executive assistant

Key tasks of an executive assistant include:

• managing an executive's calendar and schedule: you are the gatekeeper who strategically manages the CEO's time. You plan their schedule based on their goals and priorities. You field meeting requests and create a working calendar to ensure the senior manager has time for all appointments.
• receiving phone calls and managing emails: you manage all communication with the senior executive. That includes picking up phone calls on their behalf and organising their email. You also organise their correspondence in order of priority.
• planning and facilitating meetings: your core responsibility involves planning and facilitating meetings, from client appointments to upper management meetings. You set up in-person or virtual meetings by finding the appropriate time for all parties and preparing the executive for the meetings. During meetings, you record the proceedings and transcribe them for parties who were unable to attend.
• coordinating travel: an executive assistant plans all travel for senior-level managers. You ensure a smooth travel experience by organising flights, transportation and accommodation. You also prepare the itinerary and plan your schedule if you accompany the executive.

You work primarily in an office environment. You have the freedom to work alone, but being cooperative and collaborative with other office staff is part of your job. Your usual workplace depends on your executive's location. The travel plans you organise enable you to see the world. You may also work remotely or from home. Expect to interact with all executive staff members as a go-to person from whom they derive information. Since you work alongside top-level executives, you should maintain strict professionalism and always wear business attire.

As an executive assistant, you can work in any industry. Your colleagues might include admin assistants, chief executive officers, finance analysts and finance managers. You also work in close proximity to marketing managers and operations managers, as well as other specialists that could include programme managers, managing directors, sales director and vice president of sales.

The executive members of your company work full time. Your schedule will be adaptable to the needs of the executive, and some of your work may fall outside ordinary business hours. You have weekends off if your staff can meet the routine needs of your office.

As an assistant, your role is an executive one, and few people reach this level without flexibility. Thus, the time you invest in your job has the potential to overlap with your personal life. Top performers accept some inconvenience when giving their all to the job.

The outlook for executive assistants is good due to the competitive nature of corporate and executive workloads. Top-level executives find it difficult to maximise their productivity without someone helping them handle the smaller tasks. Businesses with executive branches weather economic storms better than small to midsize businesses. The strength of an executive team ensures career opportunities in various economic conditions. Your earnings also increase over time. The longer you hold a position as an executive assistant, the more money you will be able to demand. In your career, you have the potential to work with a single person or lead an entire group.

Finding your executive assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an executive assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!

An executive assistant is a busy executive's eyes, ears and hands. You handle small, time-consuming tasks to give your executive a competitive edge by freeing up their time. Your job is to minimise the distractions around the executive professional to enable them to perform.

The top three skills of an executive assistant are active listening, written and verbal communication, and organisation. Your attention to detail helps you notice developments in your office and prevent misunderstandings among your coworkers. Taking notes, organising files and speaking with internal or external professionals call for tact.

Although these administrative roles seem identical, the difference between PAs and EAs is who they work for. A personal assistant (PA) works with celebrities and high-profile individuals who are also brands. As their title expresses, PAs offer administrative management on a personal level. The work you do as an executive assistant relates to a business, being more professional and occurring mostly within an office.

Becoming the CEO after starting as an executive assistant is possible but not common. Executive assistants understand how executive teams work, communicate and set professional milestones. Effectively leading a company requires you to know how executives work.

Being an executive assistant doesn't limit you in any way. There are endless industries, numerous brands and many cities to work in as an EA. The stimulation or satisfaction in your work comes from your decisions regarding your career path. You have the freedom to change employers and to develop your skills when seeking pay rises or better advancement opportunities. You determine how your time is used and how it's valued.

Applying for an executive assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our executive assistant job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!