Writing a Good Job Description
A job description clearly describes the job tasks and working conditions. It also ensures employees understand what you will expect from them. A good job description can also be a tool for reviewing job performance. These do not need to be long and complicated. They should be easy to understand and flexible enough to deal with changes in the your situation. A job description may include:

• Job Title: For example, “Personal assistant.” List of Duties or Tasks Performed: The list contains an item by item list of tasks and responsibilities for the personal assistant. The list should contain each duty or responsibility that is critical to the job.
• Description of Working Relationships: Who supervises the worker? This may be most important when the worker reports to someone other than the person using the services. For example, an adult child may supervise his or her parent’s workers.
• Education/Experience: For many personal assistants, relevant education or experience may be preferred but not required.
• Required Skills: What skills must an applicant have in order to be qualified for the position? You may want to keep this list as short as possible to increase the number of applications you receive.
• Preferred Skills: What skills and abilities would you like your personal assistant to have? You can be as creative as you wish in this area.
• Physical Requirements: Physical skills and abilities (such as standing, lifting, bending, carrying, etc) that are a required part of the job.
• Job Location: Say in general where the work will be performed (for example, “in a private home in Portland”).
• Pay: Include the range of pay you will offer.
• Hours: State how many hours per week, what time of day, and which days of the week you need services, if you know.

Adapted from: http://www.onlinewbc.gov/docs/manage/descriptions.html

Writing a Good Help-Wanted Ad
If you put an ad in the newspaper or online, you want it to be a good one, especially if you have to pay for it! Your ad usually won’t include everything in the job description, so here are some helpful hints for deciding what to leave in and what to leave out:

• Provide enough information so that candidates who aren’t right for the job will screen themselves out of the process and save you time.
• Keep your ad simple – include information that will help someone decide whether to apply, but leave out extra details.
• Look through help-wanted ads for other personal assistants and learn from ads you think make a good impression.
• If you can, make the job title big and bold so it stands out from other ads.

Reaching People with Information about Your Job
Here are some ways to reach people who might want to apply for your personal assistant job.

• Maine PASA Connections
  This website has information about people who want personal assistant jobs.
  http://www.mainepasa.org/Connections/index.htm
• Word-of-mouth
  Tell everyone you know (friends relatives, neighbors, etc.) that you are looking for a personal assistant. Family and friends are the most common source of workers. Word of mouth is a great way of advertising - and it’s free!
• Flyers
  Try putting up flyers or cards on local bulletin boards. You can find bulletin boards in church lobbies, supermarkets, senior centers, schools and libraries. However, use caution in the amount of information you put on a flyer. Never post your address on a flyer.
• Local Colleges
  Many colleges have programs that help students find work.
• Local Papers
  Place an ad in the local newspaper.
• Online Postings
  You can post an ad on-line for your personal assistant job on a variety of websites, although these services are not always free. Here are two sites in Maine you might consider:
  
  • MaineJobs.com
    http://mainejobs.mainetoday.com/postajob/?a=n

Personal Safety When Advertising for a Job
Using the newspaper or Internet to find a personal assistant carries some risks. Here are some tips for protecting yourself and your privacy when you’re hiring a personal assistant:

• Never give personal information to someone you don’t know.
• When you interview, you may want to tell someone you trust when, where and with whom you will be.
• It’s a good idea to verify the applicant’s information before an interview. Check references if you can.

Also, remember that job applicants who have posted their information on this site and most other sites have not been pre-screened. You are responsible for screening applicants, just as you normally do when hiring workers using other tools, such as newspaper ads.