Job Outlook: Executive Assistants

by Mike Churchill

From answering telephones to analyzing data and compiling complex reports, executive assistants are a vital part of virtually every team. Held in high regard in many businesses for their keen ability to keep things running smoothly, executive assistant program graduates offer essential skills that can aid their teams in making important business decisions and accomplishing their goals.

Let’s take a closer look at what this career path might hold. College graduates from an executive assistant program might be expected to:

Answer Telephones – Whether for the department or for a manager, answering telephones and directing callers to the appropriate people can be a fundamental part of the job.

Prepare Correspondence – Letters, emails and other forms of correspondence might be dictated to the executive assistant. Programs for word processing and sending email might be required to perform these tasks in order to disperse information to resellers, managers, salespeople and customers.

Create Spreadsheets – Compiling data in the form of spreadsheets is a common responsibility for executive assistants. Spreadsheets allow company managers to determine where their strongest and weakest market segments are.

Manage Databases – As details about leads come into the company via salespeople or the company website, the executive assistant might be required to update the information using database software.

In addition, effective executive assistants use other industry current software to collect, organize and distribute information to others. They are sometimes also asked to use problem-solving skills and decision-making abilities during the course of their day, especially when working in customer service areas.

Also, executive assistants could find themselves acting as a type of project managers in order to arrange meetings, coordinate events or schedule travel arrangements for executives.

What Qualifications Are Needed?

The geographic location and the type of company you work for will dictate what qualifications you will be expected to have. For example, a ski resort in Denver may have an entirely different set of requirements than an advertising agency in New York or New Jersey. College degrees can often be an asset particularly if you plan to seek employment in a specialized area. If you don’t have a degree, check for colleges that offer flexible schedules and campus locations.

Executive assistant program graduates primarily work in an office setting using a computer and other office equipment. However, some executive assistants have other responsibilities that require travel. If you think this sounds appealing and if you are organized, able to work independently as well as with a team, enjoy helping others and are able to multitask, pursuing a job as an executive assistant may be the right career path for you.

Mike Churchill offers online marketing support for Katharine Gibbs School, a New Jersey-based school with a campus in Piscataway, offering executive assistant programs and more. Get details at http://www.gibbseducation.com.© 2007, All Rights Reserved