How to be a Great Executive Assistant

To be a great executive assistant, you will need a lot more than typing and steno skills. The job of executive assistant is much more than clerical. These tips will help you to be the very best executive assistant you can be.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Take yourself seriously. If you don't, nobody else will. An executive is looking for an assistant to match his or her own image they hope to project.

2. Dress the part. Suits and tailored outfits are required. You will be meeting with executives and clients often. The image you project is somewhat reflective of the company and the person you work for. Be sure you always look well put together and clean.

3. Keep your desk clean and organized. Whether you have an office or a cubicle, it doesn't matter. This is not your own personal space. This is space that is shared by your professional executive and should be treated as such. This may also be the unofficial meeting place for executives on a regular basis.

   Keep your personal possessions inside only one draw - the very bottom. The top drawer is typically the drawer that executives and other employees search for post-its, tape and extra pens. You should not feel insulted that your boss and other employees feel free to open these drawers in your absence, after all, this is not your personal property or space, its office space.

4. The meaning of secretary: The Latin translation of secretary is "keeper of the secrets". You should never divulge any information that your executive has given you unless under court order or similar. The information your executive shares with you is private and/or personal unless otherwise instructed. Your executives calendar should not be an open book, neither should his/her email account or any other source of information you have been entrusted to.

5. Respect for all employees. It is important that the executive assistant have respect for all employees from the mail room all the way to the top. When things go wrong, as they always do, it is important to have reliable friends in every department.

6. Internal Company Meetings: Should be confirmed one day in advance and twenty minutes before. Your executive will not like to be kept waiting unnecessarily. Be sure to have all materials available in advance if possible.

7. Internal Client Meeting: Should be confirmed the day before. Conference rooms and materials including beverages and snacks should also be confirmed the day before. 20 minutes before the meeting should begin, be sure to check that the conference room is clean and available and ready for your meeting. Beverages and snacks should be available before the client arrives so that you do not interrupt the meeting.

8. Meetings out of the office: Should be confirmed a day in advance. Directions should be printed out in advance along with the name of the person your executive will be meeting with and their assistant's name and number.

9. Telephone Calls: Telephones should be answered in a professional matter. When answering your executive's line you should answer, "Janet Jackson's office, this is Mary Duffy speaking". Be sure that your voice is loud, clear and pleasant.

   Personal calls should be kept to a minimum. Many office phones are equipped with a timer. Be sure to watch the clock and keep your calls under two minutes if possible.

10. Telephone Log: A log of the daily calls should be kept in a note book for future reference. When computers and phone systems are being updated, it is difficult to get to messages, names and numbers. This notebook will ensure you have everything your executive needs.

11. The Cheat Sheet: This cheat sheet is a list kept in very close proximity to the telephone. It will include all the heavy hitters phone numbers for instant dialing. It will also have important account numbers and phone numbers to car services, flower shops, the doorman to your executives apartment and any other pertinent information. Credit card numbers, social security numbers and other personal account information should be kept confidential and not posted on this list. This list will also be helpful for the assistant who will be covering for you in your absence.

12. Emails. Emails should always be signed off with your name and title along with the name of your executive and phone number. For example:
    Mary Duffy, Executive Assistant to Robert Redford, 212-555-1212

Tips & Warnings

• When you are really good at what you do as an executive assistant, you will always have a job. Your executive's clients and friends will remember you. Be sure to always keep that in mind.

• If you cannot handle the personal erands side of this career, this career is not for you. It is an unwritten expectation of executive assistants to perform ceratain personal tasks. Some executives will ask more personal favors than others. Generally speaking, these favors will be paid for in bonuses at the end of the year. If not, you may be working for the wrong executive.