If you're considering a career as an executive assistant, you'll need to possess a range of skills to become a top-tier management professional. Tenacity and determination are essential traits for executive assistants, as they often have to deal with difficult people and challenging situations. Resilience is key to staying in the position, as executives can be very demanding and picky. In addition to having thick skin and tolerance, executive assistants must also be ingenious.
They need to be able to learn how to use new systems quickly and easily, and differentiate between what is urgent but not important, what is important but not urgent and what is urgent and important. Executive assistants must also be able to give their tasks 100% of their attention, even if their thoughts are focused on all the pending tasks that they need to tackle next. They should also stay up-to-date with the latest applications and solutions on the market, as well as have the ability to propose alternative solutions and think quickly when faced with day-to-day problems. Above all, great executive assistants take changes in stride and rarely get carried away by changes in their routines.
Here's a list of 14 vital executive assistant skills that will help you become an outstanding management professional:
- Tenacity
- Determination
- Resilience
- Thick Skin
- Tolerance
- Ingenuity
- Technical Competence
- Prioritization
- Attention to Detail
- Persuasion
- Data Entry
- Record Keeping
- Anticipation of Needs
- Adaptability
