Become an executive assistant: EA job guide

Advancing your career to an Executive Assistant requires you to adapt into a dynamic and ever-evolving role. Having a focus on delivering exceptional results is integral and building a strong relationship with your Director or Manager is extremely valuable to be able to meet and succeed their expectations.

Want to show you’ve got what it takes to thrive in an EA role? Let’s go through some top tips to demonstrate the skills you need to be an exceptional Executive Assistant, and on top of that, a business asset.

Open communication is key

Maintain an open dialogue with your Director or Manager so that they can best manage their own time. If an Executive Assistant does not deliver what is expected of them or is unavailable to their Director or Manager at crucial times, this can jeopardise trust placed in you delivering the desired results.

Clear communication lines allow you to understand the needs of the professional you are supporting, whilst building a healthy working relationship at the same time

In a high-pressured role, knowing when a task is urgent and taking action to complete it with priority can also help take the stress out of a situation!

Master task management

It’s important to prioritise tasks, understand your core responsibilities, and recognise those times when you need to show initiative to meet expectations. In a high-pressured role, knowing when a task is urgent and taking action to complete it with priority can also help take the stress out of a situation!

As the first point of contact, it is your duty to ensure that all emails, phone calls and other communications received are recognised. Even during busy periods, it is crucial that you manage your time and even if you are unable to complete the task immediately, sending a simple email to acknowledge you received the message in the first instance is a must.

Go above and beyond

Going the extra mile is a good trust builder. Rather than simply completing a task assigned to you, consider going above and beyond what is asked from you by providing various solutions to problems that arise and investigating options before you present them to ensure they are feasible and achievable.

Ever heard of under-promise and over-deliver? It’s a handy approach to ensure that when you deliver, you’re exceeding expectations!