Graduate / Gap Year - Practical Assistant / Personal Aide
Job Types: Fixed term contract, Graduate, Internship
Contract length: 4 - 12 months
Pay: £25,000 - £34,000 per year
On clicking apply, you will be redirected to my recruitment website where you can find out more information and submit your application.
This is a fantastic opportunity for:
A new graduate seeking time to plan your next career steps
Someone here in the UK on a working holiday visa
A student taking a gap year before or after university
About You
You are bright, talented and capable and you could become one of the people who make up a team of PAs who make my busy life practical. You don't necessarily need to have any specific previous experience.
You enjoy being active, outgoing and friendly, and helpful. You are organised, practical and self-motivated, with observation skills and the ability to think ahead. Your friends can always rely on you. You may not yet have as much confidence as you feel you need, but you are thoughtful and good with people, and you ask questions and enjoy learning. You are looking for the opportunity that will make you competitive in your future career.
Right now, you need to earn money but at the same time you want to take a positive next step. You might also want time for travel, volunteering, or a personal project.
Why This Job Is For You
This role will give you a unique opportunity to gain skills that don’t come from a classroom. In this job, you get at least 14 days off per month (yes, you read that right – per month!) and you can be based or living anywhere within a few hours travel of Cambridge because you will only travel to work once every two weeks, staying for several days at a time before going home again.
You need to be able to commit for at least four months, and the longest anyone stays is one year.
NOTE: This role has an unusual flexible and residential work pattern, and due to its nature, there are eligibility criteria which are Genuine Occupational Requirements under the Equality Act 2010. Please read the further information on my recruitment website to ensure that you meet all the requirements before applying. You can only apply directly from the website.
About Me
I’m an Independent Employer in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. I’m supportive, innovative and bold. My goal is to develop the careers of certain young people who each spend up to one year supporting me. While I lead a full and happy personal and professional life without letting my physical disability stand in the way, you gain skills, knowledge and confidence that will set you up for a brilliant onward career, in whatever you want it to be!
The work environment includes:
Food and accommodation provided while on duty
Loads of time off (two weeks per month!)
Growth and career development opportunities
A stepping stone to many different careers
Positive about Youth Employment
I’m an educated professional in my forties. I’m a Civil and Commercial Mediator, resolving people's disputes before they get to court, and I also run a small engineering social enterprise which provides technology for disabled people. I have a sense of humour and a can-do approach, which is necessary for me to achieve as much as I do. I live with my husband and our energetic dog, and when we’re not working, we lead a busy, happy and active home life too. I do everything that anyone else in my position does, but the difference is that I live my life with a physical disability that means I’m extremely weak.
I use a powerchair and I need to have someone alongside me (you!) at all times to help with the simple things that my condition prevents me from doing for myself. Basically, this job is to lend me your arms and legs and use your brain to make it all look easy! It's a role which is very varied, and you can make as much of it as you wish. There's personal care and support for my health and fitness, it involves helping me as I do my job, there's cooking and stuff in my home, and I will rely upon you to organise things, so it is physically and practically possible to do everything I want.
The residential working pattern of this job means that you live-in day and night for up to five nights at a time, and then you have twice as much time away from work. You can be paid a regular salary for committing to this, or you can work on a zero-hours basis and choose when you work. During each shift you stay with me in my home, or accompany me wherever I go, to be available as and when I need help.
Currently recruiting for graduates to start in summer 2026, but there is also a rare opportunity for a short-term gig: four months only from February 2026.
On clicking apply, you will be redirected to my recruitment website where you can find out more information and submit your application
