When you start looking for work in the future, you will see that the executive assistant job description varies from one employer to the next. Executive assistants have to adapt to an array of work environments, so no two professionals have the same duties at work. These employees work as high-end administrative assistants, carrying out specific tasks related to the upper level workers in their companies. If you can multi-task in a high stress environment, you may do well as an executive assistant. Here is a look at the duties you may come across when you start your work as an executive assistant.
Job Duties for Executive Assistants
The primary role of an executive assistant is to make sure the executive assistants of a company have everything they need for work throughout the day. Unlike administrative assistants, these professionals work directly in corporate offices. Nevertheless, their job duties remain relatively the same. They are hired to answer phone calls, schedule meetings, answer customer questions, manage orders, and file paperwork. The only thing that changes is the focus of their work and the salary that goes along with it. Some executive assistants work specifically for the president or marketing director of a company, and others oversee a team of administrative assistants to ensure efficiency in their work place. The responsibilities you encounter in this line of work will vary based on where you find employment.
Skills Needed to Become an Executive Assistant
In order to be a successful executive assistant, you need to work well in a fast paced environment. Executive assistants must multi-task at all times, which can be stressful after a while. Thus you will also need to be able to maintain your composure in a stressful work environment, and you will need to have a good memory to get through your day to day tasks. Furthermore, you will need to know how to operate a computer, a PDA (such as a Blackberry), and Microsoft Outlook to remain efficient in this industry. A good executive assistant is detail oriented, articulate, punctual, and well-mannered. If you fulfill all of those characteristics, you should do well as an executive assistant.
Places of Employment for Executive Assistants
Executive assistants can work in just about every sector of the job market. Any office that needs a manager may call upon an executive assistant to oversee tasks in the company. Common places of employment for these professionals include:
- Corporate offices
- Government agencies
- Hospitals
- Legal offices
- Medical offices
- Schools
- Websites (for virtual executive assistants)
You can find work in any number of these settings, especially if you have gone through specialized training. If you minor in medicine, law, or another concentration during your degree program, you will have a much easier time finding work in the future. Otherwise you will probably have to go through extra training to fulfill the executive assistant job description your employers set out for you.
Salary Levels for Executive Assistants
Executive assistants earn significantly more than administrative assistants, mainly because they have more responsibilities to take care of. The average administrative assistant earns between $21,024 and $43,763 per year, but the average executive assistant earns between $30,088 and $68,342 annually. You may have to work as an administrative assistant initially, but you could find work as an executive assistant with a little experience underneath your belt. If you get a good education from the start, you should be able to get to work shortly after you graduate. Executive assistants typically earn more money after the first year they have worked with a company, so you need to focus on sticking with one employer as long as you can. That will lead you to the best executive assistant salary possible.
Would You Make a Good Executive Assistant?
To determine if you would make a good executive assistant, you need to think of the type of work involved with this career. Can you handle multiple tasks at once? Do you work well under pressure? Can you pick up extra job duties easily? Executive assistants have to do all of that and much more. Not everyone is cut out for this line of work, but those who are can look forward to high salaries and extensive job opportunities in the future. Review the executive assistant job description above to assess how you may fit into this industry. You could be on your way to a new job in no time.
