Executive Administrative Assistant

Education and Training: High school diploma, Associates’ degree in social sciences, business administration
Average Salary: $20,000 per year
Job Outlook: Good

A person who works as an executive administrative assistant in a company has to report to the President or CEO. The executive administrative assistant will be mainly responsible for the completion of all administrative functions relating to the support of the executive team.
An executive administrative assistant has to plan off-site meetings, manage all aspects of international and domestic travel, originate or prepare items for off-site functions, handle co-ordination of trademarking, prepare expense reports, handle investment documentations, closing documents, etc. He/she also may have to arrange for high-level interaction with board members, senior level executives and attorneys, handle or manage correspondence, maintain contact information, maintain and organize email, mails, handle administrative tasks and act as back up for the administrative team when required. An executive administrative assistant also has to deal discreetly with confidential information, concerning personal or professional performance of staff and confidential information contained in minutes, letters, legal documents, and others. A candidate to this position must be able to manage multiple assignments and tasks simultaneously.

Education and Training Requirements

A person who is interested in an executive administrative assistant post must have a high school diploma or an equivalent. Preferably an Associate’s degree in social sciences, secretarial science, human resources, or business administration with an equivalent combination of experience is required. Also, the executive administrative assistant is expected to be internet savvy. To become an executive administrative assistant, a person must have exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, professionalism in demeanor, dress and interaction with others, ability to prioritize or multitask, must be able to work in a fast paced environment, and be detail oriented. An ability to analyze and solve problems is also required. Working independently and as part of the team and the ability to stay focused are the other qualities expected in a potential candidate to the post.

Getting the Job

Having prior experience as an administrative assistant can also help a person work at the level of executive administrative assistant. Executive administrative assistants or secretaries can work with the CEO or other heads of a company who may be too busy to manage several tasks beyond their immediate work. The salary obtained by executive administrative assistants will be proportional to the responsibility taken up.

Job Prospects, Employment Outlook and Career Development

The career prospects for administrative assistants is not only limited to office secretaries or assistants only. Executive administrative assistants can also work as legal secretaries, medical secretaries, and virtual assistants. Medical secretaries and legal secretaries may require some form of specialized training also which may include legal or medical terminology, legality etc.

Working Conditions and Environment

Even though it is mostly a full time job, executive administrative assistants may sometimes take up several temporary and part time roles as well. While working from home jobs are not easy to come by in this field, some may get a chance to work as work-from-home professionals as well. Executive administrative assistants can also work as virtual assistants, which is a job that is in great demand these days. A virtual assistant’s services are internet based that render administrative services for businesses. Since administrative assistants working in these companies also render their services for other businesses at the same time, they have a different salary structure than other roles or can even earn on a per hour basis.

Salary and Benefits

At the starting level, an administrative assistant can earn anywhere around $20,000. A mid-level secretary can earn anywhere up to $40,000. Medical and legal secretaries and executives working for the government can earn anywhere between $30,000 and $60,000.

Where to Go for More Information

Ashford University
400 North Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, Iowa 52732
(866)711-1700
http://www.ashford.edu/home/

The Duncan Group Inc.
Graybar Building at Grand Central
420 Lexington Ave., Ste. 300
New York, NY 10170
(212) 297-6118

Kaplan University
N LaSalle St., Ste. 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504
(800) 987-7734
http://portal.kaplanuniversity.edu/Pages/MicroPortalHome.aspx