Being an executive assistant is a demanding but highly rewarding career path. To become a top-tier management professional, you need to possess certain skills and qualities. From being resourceful and proactive to having excellent organizational skills, here are 14 essential skills that will help you become a great executive assistant. A great executive assistant (EA) is resourceful, innovative, and proactive. They think independently and don't need much supervision or direction.
A good EA is a natural decision maker, with the ability to think under pressure and show good judgment. Not only do they help manage the internal work of the office, but they also maintain a balance between professional, family, and social obligations. In short, everything they do is to make their executive successful. One thing an EA can do to give their boss an incredible boost and free up time is to write ghost emails.
By using their experience and understanding both potential situations and the habits and needs of their boss, a great executive assistant can anticipate and overcome obstacles before they occur. The greatest quality of an executive assistant is their ability to speak and write in a clear, concise, and positive way that creates a good image of the company and the executive it represents. Today, many EAs are learning new languages and technologies to improve their performance working for global corporations. Data entry, record keeping, and record keeping are important parts of what executive assistants do, and keeping up with the latest applications and solutions on the market will undoubtedly make their work much easier.
The most effective executives reflect deeply on the parts of their workload that can be taken over or restructured so that they are partially taken over by the assistant. A good assistant quickly learns what an executive needs, what their strengths and weaknesses are, what can cause anger or stress, and how to best adapt to their personal style. From being reliable to planning ahead, there are several tips that can help you be an exceptional executive assistant in the future. It's no wonder that the best executive assistants possess otherworldly organizational skills. Some executives have assistants who listen to phone calls to organize and track actions. In addition, an EA must also know how to take into account everyone's travel preferences when creating the itinerary to make the trip more enjoyable and, possibly, a great success. An executive assistant who doesn't have the ability to prioritize tasks or who has a cluttered workspace isn't considered an efficient professional.
By acting as gatekeepers and problem solvers, EAs' responsibilities go far beyond basic administrative work. If this crazy but highly rewarding career path seems right for you, these 14 vital executive assistant skills will help you become a top-tier management professional.
