How to Become an Executive Assistant
Want to become an Executive Assistant, but unsure where to start? With decades of experience as virtual Executive Assistants, our team has the lowdown on what it takes to become an EA. We’ll cover the skills you’ll need, what jobs are best suited to help you grow those skills, and how to finally snag that dream Executive Assistant position in the C-suite!
What skills do I need to become an Executive Assistant?
Executive Assistants are typically “jacks of all trades,” who’ve gathered experience across many different competencies. Because EAs wear so many hats each day, their full skillset can seem overwhelming for someone trying to get their foot in the door. We’ve put together a list of the 20 top skills we look for at 33Vincent, but to keep it simple here are six primary buckets that these skills fall into:
Communication: This skill is vital to an Executive Assistant’s work because not only are they communicating daily (and usually multiple times a day!) with high-level executives, they are also often communicating with colleagues on behalf of their exec. Having strong written and verbal communication skills enables clear, succinct, professional, and effective collaboration to keep their exec’s work moving forward.
Problem Solving: Much of an assistant’s work revolves around solving problems. They do this by creating effective systems and processes, or SOPs, for recurring responsibilities or issues. Whether that is a process for managing complicated travel, a chaotic calendar, or an overflowing inbox, each of these tasks requires a strategic and systemic approach. Anybody can delete emails or book a flight, but only an Executive Assistant can turn these tasks into methods that boost their executive’s overall efficiency.
By being able to identify a challenge and solve it through a strong system and process, an EA’s work goes beyond simple administrative tasks!Organization: Systems and processes are most effective when they are organized. Organization will also help your exec, and even their entire team operate more effectively. Whether it’s files on a computer or full project planning, next-level organization is a must.
Proactivity: Because of their role as a gatekeeper to their executive, EAs need to look beyond what’s directly in front of them, seeing further “down the road.” By anticipating needs as well as potential pitfalls, they’re paving the way for a smooth drive. The ability to “see around corners” is really just developing the habit of stopping and asking yourself, “what could go wrong here?” and then planning for that scenario.
It might sound complicated, but it’s really not! Here’s an example: One of our Executive Assistants had a client with a pretty bad food allergy. Before a business trip, she did 20 minutes of online research to find out what nearby hospitals accepted her exec’s health insurance, just in case there was a need.
Sadly, there was indeed an emergency, but because of her proactivity, the exec knew where to go immediately—saving thousands of dollars, loads of stress and worry, and potentially their life!
Proactivity can also be positive, beyond just anticipating what could happen. It’s all about taking the next step and asking the next question.Confidence: An expert EA will not only be confident in their skills, but they’ll also demonstrate this confidence in their everyday tasks and communication. Whether that is serving as a gatekeeper for their client’s calendar or managing up to their exec to keep them progressing towards their goals, this confidence goes a long way in keeping their exec on track to do their most high-value work.
Resourcefulness: Apps and tools are vital to an Executive Assistant’s work. Whether it’s finding the fastest way to get something done or responding to a travel emergency, EAs are constantly seeking answers. Even if they don’t know something right off the bat, a good EA will be able to find solutions and act upon them—quickly.
These buckets cover a unique combination of “soft” and “hard” skills which can only be developed through time, experience, and a heap of determination. And while education and certifications can aid in learning some of the hard skills, a lot of these skills come through experience in other roles that provide on-the-job training.
What jobs help me gain Executive Assistant skills?
There are many entry-level and mid-level jobs that will help you gain the experience and skills needed to become an Executive Assistant. Often these roles are focused around administrative work, though some are more technology or communication-driven:
Receptionist
Administrative Assistant
Office Assistant or Office Manager
Communications Coordinator
Research Associate
Event Planner
Customer Service Representative
Project Manager
Legal Assistant / Paralegal
This list is not all-inclusive. Many other roles where you organization information, coordinate projects, and keep a team moving can provide an outlet for developing and honing the skills needed to become an Executive Assistant.
Internships and volunteer positions can also help you gain these skills, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box to leverage available opportunities and accelerate your path to becoming an EA. Before I was an Executive Assistant, it was through volunteer leadership positions with university organizations and nonprofits where I learned to coordinate people, processes, and other chaos, which is often what being an executive assistant is—a coordinator of chaos!
How can I find an Executive Assistant role?
An added benefit of gaining experience through these entry-level jobs is that you can often leverage your time in these roles to level-up to an Executive Assistant role within the same organization. Starting as an administrative assistant or receptionist within an organization is a great way to gain skills and demonstrate them to upper-level leadership.
In these roles, aspiring EAs can demonstrate their trustworthiness, ability to problem solve, resourcefulness, and professionalism. EAs are often privy to very confidential information and have more interaction with senior executives than administrative assistants, so using administrative roles as a launchpad to showcase your skills is beneficial to land the EA role. This blog post from Snack Nation explains more ways to demonstrate a service-oriented mentality in order to become an EA.
Another avenue is becoming a virtual executive assistant, and we just happen to know a place...
33Vincent is a dynamic community of remote Executive Assistants doing critical work for world-changing clients. Our remote EAs create and determine their own workflows, steering their hours, work product, and interactions with clients.
Not only do our virtual assistants have the opportunity to work where and when they do their best work, but they also do it with the support of an incredible online community of other top-notch remote EAs. Whenever a challenge or question comes up in client work, our EAs are able to lean on others to provide recommendations and assistance. We are the best mixture of an independent work style and online community!
Start Your Executive Assistant Career
If you think you have what it takes to become an Executive Assistant, we’d love for you to learn more about freelancing with 33Vincent.
If you’re looking for an in-person or salaried role, we have you covered there too! Consider joining our “Productivity Post” newsletter. We send helpful tips (and Executive Assistant job openings!) every other week. No spam, no selling, just useful info for EAs!
33Vincent has many other resources to help you maximize your time and communication with your executive assistant.
