Learn about the important requirements, skills, and keywords that should be included in an executive assistant resume.
If you’re an amazing organizer and want to be the go-to person in an office, crafting a strong resume is essential to landing a job as an executive assistant. Because this role is responsible for such high-level tasks, you’ve got to showcase all your best skills and personality – along with your clerical abilities.
In this guide, you’ll learn the basics of what to include on an executive assistant resume and pertinent skills. If you need additional resume help, we recommend working with a resume writing service. When your resume is ready, start searching for your next executive assistant role on ZipRecruiter.
Executive Assistant Resume Example
Shannon Kessler
Experience
Executive Assistant to the President - Rolls and Son, New York, NY
05/2018 - Present
- Strong ownership and leadership skills backed up with a "can-do" mentality
- Attention to detail with a high level of conscientiousness
- Interest to take over tasks or projects outside of the role and passion for the Healthcare industry and our products
- Understands and meets deadlines and time sensitive issues in a fast-paced environment
- Builds relationships with the Executive Assistant community with internal/external leaders and the broader business teams
- Quickly learns and adopts new technologies
- Highly adaptable, able to change direction as needed and perform with unanticipated interruptions/ variables
Executive Assistant to CEO - Biggler Group, New York, NY
03/2015 - 02/2018
- Exceptionally discreet and tactful, team player
- Conscientious, delivering high-quality work consistently
- Confident to solve problems, creatively, effectively, and efficiently
- Respond and adapt to changing priorities and urgent situations with a calm and controlled approach, always mindful of the end goal
- Managing a complex and ever-changing professional and personal calendar, including balancing multiple, sometimes conflicting priorities, and deadlines
- Arranging travel plans, itineraries, and agendas for the CEO and other executives as needed
- Manage confidential and non-routine information and facilitate communication between appropriate people and teams
Education
New York University - Bachelor's degree
Skills
- Executive support
- Program and office management
- Exemplary writing, editing, and communication skills
- Microsoft Office
- Calendly
- Budget management
- Time management
- Teamwork and delegation
- Phone etiquette
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What Is Unique About An Executive Assistant Resume?
Executive assistant work is unique and diverse, so your resume needs to reflect that. Emphasizing professionalism and administrative skills are the top priorities when creating an executive assistant resume, as a hiring manager needs to automatically know that you can handle working with leadership and other executives.
What Should Be Included On An Executive Assistant Resume?
Here are all the things that need to be present on your resume, starting from the top.
Resume Header and Contact Information
At the top of the page, you should include your name in a large, bold font and the rest of your contact information underneath it. While these are in a smaller font, they should be clearly labeled.
You can also write an executive summary to go in this section, which is an objective statement that highlights your relevant experience and career goals.
Here’s an example: “Highly accomplished executive assistant with 8+ years of experience supporting C-suite executives. Proven track record of managing complex calendars, coordinating travel arrangements, and handling confidential information. Seeking an executive assistant position to leverage my skills in optimizing productivity and enhancing organizational efficiency.”
Work Experience
Beginning with your most recent job, list your relevant work experience. Using reverse chronological order allows hiring managers a quick and easy way to see your past professional accomplishments. For each job you include, list several job responsibilities and contributions. Use action words and provide statistics where appropriate to showcase your positive and lasting impact on a company.
Education
While formal education is essential for an executive assistant, the education section of this type of resume can also focus on certifications or specialized training. Start with the most recent degree, including relevant coursework, professional development programs, or projects related to the job description.
Professional Skills
The last section on your resume is for professional skills. From advanced proficiency in office software to time management abilities, including specific skills and relevant information about things you excel at is a must. When you demonstrate your administrative experience well, your chances of being hired as an executive assistant increases.
When you're ready to search for your next executive assistant role, take a look at the best job posting sites.
What Should Be Left Off An Executive Assistant Resume?
When creating your resume, it’s vital not to get too personal. Avoid mentioning anything about your family, religion, political affiliation, or hobbies.
Not only could this detract from the overall purpose of the resume, but it also takes up space where you could put relevant information.
You also don’t have to include references, as they should be included on the application or given directly to the hiring manager during an interview.
If you want to learn more about the duties and responsibilities of being an executive assistant, check out our executive assistant job description.
Important Job Skills For Executive Assistant
- Proficiency in programs like Microsoft Word and Google Workspace
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Project management skills
- Easily able to adapt to a fast-paced environment
- Problem-solving skills
- Clerical skills like calendar and email management, travel coordination, or proofreading
- Event planning
- Ability to be flexible when needed
- Professionalism
Wondering what other things to add to your resume? Our best skills for resume guide might help.
The Bottom Line
As a future executive assistant, your resume should reflect how you can organize, compartmentalize, and concisely describe your achievements. Offices thrive when an executive assistant is able to independently handle administrative tasks and collaborate with other staff to get work done.
Show off your skills by creating your own resume or hiring a resume-writing service to do it for you. It’s also important to stay updated on what positions are available. Check ZipRecruiter for the latest executive assistant job listings!
