Executive assistant jobs vs hiring a personal assistant? How to choose which one

As a founder or director, you may be deciding whether your first support hire should be an Executive Assistant (EA) or a Personal Assistant (PA).

Your diary is full, your inbox keeps filling, and the team needs more of you. You have likely been browsing personal assistant jobs and executive assistant roles to see what fits.

This quick guide below offers a practical way to choose the role that will help you the most right now.

The real choice behind an Executive and Personal Assistant

Both roles support leaders, but they meet different needs. A Personal Assistant keeps the week running. They manage the diary, arrange travel, tidy the inbox and handle administrative support so tasks are done on time. An Executive Assistant works alongside you on priorities. They prepare briefs, plan meetings, organise information for decisions and keep projects moving with timely follow up and project coordination.

As a quick answer, If day to day admin and diary management are creating pressure, a Personal Assistant will keep the essentials running smoothly. If direction, decisions and planning next steps are slowing you down, an Executive Assistant helps you focus and move work forward.

The simplest way to decide is to note where your time goes. Then choose the role that tackles the biggest share of that list.

3 simple ways to decide with confidence

1. Map your week for seven days. If most hours disappear on scheduling, email and bookings, begin with a Personal Assistant. If your time gets lost on decisions, meeting preparation and follow ups, an Executive Assistant is likely to add more value.
2. Name three outcomes you need in the next quarter. If you want faster responses and a tidy diary, that points toward a Personal Assistant. If you want better decisions and smoother projects, that points toward an Executive Assistant.
3. Match the scope to your budget and pace. You can begin by hiring your assistant part time and build as your needs grow. Start with a clear task list, review after a month, then expand the role as your needs change.

A real example and a practical takeaway

A founder I recently worked with reached a stage where their client work was healthy, yet internal follow up kept slipping. When we reviewed a typical week together, it became clear the delays were caused by jumping between tasks and meetings without preparation, rather than just sheer admin load. The answer was to bring in an Executive Assistant for three days a week with a clear brief for meeting preparation and executive support on project follow up. Over the next month, decisions were made sooner, suppliers received quicker answers, and the founder reclaimed two quiet mornings for planning and client work.

Another client chose to hire a Personal Assistant first to handle travel, invoices and bookings. That eased pressure on the essentials, freeing time for planning and having deeper client conversations. Both choices worked because they addressed the real need rather than chasing a job title.

In summary

If you are weighing Executive Assistant versus Personal Assistant, start with the work on your desk and the pace of your week. Personal assistant jobs and executive assistant jobs both add value, but the biggest difference comes from choosing the one that frees the most time and helps you serve customers well.

If you would like to talk it through, share your top three outcomes and I will come back with a couple of recommendations.