While the Clergy only has a 0.81% probability of automation, according to data from the book “The Future of Jobs” the author believes even algorithms might one day replace the ordained! Earlier this year I attended one of the ‘Banter series’ at the Bullitt hotel entitled ‘The Robots are coming’ there is no doubt that artificial intelligence is here and growing at a rapid rate.

At the event there was a very lively discussing about artificial intelligence and jobs it will replace in coming years especially in manufacturing and supermarket sectors but equally about the ‘soft skills’ that robots can’t replace. I attended this event with one of my fellow Belfast PA Network committee members. Both Lorna and I can do our jobs because of cloud based technology, apps and smart devices but more so because of our emotional intelligence and emotional intelligence is something that can’t be taught to a robot (at least not yet!).

This week I’ve researched venues for Christmas dinner, put together course materials, made travel arrangements for a business trip, taken the minutes at an HR investigation case and make lots of diary appointments. Does this sound like pretty much your average day too as a PA? The big difference for me is that I’m self-employed; I completed these tasks for several different clients and I didn’t have to beat terrible traffic to go to work because I’m a Virtual (Personal) Assistant, a “VA”.

There are 4 questions that people already in administrative industry invariably ask me when I tell them I’m a VA: