Why I love being a PA at Unilever

Even though I have done several different jobs in my career, including working as an administrator in France and Spain, I have always considered myself to be a Personal Assistant at heart. I am the kind of person who is highly organised and wants to get things done – just what you need if you’re going to take responsibility for managing another person’s diary, travel plans, emails and day-to-day working life.

So, unsurprisingly, I am really pleased that I have managed to build a career for myself as a PA. And I am happy that I have been able to do it here at Unilever. My current role involves two VP’s as well as assisting the wider Global talent team, which means there’s always lots to keep me busy and I find myself facing different situations and challenges every single day.

Here are five other things I really love about being a PA at Unilever.

People with Purpose – being part of something worthwhile

 I find Unilever to be an inspiring company to work for in lots of different ways, whether it’s our commitment to sustainability, our efforts to reduce our environmental impact, or the work we do all over the world to enhance people’s lives. The Unilever Foundation is instrumental in much of this work, and involves us working in partnership with five leading global organisations – Oxfam, Population Services International, Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

There are two other company projects that make me really proud to work here. One is the series of Dove campaigns we are doing, where we’re trying to create a realistic body image and help women feel more confident about who they are. The other is the fact that we put a self-imposed limit on the number of calories in any ice creams we make that are advertised for children.

For my part, I organised a volunteering team building day with Plan Zheroes, an organisation whose aim is to connect businesses that have surplus food with charities in need of food around Kingston. The activity was highly fulfilling for all team members.

Opportunities to learn and develop

There is a strong learning and development culture at Unilever, and you are encouraged and supported to keep improving all the time. For example, I was able to attend a three-day first-aid course this year, which will help me gain skills that will be useful not just in my job as a PA but also generally.

Your physical and mental wellbeing

Unilever goes out of their way to support employees with their physical and mental wellbeing (Unilever UK was named winner of the Bupa Employee Wellbeing Award this year). Personally, the fact that we have an onsite gym here at our Kingston upon Thames office is one of the things that makes working here so enjoyable. I’m someone who likes to get in early and work really hard all through the morning. Going to the gym at lunchtime is a great way to de-stress. I always come out feeling refreshed and ready to power on through the afternoon.

The perks!

The gym is just one of the many perks of working at Unilever. For example, we also get free fruit and ice cream (that’s why we need the gym!). Plus there’s an onsite shop where you can pick up lots useful stuff at discounted prices. Flexi-working is one of our other great benefits. I’m lucky enough to work from home each Friday, which is also when my VP’s have to do their admin – it’s very useful to have some quiet time out of the office when I know I’ll be able to get all that work done.

Sense of satisfaction

This isn’t specific to Unilever but it’s still probably my favourite thing about the job. Knowing that you are helping another person (your boss) to be the very best they can be every day? That’s what makes being a PA so rewarding.

For more information about Unilever and our career opportunities, follow our company page on LinkedIn.