Start a career as an Executive Assistant

An Executive Assistant carries a high level of accountability and responsibility within a company. 

If you’re looking for a job with competitive earning potential and a dynamic work environment, this could be just the role you’re dreaming of.  

In this article, we’ll run you through how to become an Executive Assistant, what the job looks like behind the scenes, as well as the traits and qualifications you’ll need to succeed.  

Keep reading to get started. 

What is an Executive Assistant?  

Recruitment expert Julie Sattler believes that Executive Assistants (EA) are a necessity for bosses in contemporary business settings. 

“The reality is that many bosses would be lost without their executive assistant,'' she told CareerOne. 

With increasing pressures on people’s time and performance, busy managers often need someone else to take over the responsibility of day-to-day planning and administration so they can focus on other duties. In other words, an Executive Assistant is responsible for keeping high-level executives, CEOs and company managers organised.  

They interact with a range of stakeholders on a daily basis, ensuring efficient communication between upper-level management, suppliers and clients so that everyday meetings, tasks and events go ahead without a hitch. 

What does an EA do? 

The duties of an EA are diverse and depend heavily on the industry they’re employed in, as well as the individual to whom they’re responsible. This makes them quite the “jack-of-all-trades” in the business arena. At the baseline, an EA can expect to be responsible for: 

• managing schedule, transport and travel arrangements 

• drafting emails and memos 

• screening and responding to correspondence 

• organising information within calendars, email services and workflow management tools across various devices  

• making bookings for meetings, conferences, appointments or even personal plans 

• attending business meetings to set agendas, take notes, and prepare or assist with presentations 

• general clerical tasks 

Some Executive Assistants may also have to handle financial tasks like budgets, purchasing and leasing, and certain roles may involve some HR responsibilities.  

How to become an Executive Assistant

There are many avenues you can take to become a highly efficient and successful Executive Assistant. But in general, it’s a process that requires building a combination of the right work experience, skills and qualifications.  

Here are some tips for how to become an Executive Assistant across all three of these domains. 

Qualifications   

Formal qualifications aren’t required to become an Executive Assistant. But it’s still a good idea to get one. 

Executive Assistant roles can be quite competitive, and you’ll be facing up against other candidates with at least a Certificate qualification under their belt.  

Moreover, a qualification isn’t just a piece of paper or a box to tick on a resume. It’s important training that gives you a solid foundation of skills and knowledge for when you enter the workplace. When you have that training to back you up, you’ll reduce the stress of huge learning curves and make a great impression on your managers. 

While specialised Executive Assistant courses are not so common, you may start with a Management and Business course.

Foundation Education’s Certificate III in Business will give you all the fundamental administration and communication skills you need to easily enter into a business role. You’ll cover: 

• document writing 

• scheduling 

• workplace health and safety 

• the most common systems and processes used to keep organised in any business

These skills can be applied to a wide range of roles across many industries, making it a very handy qualification to have in your toolkit. 

Many leaders these days are also looking for Executive Assistants with broad skill sets. Knowledge in other areas such as e-commerce, health and safety, public relations or project management may be looked upon favourably in certain roles. 

Work experience   

The right education will give you a strong head start in your career, but nothing can substitute experience in a real-world working environment.  

Before you jump straight into working as an EA, it’s a great idea to build up your know-how in a related role with fewer responsibilities – that is, general administrative roles like administrative assistant, personal assistant (PA), or receptionist.

You could also try to find a practical placement or work experience to get your foot in the door. 

Here’s how you could land your first role: 

• Search Engines Utilise job seeking websites like Seek or Indeed, searching keywords like ‘administration’, ‘receptionist’, ‘personal assistant’, with the option to add ‘work placement’ or ‘internship’. Also, consider creating a LinkedIn profile and searching for positions there – find tips on how to optimise your profile with our handy guide. 

• Networking The people close to you are usually more than happy to help. Ask around friends and family if their workplace would accept a short-term work placement, or if they know anywhere that could be open to it.  

• Approach directly If there’s somewhere you know you’d like to work, you can always try approaching directly with a friendly email or phone call. It shows initiative and they’ll be far more likely to remember you for any roles that come up in the future. 

Hone the right skills

Being an Executive Assistant is a dynamic role with a hugely flexible range of responsibilities. That’s why the best EAs possess impressively broad skills to adapt to whatever the day requires. 

If you want to how to become an Executive Assistant that thrives in their role, here are a few of the skills you’ll need to develop: 

Time management 

Time management is an integral part of the job. Knowing how to prioritise and how much time to allocate to each task is critical to success. 

Organisational skills  

Managing complex schedules and tasks will require you to be on top of the ball at all times. That means having a strong set of techniques and systems in place to stay organised. 

Communication 

It’s vital to have good written and verbal communication skills, as you’ll often be handling correspondence or acting as a liaison between your boss and their clients. Being comfortable in all manner of communications not only helps you feel at ease in your job, but also ensures information is shared effectively and accurately. 

Business skills 

Working in a business environment means it will be highly advisable to know your way around standard processes and lingo, like project management platforms, marketing and corporate structures.

Computer skills 

An Executive Assistant absolutely needs to be comfortable using computers every day. They may need to manage databases or use specific workflow platforms and at the very least, will definitely be required to take care of email accounts and calendars between various devices. 

Must-have qualities for a great Executive Assistant 

You may be wondering if becoming an Executive Assistant is a match for your unique traits and talents. Here are our top five qualities of a great Executive Assistant: 

Adaptable 

An EA’s responsibilities are so diverse and will often require coming up with solutions to unexpected challenges on the fly. So a great EA will be able to multitask and keep their cool when switching between various duties. 

Trustworthy and discrete 

Discretion is also paramount, as many EAs may be privy to confidential corporate and personal information. Not sharing this sensitive information is crucial to longevity in this career. 

Detail-oriented 

EAs pay close attention to details to ensure that nothing gets overlooked in an executive’s diary and communications.  

Personable 

Possessing a high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to interact with people at all levels helps to build effective working relationships and instil trust. 

Proactive  

A highly effective EA will be able to anticipate the executive’s needs and take initiative to address matters before they turn into problems. 

Where can an Executive Assistant work? 

With a huge number of exciting options available, you could work as an Executive Assistant in a range of sectors, including: 

• Corporations 

• Government agencies 

• Nonprofit organisations 

• Legal firms 

• Entertainment and media 

• Educational institutions 

• Healthcare  

• Financial institutions 

It’s projected to be a steady career choice in the years to come, with similar employment numbers predicted to November 2026. It’s also a generously compensated position, with the average salary of an Executive Assistant in Australia sitting around $85,344 per year. 

Think you have what it takes to become an Executive Assistant? Check out Foundation Education's BSB40120 Certificate IV in Business (Business Administration).