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You’ve probably seen executive assistants supporting fashion designers or high-powered publishers in movies, but their role goes far beyond what’s portrayed on the screen.
In reality, executive assistants oversee the day-to-day operations of an organization at the highest level, and they can be found in nearly every industry. If you’re an organized individual with strong problem-solving skills, then becoming an executive assistant can be the perfect career for you.
Let’s take a look at what executive assistants do, how to become one, and what their career paths look like.
What Is an Executive Assistant?
Contrary to what you may have seen in movies, executive assistants are not personal assistants. Instead, they provide high-level administrative support to executives and senior-level employees.
Some of the tasks that executive assistants are responsible for include:
- Scheduling meetings
- Offering strategic advice
- Accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll
- Managing corporate travel arrangements
- Delegating tasks to other team members
- Communicating with clients and stakeholders
While many executive assistants can be found in metropolitan areas working for large-scale corporations, their services can extend to a variety of industries. Some of the most popular industries that they support include technology, finance, healthcare, and entertainment.
Our Executive and Personal Assistant course teaches you everything you need to know to become an effective assistant and achieve a successful career.
How Do You Become an Executive Assistant With No Experience?
While many employers prefer executive assistants with prior experience in the role, it’s still possible to become one if you have the right work background, education, and skillset.
An executive assistant isn’t considered to be an entry-level role, and it’s typically gained through experience in other office roles. Before becoming an executive assistant, many people started as:
- Office assistants
- Office managers
- Receptionists
- Administrative assistants
- Project managers
Some employers require their executive assistant to have a degree in business administration, but most don’t require a formal degree at all. That being said, upskilling your knowledge through formal courses can equip you with the education needed for the role and set you apart from other candidates.
Looking to upskill your knowledge? We offer a wide range of Administrative courses that can teach you everything from organization to administrative office procedures.
Skills of an Executive Assistant
Executive assistants handle a wide range of tasks crucial to their organization’s success. For this reason, they need to develop a variety of hard and soft skills.
Hard skills are technical abilities and specific knowledge that are required to perform the job effectively. Some hard skills that are important for executive assistants to have are:
- Calendar management
- Project management
- Data entry
- Office procedures
- Accounting
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software
Soft skills relate to how well you work as an individual and with other employees. Some soft skills that executive assistants must possess are organization, coordination, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Read our related article to discover 6 ways to improve your soft skills.
What Does an Executive Assistant’s Career Path Look Like?
Most people start their careers in lower-level office positions and work their way up to becoming an executive assistant. Becoming an executive assistant is not only a rewarding career in itself, but it offers the opportunity to grow within your career and take on higher-level roles.
After becoming an executive assistant, you’ll be able to qualify for a variety of specialized roles. For example, you can specialize as an office manager and oversee administrative operations, or you could become an operations manager and handle day-to-day activities at a higher level.
Becoming an executive assistant can also open the door to executive and senior-level roles. These roles can include chief of staff, director of administration, and executive operations manager. As you continue to gain experience and hone your skills, you’ll pave the way to these specialized and higher-level positions.
Read our related article to learn what the lean process is and how it boosts efficiency in the workplace.
How Much Can Executive Assistants Earn?
An executive assistant’s salary can vary greatly based on several different factors:
- Location
- Company size
- Experience
- Education
- Job responsibilities
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for an executive assistant is $73,680. That being said, it’s common for newcomers to the role to be paid a little less and experienced individuals to be paid a little more. On the low end, you could make around $45,000 per year, and at the highest end, you could earn upwards of $100,000 per year.
Kickstart Your Executive Assistant Career at the REDC
The Regional Economic Development Center at Yavapai College is here to help local jobseekers kickstart their career as executive assistants.
Our courses are online and self-paced, allowing you to get the education you need without having to sacrifice your busy schedule. Whether you need to hone your professional skills or learn new ones, our courses offer the flexibility to advance in your career at your own pace.
Explore our vast course catalog andcareer resources today to discover how you can get started in a fulfilling career.