What does an Executive Assistant do?
An executive assistant coordinates and provides high-quality administrative support to the executive team. An executive assistant's role may also include analyzing documents, preparing research reports, and occasionally supervising staff members. As such, executive assistants function as an integral and indispensable part of the office and can be found in any industry – government, education, retail, hospitality, recreation, and more.
Many executive assistants begin their career path as an administrative assistant, eventually being promoted into an executive assistant role. The best executive assistants are outgoing, have an eye for detail, and work well with a wide variety of personalities.
- Schedule appointments, and maintain and update supervisors' daily calendar
- Coordinate travel arrangements, prepare itineraries, plan logistics, and submit expense reports
- Screen all incoming phone calls, inquiries, visitors, and correspondence, and route accordingly
- Maintain confidentiality of highly sensitive information
- Manage complex office administrative work requiring the use of independent judgment and initiative
- Bachelor's degree required or equivalent work experience
- 5 years of experience in administrative support functions
- Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with a strong attention to detail
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Power Point), Adobe Acrobat, and social media web platforms
- Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders
Executive Assistant Salaries
Average Base Pay
Executive Assistant Career Path
Learn how to become an Executive Assistant, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Executive Assistant Insights
Neiman Marcus“Everyone I interviewed seemed so lovely and I was honestly very excited and looking forward to starting employment here”
Hg“Onboarding was super welcoming and the best experience I have had of starting a new role”
sfa design“You get to be apart of one of the best design teams in LA and work with the coolest clients”
Horwich Farrelly“The pay isn't amazing but not bad considering the positive aspect of the job.”
Investcorp“Far far too quiet and the job description in the interview was not what the job actually was.”
ECG Management Consultants“Some really smart consultants who were fun to work with and made coming to work enjoyable.”
Pepperdine University“There is a great sense of team work and have a commons goal of helping students.”
Bjak“Working here also gives me great adv when it comes to problem solving and creative thinking to solve customer issues.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of an Executive Assistant
- Secretary
- Personal Assistant
- Executive Secretary
- Controller
The most common qualifications to become an Executive Assistant is a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree and an average of 0 - 1 of experience not including years spent in education and/or training.