I get asked variations on that question regularly. Like you, I only know what's needed or preferred by employers by doing some research. Here are some tips for you to research what administrative assistant and executive assistant skills, attributes and knowledge are in demand now from employers. I'm also going to weigh in with some lists of what I see at a quick glance.
One great place to start your research is with "help wanted" ads. These are found in various places, including online at companies' Web sites, recruiter or agency Web sites, and social media sites with job boards. Plus, you can still find some ads in print newspapers. And I'm sure there are other sources I haven't listed.
Look at dozens of these ads and create a spreadsheet with the information. Then you can count how often different employers are seeking the same (or different) skills and abilities in administrative assistants and executive assistants.
By documenting your research like that, you'll clearly see what administrative assistant and executive assistant skills and attributes are in demand. You'll see the facts in black and white and not just make assumptions based on what you've read here and there. That can be misleading. Sometimes it can seem like a certain skill is in demand -- until you actually thoroughly research and document how many times you see this skill or attribute asked for in various ads seeking administrative professionals. Your research may cause you to realize the skill isn't asked for as often as you thought, or just the opposite.
Sure, this research and documentation will take you a few hours, maybe even a day or more if you do a lot of research and really dig deep and far and wide; however, in the process, you'll learn a lot about what skills, abilities, and attributes employers are seeking in administrative professionals today. The lingo (terms and phrases) you pick up along the way may even give you fodder for your resumes and cover letters.
You may want to go deeper and differentiate your research details by categories such as position (i.e. admin asst., exec. asst., receptionist, admin. asst. 1, 2, 3, sr. exec. asst., etc.), industry (medical, legal, manufacturing, finance, retail, etc.), and geographic location (country, state, city, or region such as Southeast, Northeast, etc.). You also could delve into levels of knowledge (e.g. "advanced" software skills, "complex" travel planning skills, two-year degree, four-year degree, five years of on-the-job experience as an executive assistant, etc.). Another thing to track is any references to "busy" offices, overtime, flexibility with your hours, etc.
I superficially scanned some ads today, and below is some of what I found in regard to requested administrative assistant skills and executive assistant skills and attributes. This is by no means an all-inclusive list; it's a quickly created one from looking at a handful of ads placed by employers seeking administrative assistants and executive assistants. Here's what I saw in the ads:
Administrative Assistant Skills in Demand
(Some of these "skills" may overlap into what you might consider "responsibilities" -- but you still need skills to carry out responsibilities)
- billing
- calendar management and scheduling
- communication
- copying, collating, binding (desktop publishing, working with printing centers)
- document management
- editing
- event coordination
- filing (paper and electronic) maintenance and organization
- Internet research
- interpersonal skills
- language (your grasp of grammar and vocabulary for oral and written communication usage)
- meeting coordination and planning
- note taking, minute taking
- organization
- presentation development and editing
- prioritization
- project support
- proofreading
- receptionist (e.g. even if you're not "the" receptionist, you're practicing receptionist skills when you greet clients by phone or in person and direct them to their destinations)
- report compilation and writing
- software expertise in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, and others
- team support
- telephone
- travel planning and coordination (domestic and international travel)
- Web conferencing coordination
- word processing
- writing (letters, reports, memos, e-mails, proposals)
Often theses are the same skills requested for administrative assistants plus some more skills and attributes because usually an executive assistant position is a higher level than administrative assistant. Of course, that's not always so (unfortunately); some administrative assistants do the work of executive assistants and vice versa. Positions aren't always consistent company to company.
Overall, executive assistants should have the knowledge, skills and attributes of an administrative assistant plus the ability and desire to do higher-level performance.
What I'm about to list is not from the research of open position ads but an example of what I mean when I say executive assistants need "that and more":
- experts or advanced in those areas listed under administrative assistant
- supervision -- can train or supervise others
- strategic thinking
- ability to be their managers and executives by proxy
- decision-making; judgment -- ability to make higher-level decisions and make more advanced judgment calls than administrative assistants
- capable of accepting more authority and managing and utilizing it properly
- can manage up and partner with executive
Administrative Assistant Attributes and Abilities in Demand
- can interact with internal and external personnel at all levels
- can route calls and visitors (independent judgment)
- confidentiality
- deadline oriented
- detail oriented
- familiar with administrative practices
- innovative (willing to learn new skills, apply new approaches, devise solutions, improve processes, inefficiency identification)
- organized
- professional
- team oriented (e.g. ability to work with other administrative professionals collaboratively)
- all of the above
- can manage multiple projects simultaneously
- can support senior level executives
- collaborative approach (team oriented)
- can create efficient processes
- diplomatic
- friendly
- professional
- strategic view of how your work affects the company business
- understands what's urgent, sense of urgency
Sometimes college degrees (of various lengths and types) are required or preferred for executive assistant positions. This is not a skill, attribute or competency; this comes under the category of "experience," just as does actual "on-the-job" experience (which also is often requested for executive assistant positions). A college degree is experience garnered through "formal education."
If you see an add that calls for a certain level of experience that you don't have and you want to apply for the job, then do so. There is no "law" saying you can't apply for it and put yourself in the most equivalent light possible to what's requested. If you're not considered, you'll only be out of some time used to prepare and send those resume and cover letter documents and do the research on the job or company. The employer will not hunt you down to say "you wasted their time." They'll either put your documents in the "learn more" stack or the "trash."
Meanwhile, don't waste your time mentally crying over the fact that an open position ad is requesting experience you don't have or think is fair to ask of administrative professionals. It's not your call. Open position ads (i.e. help wanted ads) are about what the employers want (which you have no control over). Find out what's in demand through your research and then determine your next step. That's a smart, proactive way to proceed.
As I said, those lists above of knowledge, skills and attributes in demand are not comprehenisve; they're random lists I made from looking at current ads for open administrative professional positions. I'm sure I could add dozens of more things to those lists. So feel free to add more administrative assistant and executive assistant skills, knowledge and attributes you believe are in demand by employers (to your personal list or the comment section below).
Do your research and comment below about what you see as in demand administrative assistant skills and executive assistant skills.
