The PA & Administrator Network
The PA & Administrator Network offers development, support and networking opportunities for all staff who perform a PA or administrative function as part of their role. Job titles may vary from Executive Assistant (EA) and Personal Assistant (PA) to Office Manager or Administrator, amongst others!
These staff members perform vital roles within the College and can experience isolation within their local work environment. The networking group aims to rectify this by providing access to tailored development opportunities and sharing experiences with like-minded colleagues.
The POD and a group of PAs jointly developed the initiative to disseminate good practice, increase collaborative relationships, and maximise the developmental opportunities available at Imperial.
To support this initiative, a dedicated PAAN MS Teams site has been set up for all members to use as a platform to communicate, collaborate and interact, as well as to exchange knowledge and professional experiences or advertise training and vacancies.
These interactions are guided by the PAAN digital communication etiquette, aligned with the Imperial values to ensure that the network continues to have a vibrant and engaged group that works for everyone.
PAAN has successfully reduced the sense of isolation and forged links between colleagues doing similar roles.
Things we’ve done...
We’ve held forums covering topics such as Assertiveness, Action Learning Sets, Myers Briggs assessments, coaching and shadowing opportunities. We’ve arranged a variety of presentations from various Directors across the College and external guest speakers such as a previous PA of the Year (who gave a very inspirational talk) and a member of the AUA (Assoc. of University Administrators).
PA & Administrator Buddy Scheme
The PA & Administrator Network Buddy Scheme is a voluntary and informal scheme available for all staff new to PA and administrative roles. It offers a point of contact, a ‘friendly face’ for New Starters, and creates links with staff that share similar responsibilities. The Buddy Scheme web page provides further details and options to request or become a Buddy for new staff.
How to find out more and get involved
If you would like to join the group, please submit your request using this form.
To contact the PAAN Committee, please contact the pa-admin-network-committee@imperial.ac.uk or any of our volunteer committee members: