Executive Assistant Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Executive Assistant? How does one become an Executive Assistant? What kind of schooling is required?

Answer: Most good EA's do not have colleg degrees, they started as an Administrative Assistant and gained a reputation for delivering results consistently and without complaint. As to what it takes; beyond commitment and hard work you should have solid experience with Word and Excel as well as PowerPoint. Most Executive Assistants will actually do the bulk of research and creation of Executive's presentations, letters, etc. Good people skills and time management skills are another requirement to rise within the ranks. My mother-in-law is an EA for a hospital Executive Adminsitrator (VP) and makes a very good living ($65K) and I have placed other EA's that make six figures with liberal fringe benefits - travel, expense accounts, etc. Good luck and remember this is my experience as an Executive Recruiter in the Chicago-land area so your area may differ.

Question: What is the difference between an Executive Assistant & a Personal Assistant? EA's seem to get paid more than PA's. Would a personal assistant that is the assistant for the Executive Chairman of a company be called the PA or the EA? If there was say a Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Chairman, would the CFO's assistant be called a PA and the Exec Chairman's assistant be called an EA? Please help! I'm confused! =)

Answer: Don't try to understand it. You aren't confused. There is just no standard or rule as to what to call an employee who serves the role(s) you describe. An Executive Assistant sounds more important than a Personal Assistant; it implies a status in the corporate or business structure that makes that person also an executive level employee. A Personal Assistant might hold a lofty position in a business also, but it implies that he or she works one-on-one with the boss, and is essentially out of the "pecking-order" . It may be an executive job of great responsibility,......or it may be somebody that just goes for coffee, photocopies papers and picks up the boss' dry cleaning ! This is why there should be a written job description to elaborate on any job title. You can be someone with a menial title, but some real responsibility and power; or, you can be someone who has a very imposing title, but no real power or important duties whatsoever. This reminds me of the old Hollywood joke about job titles: An "Associate Producer" is the only person in the studio who will associate with a producer.

Question: What is the average percent increase for an executive assistant in the city of Chicago? I am looking to see what is the average percentage increase that executive assitants are getting in the city of Chicago. I am an executive assistant for a firm in Chicago and would like to be informed on this when I go into my HR department and talk about my raise.

Answer: You shouldn't get a raise... you can't even ask a question properly, and you're supposed to be an executive assistant? Read your question, then get yourself back to 4th grade. Amazing you've even held a job long enough to qualify for a raise. Ok I'm sorry Ms Sheri D. It's just that your question made zero sense to me; I didn't know what you were talking about until I read the very last word. Hopefully you'll get more than I did this last review period. :) Peace

Question: How can I go from executive assistant to manager? I'm 29 years old, and I have virtually been an executive/admin assistant my entire career life. I graduate from grad school in May 2009. I have no previous supervisory experience. What's the best way to show jobs that I'm ready to take on more responsibility? What key words should I include on my resume and cover letter?

Answer: I would throw in any experience you have of supervising anything. I told an interviewer of a time that I was put in charge of a small group (it was only two people, but it was a group!) and how I successfully completed our assignments on time. You could also put down any kind of management classes on your resume. I have a section on mine that is titled Related Coursework and then I list all of the classes I took that relate to that job. Also, if you have any volunteer experience managing a group, say being a leader of the cub scouts, or teaching a bible group, anything at all, I would mention that as well. Good luck with your search!

Question: What is the average salary for an executive assistant and office manager at a non-profit organization in LA? What are the average salaries for a) an executive assistant/board liaison and b) an office manager of nonprofit organization, a private foundation, and a museum are in Los Angeles? What is the salary range is for such positions? Thank you!

Answer: Honestly it depends on the size and funding of the organization and their general operating expenses. Some nonprofits can pay better than others, based on where and how they obtain their funding.

Question: How can I be the best executive assistant? I'm finishing up school, and I have taken a job being an executive assistant to the CEO of a forune 500 company. It's high stress, and very technical as it is a telecommunications company. I don't fully understand all the lingo yet, and my bost (who i'm supposed to be helping) is too busy to teach me what to do on a daily basis. I can do everything that he's asked me to do, but there's got to be more than just waiting, right? What should I be doing to help him during the time frames when I don't have anything else to do? Please help! I want to be able to do this well!!

Answer: Pay attention. if you have access to past logs, accounts, itineraries etcc.... go over them until you understand how everything works. Always listen very carefully and go beyond what is expected and you will catch up in no time.

Question: What's the average salary for an Executive Assistant with only 6 months experience? I have applied for a job as an executive assistant and I need some help as to how much my salary will be.

Answer: It truly depends on the company. I recruited for Executive assistants for two different companies in the same complex with virtually the same job description and needed qualifications and one company started at $12 per hour and the other at $18 an hour. Go to salaries.com or wage web or even call a local staffing service and ask them what the average pay rate is for that type of position in that area and if the company you have applied to pushes you for a dollar amount beyond "salary negotiable" than give a broad range. Say (just as an example) 35-50k depending upon the actual duties, responsibilities and benefits package if the position is offered to you. That will let them know you are intelligent and flexible and they will be more willing to take the next step with you in the interview process than someone who either quotes a rate too low or too high. Good luck!

Question: Should someone with a MS get a job as an executive assistant or will they always think of you as a secretary? I have a MS in science but have been working in another field for years, would it be a good idea to take a job as an executive administrative assistant (assistant to the president) of a science related company? Could it lead to an executive job later or will they likely always think of their assistant as just a secretary? Also, would it be easy to go from executive assistant at one company to be an executive at another company or does it just look like secretarial experience on a resume?

Answer: I'm sorry hon but an Executive Administrative Assistant is just a fancy title for Secretary. It could lead to an executive position if there's room for growth but you will always be considered the former "secretary" if it's with the same company. Executive Administrative Assistants are glorified secretaries. Since you have a Masters degree, you should be able to pursue other areas of work.

Question: I would like to move to Dubai to live and work as a Personal Assistant or Executive Assistant? I have almost 20 years experience as an Executive Assistant and it is my dream to live and work in Dubai. I have been doing a lot of research on the area, and I am determined to make this happen! I am getting a lot of good positive support from my family (my parents and my son, who is age 27), they are encouraging me to do this and I believe it would be a wonderful experience. How do I begin? Should I use a headhunter? I have heard that accommodations are very expensive but some companies offer accommodations as part of their compensation package? Are there any laws I should be aware of, for hiring American citizens as opposed to nationals for administrative positions?

Answer: whatever you do be prepared for the emotional challenges of living abroad especially a place where the culture is very different than the US. i have spent a fair amount of time overseas and have female friends who have worked in the middle east. it is not for most people since it is harder than most people think to make a life (not just a vacation) outside the US. if you do go, make sure you have a good support system and plenty of financial resources to rely upon to get home when needed. good luck.

Question: I am currently a PA/Executive Assistant looking for an exciting new opportunity. Any ideas? I am currently a PA/Executive Assistant looking for an exciting new opportunity. I have Events, PR and Marketing experience and am looking for something interesting. Any ideas?

Answer: Hello - Get your resume in order and ready to go, and then spend some time on monster.com and careerbuilders.com.com to see if there are openings in your area that interest you. You can apply on line. Also, I might join some professional associations in the events/marketing area and see what jobs they have posted on their website. Good Luck!