Business professionals who find themselves overwhelmed with daily job responsibilities can suffer burnout and decreased productivity. Some may hire personal assistants. These assistants are not employed only by chief executive officers, directors and managers, but by celebrities, home-based entrepreneurs and busy moms. The personal assistant's primary responsibility is to help lighten her employer's burden. Their job duties can vary significantly depending upon the needs of her boss.

Telephone Calls & Emails

Personal assistants often answer phone calls and email messages for busy professionals. The assistant should be discerning enough to determine if a call or message is urgent enough to interrupt her boss. For non-urgent messages, the assistant generally takes down the information and later relays it to her employer. On occasion, she may be required to make outgoing telephone calls or send outbound email messages for her boss.

Make Travel Arrangements

Personal assistants may be responsible for making their employer's travel arrangements. This includes booking flights, car rentals, and hotel and restaurant reservations. The assistant makes sure her boss has a copy of the travel itinerary. To make these arrangements, the assistant usually has access to her boss's credit card or financial information. For this reason, the assistant must be trustworthy and may be required to pass a criminal background or credit check as a condition of employment.

Administrative Tasks & Errands

Personal assistants help with administrative tasks, such as creating documents and PowerPoint presentations, assisting with bookkeeping, organizing and managing files or performing Internet research. The assistant may also run errands for her boss. She may make bank deposits, pick up lunch or drop off bill payments. It's a good idea for a personal assistant to have a driver's license.

Diary Management

Business professionals typically have a diary or planner that includes a detailed breakdown of daily activities. The personal assistant uses this diary to schedule appointments and meetings for her boss and to send out reminders to keep him on track.