If you’re starting your journey as an Executive Assistant (EA), congratulations – I’m really excited for you! You’ll soon notice that there are several qualities that are critical to your success in the role.
I have been an Executive Assistant for a year, and I’d like to share the three qualities that have been critical to my success.
1. Organizational skills.
As an EA, not only do I manage my own calendar, but I help manage three senior executives’ calendars every day. With a lot of scheduling requests and other administrative tasks that come my way, I know that I have to be very organized to ensure that none of the requests get lost in the sea of emails or forgotten because I did not write it down or flag it in my inbox.
2. Communication skills.
I have noticed that in my line of work, I must communicate effectively and efficiently when it comes to all the requests. These requests might come via email, chat, or by phone, so my communication skills – both oral and written – must be clear.
3. Adaptable to change.
Senior executives’ priorities and their day-to-day schedule change. You should be mentally prepared for any changes that might happen first thing in the morning or even mid-day. Being adaptable to change has been beneficial for me, because I can roll with the punches and problem solve as new situations arise.