If you want to be successful in selling yourself as an executive assistant, you need to be professional, organized, and take initiative. You must also be able to handle sensitive information with care and communicate effectively. It is important to focus on the interviewer's needs and avoid showing any negative traits such as self-interest, arrogance, distancing, and insincerity. Be genuine and courteous in your questions and answers, and try to find common ground with the interviewer.
When you are in the interview, make sure to clarify the amount of time the interviewer has planned for it. Show your respect for their time by using phrases like “Thank you” and “I appreciate it”. This will demonstrate how you will interact with senior leaders, which is essential for being a trusted member of the team. It is also important to create a professional portfolio that can prove your worth.
Executives are under a lot of pressure, so they may become demanding and put a lot of pressure on their assistant. It is important to be prepared for this situation and show that you can handle it. When I was first starting out as an executive assistant, I was able to prove my worth after just a year and a half. A board-level director sought me out to work as his executive assistant.
This experience taught me the importance of being prepared and showing that I could handle the job.
