What Does an Executive Assistant Do?

All over the world, companies are on a constant lookout for skilled professionals who can manage their tasks in a successful manner.

Therefore, they hire executive assistants (EAs) who play an extremely important role in managing a variety of tasks such as document organization, planning and scheduling meetings, travel plans management, customer handling, supervisory tasks, and other paperwork.

Simply put, an executive assistant assists an executive manager so as to make his job easier. For now, that's just a fluttering peek of an executive assistant's job. To know more about the responsibilities, pay scale, and qualifications to become one, read the sections that follow below.

A typical executive assistant handles all kinds of administrative tasks that are specified by the executive management team. Akin to personal assistants and secretaries, it is an EA's duty to manage clerical tasks which will influence the success of a company.

As mentioned above, he makes and accepts phone calls, schedules business meetings, sends memos, assesses reports, and arranges the daily appointments of his immediate boss, the executive manager.

He, many a time, is required to conduct market research, based on which he produces reports that are then brought into use by executives to make important business decisions. With that said, it can be concluded that the job of an EA in a company is extremely significant, as he prepares reports that can influence the progress of a company.

An experienced EA who has worked for a few years in a particular company and has keen understanding of business concepts is often required to supervise the work of other assistants and train individuals that are just hired by the company.

It is because an administrative assistant is well-versed with the varied requirements of the executive above him, that he is assigned the task of operating and managing the entire clerical staff. In a nutshell, enlisted below are the various responsibilities of an executive assistant in a large-scale organization:

• Assisting executive managers.
• Producing reports, presentations, memos, and records.
• Arranging meetings, conferences, and appointments with clients.

• Scheduling travel meetings for officers at a senior level.
• Assessing and analyzing all data before submitting them to the higher authorities.
• Taking feedback from clients, and ensuring their satisfaction with the company's services.

The expansion in technology has led to a boost in career opportunities for executive assistants in all sectors. As per the data put forth by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), America, on an average, the annual salary of an executive assistant with an experience of 5-9 years goes up to $61,000.

However, with more than 20 years of experience in fields such as Exchange and Securities, one can expect a salary of $75,000 on an annual basis.

Well, this is only possible if you, as an executive assistant, have sufficient knowledge about the organization you're serving in, and possess excellent organizational skills. You should be good at management, and have good communication skills that will help you in dealing with a variety of clients. For more information on the educational requirements to become an EA, read the following section.

In order to become an EA, one needs to hold at least a bachelor's degree in business design, administration, or management. Adeptness in basic computer skills is always an added advantage to your portfolio, because most jobs require applicants that are well-versed with computer usage.

The job of an executive assistant requires preparing reports, memos, statistical data, and hence, for this reason, basic knowledge about Microsoft Office is a must. After completion of your degree course, you could apply for an internship in companies that hire interns as assistants for their work.

It is then that these companies hire interns in their company itself, and offer terrific salary packages.

He acts as a support to executive managers. He is an integral part of every organization that carries out executive and administrative responsibilities. Considering today's business scenario, almost every firm has a team of professionals who deal with all the administrative tasks that influence their company's success.

This definitely hints that a career as an executive assistant will expose you to a number of career opportunities in firms that recognize hard work and business skills. Now that you have an idea of the duties of an EA, it's time to work towards attaining the job you've always wanted. Let's see what company do you end up working for, as an EA!