Executive assistants are the behind-the-scenes gurus of the executive world. You help a company run smoothly, taking care of everything that helps executives be as productive as possible. You must be exceptionally organized, detail-oriented, and effective at communication, as well as fantastic at organizing meetings and making flawless travel arrangements. You enjoy wearing many different hats throughout the day as you support various needs and requests that may come up at a moment’s notice.
In the past months, as most companies continue to work remotely during the Covid-19 lockdown, executive assistants find themselves in a pivotal moment. Many administrative duties have been pared down significantly and travel has all but paused, bringing an end to many traditional administrative duties.
But in a changing environment, executive assistants are needed more than ever. Business leaders across all industries are facing new challenges and tackling new problems, and they need executive assistants who can help -- who can think on their feet, take initiative in uncertain situations, and get creative with solving unprecedented problems. Candidates who have strong business sense, technical savvy, and great emotional intelligence will be high in demand in the upcoming years.
What should an executive assistant resume look like in 2023? Continue reading below to view examples of effectively written executive assistant resumes that will help you land your next role.
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An executive assistant is the communication point between executives, partners, employees, and clients. That’s why they coordinate emails and memos, schedule meetings, arrange accommodations, take meeting minutes, and prepare reports. They have an important role because they manage sensitive information, including executive calendars.
Even though this is an assistant position, you likely would also be responsible for overseeing other clerical employees. So, leadership is often a must and something hiring managers look out for!
Executive assistants should be familiar with basic computer programs like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Zoom Cloud meetings, and calendar management tools like Calendly. You of course aren't supposed to be a programming expert, but you should definitely be familiar with clerical tools that the execs or people you're supporting use on a daily basis.
Event planning is an essential skill to have as an executive assistant. You might have to coordinate with vendors, and partners, book locations, and coordinate invitations. You can talk about previous experiences in which you coordinated events such as meetings, conferences, or trips. Perhaps even include how you dealt with expenses, a common responsibility for EAs.
Executive assistants with a few years of experience should craft a resume that highlights their accomplishments in previous assistant roles. You should include a logical path of your work history that demonstrates growth, as well as a capacity for increasing responsibility. This resume has a strong work history section that shows their experience in previous positions as an executive assistant, and the candidate uses numbers and metrics to support their accomplishments.
If you have several years of experience working as an executive assistant, it is important to showcase this clearly and effectively on your resume. Recruiting managers like to see that candidates have dedicated time towards developing their skills in relevant roles and that they have extensive experience working in assistant positions. For example, this candidate clearly states in their summary that they have worked in the administrative department for five years, exhibiting their career journey from when they started out as an administrative manager.
This resume uses numbers and metrics to back up their work experience -- highlighting not just their responsibilities, but their accomplishments in their roles. When writing your bullet points for your work experience section, include quantitative evidence of what your impact was in the work history section -- specifically in areas such as efficiency, productivity, and organization. This template includes such details as “increased office efficiency by 25%” and “facilitated...savings over $5,000 in the first year”.
The executive administrative assistant is someone who provides high-level, tailored administrative support for the executives within a company. They will often be assigned to a group of executives, and help these leaders organize and optimize their daily efficiency. As an executive administrative assistant, you may assist executives in planning travel, booking meetings, answering incoming calls, planning events, overseeing office operations, and more.
To become an executive administrative assistant, you will need to demonstrate prior excellence in administrative roles. Most hiring managers will look for someone with a minimum of an associate’s degree in a related field. Moreover, because this role handles high-level administrative duties, the ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of experience in related roles like as an administrative assistant or office manager. Superb candidates for this role will showcase organizational excellence, as well as a professional attitude and great time management skills.
Executive administrative assistants are responsible for managing the executive schedule, and this includes creating travel plans. As such, any experience you have booking and organizing travel for others should be detailed on your resume.
Executive administrative assistants must juggle leader’s scheduling conflicts with grace and creativity. It’s important to demonstrate on your resume how you have used your time management skills to effectively organize schedules in the past.
An executive administrative assistant manages all clerical tasks for executive managers. This includes welcoming guests, and handling communication between stakeholders, clients, and partners. Additionally, an executive administrative assistant often performs basic bookkeeping duties, so this is another skill you might want to highlight in your resume.
Other responsibilities include preparing documents, negotiating with vendors, managing corporate inventory, reviewing incoming documents, etc. This is a role that requires attention to detail and strong communication skills.
Executive administrative assistants often work under pressure. They need to meet tight deadlines and make sure everyone on the clerical team is on top of everything. That’s why having time management skills is essential for this role. If you want to demonstrate this in your resume, you should use accomplishments and mention projects that you coordinated effectively and on time.
Since communication is essential in this role, this is exactly what you want to reflect on your resume. Rather than just saying you have excellent communication skills, use the appropriate vocabulary and structure on your resume, such as strong action verbs like "Communicated", "Directed" or "Influenced". If you've worked with senior execs or CEOs, it's worth mentioning things like "Presented to senior stakeholders..." on your resume.
An executive assistant works closely with a high-level executive or a small group of high-level executives in overseeing projects and anticipating business needs. On the other hand, an executive administrative assistant tends to focus more on task management and administrative duties, such as calendar scheduling, data entry, and handling calls. In your executive administrative assistant resume, make sure to highlight your experience and relevant skills accordingly.
When writing your executive administrative assistant resume, make sure to demonstrate your proven ability to carry out administrative tasks. You should highlight relevant skills you have in these capacities, and include skills that pertain to the job description. This candidate includes a list of administrative capacities in their skills section, such as Calendar Management, Travel Arrangements, and Organization Skills, and expands upon them in their work experience.
In your work experience section, make sure to use strong action verbs and to quantify your positive impact to the company. Executive administrative assistants should be experts at performing administrative duties, especially in areas of facilitating smooth operation and in catalyzing productivity. Use words such as “streamlined”, “orchestrated”, or “facilitated” to describe your contributions, and make sure to accompany them with tangible quantitative metrics.
As an executive administrative assistant, you will be supporting one or multiple executives in the company. A high-level of discretion and anticipation of what your executives need is a must. To tailor a resume for this position, you’ll want to focus on your experience supporting previous executives and how you resolved pain points for them.
In this role, you’ll have familiarity with streamlining and implementing processes. This resume uses great examples like “reduced cell phone expenses, resulting in savings of $5,000+” and “organized new office and designed systems to maximize office function efficiency by 30%.” Make sure to showcase what you did to make the office better for the team. Numbers talk!
This template demonstrates a promotion from an administrative assistant to an executive assistant. Growth shows that your previous company was impressed with your work and trusted you with more responsibilities, like supporting five executives. You should also highlight why you were promoted. If you took on additional work, became a mentor to others, or more, make sure to share it.
As a C-Level Executive Assistant, you'll play a crucial role in supporting top executives by managing their schedules, communications, and travel. This job demands a high level of detail orientation, discretion, and adaptability. When writing your resume, it's essential to highlight your ability to handle confidential information and your expertise in managing complex schedules. Additionally, consider showcasing your knowledge of the latest digital tools and platforms, as many executives rely on their assistants to stay up-to-date with industry trends.
C-Level Executive Assistants are in high demand, and the competition for these roles can be fierce. To stand out, it's vital to demonstrate your ability to multitask and handle high-pressure situations with grace. Showcase achievements that demonstrate your efficiency, resourcefulness, and initiative, as employers value assistants who can anticipate their executive's needs and make their lives easier.
As a C-Level Executive Assistant, your ability to manage time, prioritize tasks, and juggle multiple responsibilities is essential. On your resume, highlight instances where you successfully managed tight deadlines, coordinated complex schedules, or streamlined processes for maximum efficiency.
Understanding the industry you'll be supporting can be a significant asset in a C-Level Executive Assistant position. On your resume, emphasize any experience or knowledge you have in the relevant industry, whether it's through past roles, professional development courses, or certifications.
Providing assistance at the C-suite level (CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, etc.) requires a deeper level of expertise in the given industry, as well as the ability to work cross-functionally or technically. You must know how to skillfully interface with various departments, uncover potential bottlenecks, and facilitate improvements that help the C-suite function at its highest efficiency. When applying to a C-level executive assistant role, make sure to include evidence of past experience in relevant roles and to demonstrate your ability to catalyze efficient operations.
It takes a special type of person to operate calmly and effectively in the high-pressure, fast-paced world of C-level executives. Many individuals at this level have big personalities and urgent needs, and hiring managers want to see that you understand what it takes to work in such an environment. When writing your C-level executive assistant resume, make sure to include work experience that shows you have experience providing direct support to a CEO or other C-level executive.
The various needs and requests from a C-suite executive can evolve rapidly within a matter of days or weeks. It’s important to show that you are flexible and quick to learn in new environments. To demonstrate that you can adapt to new situations, make sure to highlight instances where you’ve been promoted in an organization or when you have taken on more responsibility than your role entailed. This candidate includes an experience where they were promoted from lead administrative assistant to executive assistant to the CEO.
As an Executive Assistant to the CEO, you're the right hand of the company's top player – a role both thrilling and demanding. This job requires a unique blend of administrative proficiency, business acumen, and outstanding people skills. Nowadays, CEOs look for individuals who can not only juggle schedules, but also participate in strategic decisions and represent them in critical situations. So, when drafting your resume, it needs to convey not just your organizational skills but also your ability to contribute to bigger business goals.
In recent years, the role of Executive Assistant has seen a shift towards more strategic duties. Companies are now seeking Executive Assistants who can shoulder operational responsibilities as well. Your resume should thus reflect your ability to adapt to this evolving role and your willingness to take on these challenges.
CEOs nowadays require more than just administrative support. Showcase any strategic input you've offered in previous roles, like helping devise business plans or managing special projects. Prove you're a strategic partner, not just a schedule jockey.
As an Executive Assistant, you'll often find yourself managing the CEO's relationships with stakeholders and crisis situations. Include instances where you've successfully handled such scenarios. This will show you're capable of more than just managing a schedule and can represent the CEO efficiently.
Sometimes a CEO may require more personal assistance and will want to hire an executive assistant to directly support their needs. This position is the CEO’s primary resource, and must demonstrate deep administrative and organizational expertise to support the demands of the highest position in the company. When writing your CEO executive assistant resume, make sure to showcase your mastery of relevant skills, such as calendar management, hiring logistics, and event operations.
Different CEOs have different needs - for this position in particular, it’s important to read the job description carefully and even do some research of your own into the company’s CEO, given that their information is included. Make sure to include skills that tailor to the job posting. For example, if the executive travels often, emphasize your experience in making travel arrangements or serving as a travel assistant.
Use strong action verbs, accompanied with relevant metrics, to demonstrate skills that are relevant to supporting a CEO. Executive assistants to CEOs must wear a variety of hats and be quick on their feet. Use such verbs as “liaised”, “collaborated”, and “oversaw” to demonstrate such abilities.
As a Senior Executive Assistant, your role is multi-faceted. Your day-to-day includes facilitating communication between executives and their teams, planning complex travel itineraries, managing schedules, and overseeing projects. It's a role that requires diplomacy, keen attention to detail, and the ability to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. Recently, there's been a trend towards more tech-savviness in this role. Companies are looking for Senior Executive Assistants who are not just familiar with office software, but who can also leverage technology to automate and streamline processes. So, when writing your resume, keep in mind that you're showcasing your ability to make executives' lives easier and more organized.
As a Senior Executive Assistant, you're often on the frontline of addressing issues before they reach the executive. Highlight specific instances on your resume where you've quickly solved problems or streamlined a process, showing how you can anticipate and handle potential roadblocks.
A senior executive assistant is an executive assistant with senior responsibilities. This means that they typically do fewer administrative tasks and tackle more hands-on operations work such as managing projects, creating and implementing processes, etc. When crafting your senior executive assistant resume, keep this in mind as you write out your bullet points and curate the skills you want to showcase.
As mentioned above, the senior executive assistant role takes on more operations and logistics type work than administrative work - make sure you tailor your resume accordingly. When possible, include bullet points that detail your experience with overseeing processes and managing projects. It’s okay to include administrative duties, but try to include as many experiences as you can that emphasize your ability for operations and logistics work.
A senior executive assistant should know the executive assistant world inside and out. It takes time and experience to understand the subtleties of the executive world and the different responsibilities that the role entails. In your professional experience section, showcase your growth throughout your career by including promotions and detailing your years of experience, working your way up through roles that demand more and more responsibility.
This is the perfect position for someone looking to enter the assistant profession. You will be assisting executive-level professionals in both their professional lives and sometimes their personal lives. Your job is to make their lives as easy as possible and to handle mundane or logistic tasks that will allow them to focus on more important things. You may be making flight and dinner reservations, scheduling meetings, or even buying birthday presents for their child. This is often a fast-paced and high-stress position so your ability to exceed under pressure and have a friendly demeanor is crucial.
Your tools list should include administrative tools like Microsoft Office, but also include things like scheduling tools and communication tools. You need to show that you can perform all aspects of your job.
If you don’t have a lot of experience, an easy way to show your ability is to gain certification as an executive assistant or administrator. This applicant has 3 impressive and relevant certifications.
As the name suggests, this role requires you to have years of experience as an executive assistant. You will handle many behind-the-scenes tasks and logistics for your executive-level superior. Tasks may include scheduling, doing administrative tasks, running personal errands, etc. You need to be time-efficient, discreet, and able to multitask to thrive in this position. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample for this position.
This position requires an applicant who has years of experience in the field. Your resume’s experience section needs to show that. So focus on including only assistant or administrative positions in this section.
We recently spoke with hiring managers at top companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon to get their insights on what makes a strong executive assistant resume. Based on their feedback and our own expertise, we've put together the following tips to help you craft a compelling resume that will catch the attention of recruiters and hiring managers in this competitive field.
Hiring managers want to see concrete examples of how you've used your organizational and project management abilities to support executives and drive results. Instead of simply listing these skills, provide specific examples:
Quantify your achievements whenever possible to give hiring managers a clear sense of the impact you've made in past roles.
It’s not easy to excel as an executive assistant. The role demands a high level of emotional intelligence, the knowhow to wear many different hats, and the ability to maintain your composure in high-stress situations. In addition, busy executives often need their assistants to quickly understand them and their working styles on a deeply personal level, picking up on subtle body language and unspoken cues that many others would completely overlook.
However, once you figure out the nuances of the individual you support and grow familiar with the industry they operate in, you become an indispensable part of their workflow. It can be extremely rewarding to find a good match between an executive and an assistant, and many executives will even take a stellar executive assistant along with them if they switch companies.
Want to find your dream executive assistant role? Follow these curated tips for executive assistant resumes:
An executive assistant resume summary is an optional section that provides a brief overview of your most relevant qualifications, skills, and experience. While a summary is not required, it can be a useful way to provide additional context or highlight details that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume. However, you should never use an objective statement, as it is outdated and does not provide value to the employer.
When writing your executive assistant resume summary, focus on your key strengths, accomplishments, and qualifications that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Keep it concise and tailored to the specific requirements of the position.
Your work experience section is the most important part of your executive assistant resume. It's where you show hiring managers what you've accomplished in previous roles and how you can help their company succeed.
In this section, we'll cover the key steps to writing a compelling work experience section that will grab the attention of hiring managers and demonstrate your value as an executive assistant.
Executive assistants are masters of reading between the lines and understanding the unspoken needs of their executive. They must be versatile and quick to anticipate potential problems, and smoothly juggle the often chaotic schedule of high-level individuals.
When writing your resume, it’s important to emphasize these types of skills with strong action verbs. For example, use words like “oversaw”, “organized”, or “planned” to highlight your ability to smoothly and efficiently handle a variety of tasks.
It can be helpful to review the job description and see what types of action verbs they use. However, don’t copy every single one-- try to be creative and find words with similar meanings to tailor your resume to the job.
For more related action verbs, visit Customer Service Action Verbs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
To ensure that your executive assistant resume stands out from the crowd, you’ll want to demonstrate that you have the skills and relevant experience to excel.
When crafting your executive assistant resume, make sure to carefully read through the job description. Executive assistant roles often vary considerably across industries -- or even between different types of executives. Different individuals have different needs, and it’s important to make sure that you choose to highlight skills that the hiring manager is looking for.
In addition, make sure to go beyond listing skills in your resume’s Skills section. You can expand on what you did in your work experience by describing your expertise in the bullet points of your work experience.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Executive Assistant job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Executive Assistant resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:
Analyzed $800K of monthly marketing spend data to optimize audience, creative and copy of campaigns; increased conversion by 12% MoM and decreased cost per acquisition by 35%
Recommended multi-brand strategy for a leading restaurant chain company to enter fast casual market by evaluating core competencies and performing market analysis
Analyzed fundamental growth drivers via top-down (macro/sector trends, competition) and bottom-up (growth strategy, revenue forecast, cost allocation) approaches, and analysis of senior management and shareholding structure.
Analyzed data from 25000 monthly active users and used outputs to guide marketing and product strategies; increased average app engagement time by 2x, decrease drop off rate by 30%, and increased shares on social media by 3x over 6 months
Doubled new user acquisition from 10-15 users to 20-25 through the implementation of new marketing strategies focused on online advertising and improving the company's web presence, social media, and search engine optimization.
For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points, how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments.
Designed and implemented a new filing system that reduced average document retrieval times from 15 minutes to 3 minutes.
An easy way to improve your resume is to upload it to Score My Resume, a free tool that will identify mistakes commonly seen by recruiters in executive assistant resumes. The tool will also provide suggestions on how to boost your resume.Implemented a recycling and reuse policy for office supplies, leading to yearly savings of over $10,000.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
