Working as an assistant for the super-rich with a salary of up to $ 400,000 a year

Due to scarcity, the salary of a senior assistant position for super-rich bosses in the US can reach $400,000, but sometimes a PhD is required.

America's elite is facing a crisis of lack of senior assistant directors. The market is too few people who are good enough to handle complex tasks but humble enough to take on tedious tasks.

These are the people who not only help book private jets, but can also "multitask" to handle the company's income statements and prepare the owner's favorite wine list.

The Wall Street Journal notes this labor shortage affects many businesses and is also disrupting the work of the super-rich. So, in order to hire someone who can prepare documents for board meetings and manage housekeepers and drivers, some entrepreneurs are asking headhunting services for a job title. higher to work as an assistant to them as the director of human resources.

Recruiters say that a senior assistant to the super-rich is a job that requires a rare combination of good ability and humility. Some bosses even hire assistants with a doctorate degree to handle high-level administrative tasks, but also do the job of preparing coffee for them.

Currently, the annual salary for such demanding positions is around $200,000 in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. People who have the ability to make their bosses' busy lives simpler and meet all their needs can claim salaries of $300,000, even $400,000.

"They're willing to pay those salaries," said Teresa Leigh, owner of a company that recruits senior assistants to the super-rich. However, according to her, high salaries also come with great sacrifices.

The expert said some jobseekers took leave as soon as 72 hours due to unpredictable schedules, endless to-do lists, demanding travel and a sense of loneliness, clearly separated from the upper floors. upper class.

As a result, she tries to convince employers of the limits of what senior assistant job applicants can do. In her view, demands like an assistant serving alcohol like a housekeeper or cleaning up dog poop on a rooftop are inappropriate.

Michelle Reisdorf, talent agency expert and Robert Half consultant, says some of the tasks that used to be a senior assistant, such as answering phones and organizing paperwork, have now been automated. However, the professional requirements or other tasks are increasingly high.

Accordingly, bosses with millions of dollars in income are always on the move, and are even less bound to offices in the Covid era. They want assistants who can handle professional and personal issues easily and can give full decision-making authority.

Not long before the pandemic, Alyssa Ahkuoi resigned from her job as an assistant director because she still had to do simple things like buying stationery or stocking food in the office refrigerator. Now, she works as a remote senior assistant through Upwork, a freelance network, and doesn't have to be subject to such chores.

She says she feels like a business partner with the CEO she serves, providing input with expertise on certain projects. Alyssa Ahkuoi is 29 years old this year. She also has no intention of returning to her previous job as an offline assistant.

The scarce supply of senior assistants is also due to the difficulty of finding young millennials and Gen Z. Tiffany Maughn, 51, an assistant to a consulting executive, said she's heard many young people say they don't want to be in a service job like hers.

Ms. Maughn has worked as an assistant to executives and wealthy families for more than two decades. She is proud to help them manage their work more effectively and live happier lives. Of course, career paths alternate between joy and sadness.

There were cruises, parties and times when she felt like a confidant and a senior advisor to her boss. However, she also received scolding for spelling mistakes, 3am phone calls and times when she managed to fix a leaky faucet in the hotel.

She has a memory of her former employer - who paid her $150,000 a year - of being fined along with two other assistants for putting bananas in the fridge, instead of on the counter.

She now wants to stay with her current boss until retirement, although she is often invited to interview for positions with a salary of $200,000, plus bonuses. Becoming an HR director - what she describes as the pinnacle of the profession of a senior assistant to the super-rich - can take income to another level.

However, it is a title without a clear definition or sometimes without any significant difference from the role of an assistant manager. The biggest difference is probably salaries that can exceed $300,000 a year, according to Stephen Candland, Private Staff Group Expert.

Marta Baranowska was appointed chief of staff after several years as assistant manager. However, she still took time off to look for a new challenge. She wanted to try serving European royalty. Currently living in London, she knows 5 languages, the ability to behave tough but friendly.

"I've been hunted a lot, especially this year. The salary is high, I've been able to travel the world and I've learned a lot," she said.