s economy.
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