Perks of Being an Executive Assistant
Executive Assistants are an integral part of the corporate world, though they often wield their power and responsibility behind the curtain. Top positions can be exciting and challenging all at once! Check out some of the reasons we love being an assistant as a career choice.
Executive Assistants are Masters of Variety
The standard Executive Assistant job description can seem a little dry at first glance - a high-level view of overarching responsibilities such as managing schedules, organizing meeting agendas, taking minutes, and endless emails. However, a key skill for assistants to possess is the ability to wear many hats — and do they ever! The day-to-day tasks we embrace as Executive Assistants are as varied as the Executives themselves and could never be summed up in a simple job description. “Some days I am managing the schedule of private jets, coordinating the ‘courtship’ of top hires, and arranging the details for a dinner with a dignitary. On other days I am paying bills, ordering lunch, or scheduling a dentist appoint,” said Jennifer, a senior EA candidate of Pennyworth’s in New York City. The roller coaster of challenges is all the fun! Week to week, month to month, the ever-changing ride keeps going. Some of our strongest candidates come from backgrounds as Event Planners, Project Managers and Client Managers because the overlap and variety are so wide.
Executive Assistant or Chaos Coordinator?
There is something so satisfying about bringing organization to a space or role that demands it. Similar to our appreciation for The Home Edit - it’s like putting things in intangible tidy boxes, bins and folders with labels and directions. Some people might run for the hills in the face of disunity, but an EA knows how to roll-up their sleeves and get things in order. Whether it’s planning a 300-person event, moving an entire office, transferring from one platform to another, or simply making flight arrangements, it’s the organizational fix some of us crave. Executive Assistants are also responsible for assessing issues before they arise - like seeing into the future. It’s controlling potential chaos before it becomes a reality, which can feel like a victory in itself.
Executive Assistants Work with the Decision-Makers
We work with and alongside the movers and shakers within our company and throughout the industry. We are often present during important meetings where strategic decisions are made. This gives us the opportunity to understand the decision making processes and priorities, and provides the unique privilege of learning from leaders at the top. We get to see firsthand how they interact, communicate, and do business together. Putting these experiences, learnings and practices into use in our day-to-day and throughout our career is invaluable.
Executive Assistants are the Eyes and Ears Everywhere
Part of our role as executive assistants includes representing the Executive's interests internally and externally. This takes on many forms. We can count on working with so many interesting people from sales, the human resources team, engineers, and marketing professionals. We have the opportunity to create a rapport with different people - and learn so much along the way. We take a boots-on-the-ground approach to foster community and cohesion throughout the company and help ensure we’re all working toward the same goal while also finding a lot of joy in the cross-functional work.
Executives Assistants are Always in the Know
We know what is coming down the pipeline sooner than almost anyone else in the company. We hold our Executive's trust and often act as a sounding board while they’re working through long-term goals, business plans, or difficult changes. Because we are involved in so many areas of the company, we often provide valuable insight to our managers right when they need it. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes.
Executive Assistants Make an Impact
It may seem surprising, but it’s a networking game. Executive assistants network as much or more than most. Who we know can make the difference. The Executives we work with know that our network is often just as valuable a resource as theirs. We don’t have to worry about wondering if our work matters. We know that what we do has a direct, positive impact on the people we work with and the companies we work for.
Sometimes We Get Really Lucky
Some top positions come with perks beyond what we are allowed to share broadly. Under the veil of discretion and confidentiality, the highest-level and most inclusive (or generous!) boss’s might offer things like the use of private car services, endless needed electronics (phones, computers, apple watches, etc.), holiday and birthday gifts, rides along in their private jets or across oceans in their yachts, account usage at department stores for work attire, petty cash for meals while traveling, unique experiences at invite-only events, and tickets and suite access to concerts and sporting events.
Being a senior Executive Assistant is one of the most rewarding and challenging jobs throughout various industries and in every city and country. There aren’t huge awards when you do a good job, and most of the time people don’t know when we’ve even done things well because our job is to operate so seamlessly. We get to make a positive impact on our Executive’s life and on our company each day. We are behind the scenes making things happen and there is never a dull moment. We wouldn’t change it for the world.
Author: Emma Chase
Edited and Posted by: Julia Hudson