Executive assistant is definitely a position that many young people have been aspiring to recently. It can be said to be a position of “Under one person, above tens of thousands”. So what does an executive assistant do? Why is this profession so hot? Let’s find out with GenZdilam right now!
I. What is an Executive Assistant?
An executive assistant, also known as an Assistant Manager, is a position often misunderstood as a secretary by many. The job of an executive assistant is to schedule and ensure that the work of the “boss” is organized logically and achieves efficiency in the shortest possible time.
In addition to tasks such as supporting and following the instructions of superiors, they also have to actively seek tasks for themselves. Sometimes, assistants need to act on behalf of directors in necessary cases.
Most of the tasks of an executive assistant are carried out under direct instructions from the director. That’s why if you want to aim for this position in the future, you need to have experience and skills in certain business areas.
Some tasks vary from basic to advanced depending on the company’s scale. Specifically, some tasks that directors need their assistants to help with are:
- Assisting the director in scheduling work. Additionally, they support issues related to life to serve the director’s work, such as booking flights, arranging accommodations for business trips, etc.
- Acting as a bridge between the director and departments. Receiving, conveying the director’s requests to different departments in the company. Reporting the work results of departments to the director.
- Implementing and monitoring the progress of work for departments, timely reporting back to the Director. Preparing reports on a weekly/monthly/quarterly/yearly basis.
- Assisting with internal tasks such as: Human resources, company culture, budget sources, etc.
- In external relations, they help the director in welcoming partners at the airport, booking hotels, ordering flowers, etc.
- Additionally, executive assistants can also contribute opinions, advise the boss in planning, act on behalf of the boss to make decisions when the boss is absent, and delegate authority to them.
II. What Skills are Required to be an Executive Assistant?
We can see a busy job list for an executive assistant. Therefore, as an executive assistant, you need to equip yourself with many skills. Here are some skills you need to have if you want to apply for this position:
1. Appearance
As an assistant to the director, appearance is one of the things that will give you a lot of advantages. You need to communicate and work with many people both inside and outside the company. Therefore, appearance is a must-have in this field of work.
2. Organizational and management skills
One of the top priorities for executive assistants is knowing how to arrange their schedule. Therefore, supplementing yourself with organizational and management skills is a must.
3. Sensitivity and caution
Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses in personal emotions. Moreover, as an assistant, you are the closest person to the director, so having sensitivity and caution is a must if you want to do this job well.
4. Adaptability
The scope of the director’s work is very broad. Therefore, the issues you will face will become very diverse. Having the ability to adapt and flexibility in problem-solving is one of the skills you need to perfect as soon as you have the intention to work in this position.
5. Communication skills
Being a profession that requires you to communicate at a high intensity, communication skills are unavoidable. To excel in your job, good communication skills are essential. This skill also helps you avoid unnecessary conflicts in the company.
6. Office computer skills
It can be said that this is almost a mandatory skill for an executive assistant. The more experienced you are in this field, the more you will realize the importance of office tools. Reporting results, scheduling, planning, etc., all relate to office computer skills.
7. Ability to work independently
One thing for sure is that no director wants their assistant to be someone who only knows “where to do it”. Executive assistants need to be highly skilled professionals who can advise the director, manage and supervise departments, and sometimes act on behalf of the director to make decisions.
8. Teamwork skills
In addition to the ability to work independently, the ability to work in teams is also one of the skills you need to have.
9. Business knowledge
Directors are usually very skilled in business, and this is also the area they work most to boost revenue and profits. If you are an assistant, you also need to have certain knowledge in this field to grasp, support, and coordinate the director’s work.
III. What Field of Study to Pursue to Become an Executive Assistant
Different from professions with a specialized nature, there is currently no foundation or university that trains executive assistant majors with formal curricula.
However, as mentioned above, the assistant profession requires many professional factors and necessary skills for the field in which the company operates. Therefore, if you are passionate about this profession, you need to have a broad knowledge base.
Some suitable fields of study for the position of Executive Assistant include: Business Administration, Office Management, Bachelor of Languages, Marketing, etc.
IV. Basic Salary of an Executive Assistant
The salary of an executive assistant has a considerable fluctuation. But in general, this is still one of the professions among the top ones with relatively good salaries today.
The salary level of the position depends on many factors such as experience, professional qualifications, company scale, and the job description of the executive assistant that the company requires. However, below are some basic salary levels that you can refer to:
- Personnel with 1 – 3 years of experience usually have a salary range of around $50k-70k per year
- Personnel with many years of experience and high professional qualifications can have salaries ranging up to 95k per year
We hope that through this article, you can understand more about the position of an Executive Assistant. We believe that every profession has its pros and cons. If you strive, you will surely achieve success. We wish you will soon find a suitable job for yourself!
