Competency interview questions and answers for PAs

Every Personal Assistant (PA) interview is unique, but you’ll likely face certain competency-based questions at this stage of the recruitment process.

Learning to answer them starts with preparation, so in this article, we’ll share five questions commonly asked in PA interviews and how to answer them.

Examples of Competency-based Questions for PA Interviews

Most interviews for personal assistant roles follow a competency-based framework which tests your previous experiences. 

To show how well-suited you are for the role, follow the STAR technique when you prepare. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result, and using this will help you showcase your achievements and competency for the role.

Let's look at some of the most popular questions interviewers will ask personal assistants.

Q: What have been your most significant achievements so far?

By combining professional and personal achievements for this answer, you can show who you are as a person and as a personal assistant. Examples include securing your first mortgage to working your way up through a company, or something else entirely.

Get creative and don’t be afraid to show off your personality with this one.

Q: Can you give me an example of a positive change that you have made within an organisation?

To answer this question, provide examples that show you in the best light, but don’t speak for too long about how great you are. Keep your answers short and impactful for the best results.

An example answer could be a system or process you introduced in a previous role that helped your former employer manage their time more effectively. Follow the STAR technique to keep your answer well-structured and easy to digest and you’ll be onto a winner.

Q: Can you give me an example of a time you have worked with a difficult person and how you dealt with them?

Most PAs will be asked about their interpersonal skills in a competency-based interview, and this is your chance to demonstrate how you’ve previously dealt with a situation yourself, rather than referring it to HR or somebody else.

Remember, with any negative questions like this, make your answers positive to demonstrate how you rose above the situation and learned from it. It also doesn’t hurt to inject some humour to show that the difficult person you worked with didn’t damage your self-esteem or resilience.

Q: Can you give me an example of a complex task you have worked on and how you ensured its success?

PAs have to deal with complex tasks all the time so you shouldn’t struggle to think of an example for this one. Make sure you use something that relates to the role that you are applying for and again, use the STAR technique to help provide structure.

Q: Can you give me an example of how you have handled multiple priorities?

To answer this question, you should articulate the capabilities you have to handle multiple priorities such as flexibility, communication skills, working with different personalities, and time management.

Again, it’s worth having one or two examples that demonstrate these abilities because they will undoubtedly come up in an interview for a personal assistant role.

Now that you’ve read our competency-based questions and how to answer them, it’s time to line up some job interviews and put your knowledge into practice. This is where Search comes in.

Let Search Executive PA help you land your next job interview

Whether you’re seeking a new role supporting a chief executive, or fancy the prospect of working with multiple directors, our team of consultants is on hand to support you at every step of the job application and interview process.

Contact us to find out more about how we can help your job search, or apply for Business Support jobs today.