Our Blog
Answering The Questions We Hear You Asking The Most
When I was first coming into the industry I struggled with a variety of ignorances. It was so overwhelming that it was difficult to know where to start, what questions do I ask and who do I call to ask them. This is one of the very few industries (the only one I know of) that there is no common or widely known guide to the industry. From what skills you need, what education is recommended or even how to find a job. It’s not like in the Edwardian Era and before when you were born into the industry, now it’s a career choice. A career path with no obvious door, paved roads or signs pointing you in the right direction. My hopes are that these posts help guide future professionals along a smoother path than I took. Please comment with your thoughts and perceptions to help guide your fellow professionals towards success.
What Makes a Great Housekeeper
When we think about what makes a house shine, it's not just about the sparkle on the surface; it's about the hard work and dedication of a great housekeeper behind the scenes. But what makes a great housekeeper exactly? It's someone who can manage the upkeep of a...
Developing Leadership Skills
In private service, developing leadership skills means more than just telling people what to do. It's about guiding your team to do their best and creating a place where everyone works well together. Good leaders in private service make sure that everything gets done...
Mastering Effective Communication in Household Management
As a Household Manager, you have a lot on your plate, from dealing with clients to collaborating with coworkers and supervisors. Effective communication goes beyond just talking – it's the key to ensuring everyone is on the same page. Without it, there's a risk of...
A Guide: How to Set Up Your EstateJobs Notifications
These guides on how to set up your EstateJobs notifications are there to help make your job search and career journey easier and more informed.
A Guide to Preserving Professional Boundaries at Work
Within the typical workplace setting, it’s important to conduct oneself professionally. This sets the tone for mutual respect and collective productivity. For each of us in Private Service, the challenge is even bigger. We must be friendly and professional at the same...
Why Your Choice of Staffing Agency Matters
The days grow shorter, leaves start to fall, and there's a slight chill in the air. As the year races to its close, many folks begin thinking of the busy holiday season ahead. Maybe you're considering hiring some extra hands to make things smoother in the coming...
Peter Van Ryder in the Media
Silver Swan Recruitment - Life in Private Staffing The 14th episode of "Life in Private Staffing" features Peter Van Ryder of Estate Management Solutions, in conversation with Philippa Smith, Founder and MD of Silver Swan Recruitment. With a decade of...
Life in Private Staffing S2 Ep 14 Podcast
I recently spoke with Philippa on her podcast, "Life in Private Staffing". We discussed Estate Management Solutions, the company I founded, and our dedication to serving high-net-worth clients. Our conversation highlighted the complexities of staffing, training, and...
Mastering the Dos and Don’ts in the Private Service Industry
In my recent appearance on the Private Chef Podcast with Hannes Hennche, we discussed the importance of soft skills and emotional intelligence in the private service industry. I shared my personal journey transitioning from hospitality management to becoming an...
Prepare Your Estate for the Holiday Season
The holidays are approaching, and nowis the time to start preparing the Estate for the Holiday Season. But where should you begin? Who is going to help create the magic that ushers the holiday spirit and seasonal warmth. This is where the Private Service Professional...
Our Advice on Pre-Employment Trials
Starting a new job is exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking. This blog expounds on how the different parties involved see pre-employment trials and how to navigate them toward success. Let's imagine that you're at the stage wherein the perseverance and hard work...
The Private Service Professional’s Library
In today's fast-paced world, Private Service Professionals are expected to be experts in a multitude of areas, from etiquette and event planning to household management and personal shopping. With so many responsibilities on their plates, it's no wonder that even the...
Selecting The Right School For Your Path
With 2023 fast approaching, one of the many things we will be deciding in the coming months is where to spend our hard-earned money and sparsely available free time regarding career development for the Private Service Professional. Therefore, I thought it would be the...
Painfully Honest Advice for Your Private Service Job Hunt
There are plenty of metaphors around becoming a Private Service Professional, but the one that resonates most for me relates to samurai sword making. Strong PSPs are forged in fire by highly trained experts and tempered by experience to become extremely valuable tools...
Networking & Socializing and their Impact on Mental Health
Your Mental Health is YOUR responsibility! As Private Service Professionals, we take great pride in what we do and tend to hold ourselves to a higher work standard than a vast majority of others, at least in our minds. But our industry is less of a “job” or “work”...
Easemakers Podcast Ep.17 – Tension Between Estate Managers and Interior Designers
Another wonderful surprise to be asked to return to the microphone and create another podcast with the wonderful people over at Easemakers!!! In this episode, we addressed the longstanding tension that arises between Household & Estate Managers and Architects...
Jump Start Your Private Service Career
If it seems that finding a career in private service is more challenging than in the corporate world, that’s because it is! Let’s jump-start your private service career with the right résumé, networking, and interview skills highlighted below. Have the Proper Résumé ...
Hiring Locally vs. Relocating a Candidate
As a private service placement agency, it is our job to source the proverbial "perfect candidate." The question here is where does the “perfect candidate” come from. One of the myriad of criteria will always remain the matter of the Principal's comfort, especially...
Clubhouse Chat: Leadership by Anthony Barlow
Estate Management extraordinaire Anthony Barlow shares his leadership tips that focus on connecting to and developing staff through hands-on guidance, regular meetings, and establishing genuine connections. He asserts that investing time in your team fosters a...
Standing Out -10 Things to Consider when Branding Yourself for Domestic Managers and Staff with Jeff Snider of JSDesigns
Jeff Snider of JSDesigns opened with: "If I had 5 seconds to give you my best advice on personal branding–for any individual or profession really–it would be this: Stand Out." That can mean a lot of things, but once you unpack it, it really boils down to is standing...
Four Key Consistencies
What's something hard to find and almost impossible to recover once lost? Your integrity. When we think about integrity, we typically see it as a trait on the same level as honesty or truthfulness. However, we could protect our integrity if we saw it as the sum of our...
Decorum in Private Service Networking
The relationship between a Principal and their Private Service Professionals can be amazing. Mutual respect, clear boundaries, and well-defined expectations help everyone enjoy their work and professional arrangements. But sometimes, specific issues that can disrupt...
EaseMakers Podcast Featuring Your Favorite PSP!
What questions should candidates ask in interviews to get a clear understanding of the principal? Why does ghosting happen? In the latest episode of the Easemakers Podcast, we asked Peter Van Ryder to share what he’s learned as a private service professional turned educator and recruiter.
ClubHouse Audio Networking
One of the little treasures that I have discovered over the past several months, thanks in large part to Latricia Friend of Household Management Services, is ClubHouse. Latricia has created a platform using ClubHouse and her “room” called the 5-Star Service Club to help reach Private Service Professionals and bring them together to chat about Private Service related topics
A Brief Chat About The Essentials Of Household & Estate Management
Donna Shannon of Personal TOuch Career Services spends a few minutes chatting with Peter Van Ryder of Estate Management Solutions about their Essentials of Household & Estate Management course.
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