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When you’re considering PA training, it pays to be clear about your reasons for attending. For instance, why are you taking a course in the first place? And why that particular course? What are you looking to get out of it?

Being clear on these points is important because this can have a huge effect on how you learn and what you take away from the course.

If you are just attending a PA course “because everyone else is”, or “because the boss thinks it’s a good idea” – or, even worse, “it’s a day away from the office” – you’ll be in a less-than-positive frame of mind.  You will not be focussed on learning new skills or networking with your fellow delegates, and it’s unlikely that you’ll retain any of the information from the course. You will probably return to the office feeling frustrated, complaining that it wasn’t as good as you thought it would be, and unable to understand why other delegates got so much from the course.

However, knowing why you want to attend PA training and what you want to gain from it will make all the difference to how you perceive your training and how you go on to use your newly-acquired skills. You will find that your positive attitude creates a positive result!

There are many reasons why PAs attend training courses. Some come along to learn new skills or brush up on existing ones. Some wish to gain a greater insight into their role. Others may have been away from training (or on a career break) for several years and are now getting back into the swing of things.

Understanding your motivation will help you in all sorts of ways. You will have a clearer idea of what you want to achieve and will be able to see how your training will help you reach your goals.

You will also be able to see “the next step” and how you get there – whether it’s through further training, gaining promotion, changing jobs, or taking a sideways step (moving into a supervisory role or event management).

Your motivation is personal to you. It won’t be the same as your fellow delegates’ or even that of your colleagues. So make sure your training is in line with what you want, that it helps you reach your goal. In short, make sure your PA training works for you.