Crafting a CV that strikes the perfect balance between professional achievements and the personal touch required by an executive assistant role can be quite daunting. Our guide will provide you with tailored advice and practical examples to spotlight your unique skill set, ensuring your application stands out to potential employers.
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
Formatting your executive assistant CV to meet the role expectations
Staring at the blank page for hours on end, you still have no idea how you should start your professional executive assistant CV. Should you include more colours, two columns, and which sections? What you should remember about your CV format is this - ensure it's minimalistic and doesn't go over the top with fancy fonts and many colours. Instead, focus on writing consistent content that actually answers the job requirements. But, how about the design itself :- Use the reverse chronological order to showcase your experience, starting with your most recent role;
- Include your contact details (email address, phone number, and location) - and potentially your professional photo - in the header;
- Must-have CV sections include summary or objective, experience, education, and skills: curate the ones that fit your profile;
- Your professional executive assistant CV should be between one-to-two pages long: select the longer format if you have more experience.
A little bit more about your actual CV design, ensure you're using:
- plenty of serif or sans serif font (e.g. Montserrat, Exo 2, Volkhov) as they are Applicant Tracker System (ATS) compliant. Avoid the likes of Arial and Times New Roman because most candidates' CVs are in this typography.
When submitting your CV, are you still not sure what format it should be? Despite the myth that has been circling around, most modern ATS systems are perfectly capable of reading PDFs. This format is an excellent choice as it keeps all of your information intact.
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Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a executive assistant CV
- Contact Information ensures easy communication.
- Professional Summary highlights key competencies.
- Work Experience shows relevant career history.
- Key Skills demonstrates administrative expertise.
- Education Background confirms required qualifications.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight organisational proficiency by showcasing your experience in managing complex schedules, arranging travel, and coordinating meetings, which are key duties of executive assistants.
- Demonstrate your communication skills by mentioning instances where you've effectively liaised between senior management and staff or external stakeholders, as executive assistants often act as the first point of contact.
- Exhibit your ability to handle confidential information with discretion and integrity, as executive assistants are trusted with sensitive corporate data.
- Showcase your competency in using office software suites and executive assistant-specific technologies, such as digital dictation or advanced calendar management tools, to illustrate your readiness for the role.
- Include examples of your problem-solving capabilities, as executive assistants need to anticipate challenges and address them proactively to ensure the executive's workflow is uninterrupted.
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What information should you include in your executive assistant CV header?
The CV header is potentially the section that recruiters would refer to the most, as it should include your:
- Contact details - your professional (non-work) email address and phone number;
- Professional photograph - if you're applying hinting at the value you bring as a professional.
Many professionals often struggle with writing their executive assistant CV headline. That's why in the next section of this guide, we've curated examples of how you can optimise this space to pass any form of assessment.
Examples of good CV headlines for executive assistant:
- Executive Assistant | Expert in C-Suite Support | Prince2 Certified | 8 Years' Experience
- Senior Executive Assistant | Corporate Event Management Specialist | Bilingual: English/Spanish | 12+ Years
- Personal Assistant to CEO | Project Coordination | Advanced IT Skills | 6 Years' Professional Excellence
- Chief Executive Officer's Assistant | Strategic Planner | Lean Six Sigma | 10-Year Track Record
- Executive Personal Assistant | Master of Business Administration | Investor Relations Savvy | 15 Years' Tenure
- Lead Executive Support Specialist | Time Management Pro | Executive Office Workflow Expert | 7 Years' Experience
Catching recruiters' attention with your executive assistant CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your executive assistant CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a executive assistant job:
- Accomplished Executive Assistant with 10 years of experience in fast-paced tech firms. Skilful in managing complex schedules, crafting detailed meeting minutes, and maintaining confidentiality. Spearheaded the implementation of a new digital filing system, increasing departmental efficiency by 30%.
- Experienced in the non-profit sector, providing high-level administrative support for 8+ years. Expertise in donor relations, event planning, and interdepartmental coordination. Pivotal in organising an international fundraising gala that raised over £100,000 for environmental causes.
- Dedicated former Project Manager aiming to leverage a 7-year background in construction into a dynamic Executive Assistant role. Brings a strong foundation in team leadership, meticulous project coordination, and adept at negotiating with stakeholders. Awarded 'Project of the Year' for successfully delivering a flagship urban development on time and under budget.
- Highly organised Marketing Specialist transitioning into an Executive Assistant position, bringing over 6 years of experience orchestrating successful campaigns and facilitating communication across diverse teams. Proven track record of enhancing workflow processes and implementing a CRM system that increased customer engagement by 25%.
- Seeking to develop an accomplished career as an Executive Assistant, harnessing an enthusiastic approach to learn and contribute to organisational success. With a fresh academic background in Business Administration and the latest technological proficiency, I am eager to apply my theoretical knowledge and grow through new professional challenges.
- As a recent graduate with a passion for administrative excellence, my objective is to integrate with a team where I can utilise my advanced organisational skills, attention to detail, and eagerness to master executive support tasks, thereby making a substantial impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of day-to-day operations.
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your executive assistant CV experience section
The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:
- Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
- Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
- Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise;
- align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.
For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Managed and organised a complex calendar for the company's CEO, ensuring all appointments and meetings were scheduled efficiently and with consideration for time zone differences.
- Handled confidential documents and communications with discretion, maintaining the highest level of confidentiality and integrity in managing sensitive company information.
- Facilitated internal and external communication by acting as the first point of contact for the executive, screening calls, and promptly and professionally addressing enquiries.
- Prepared comprehensive travel itineraries, including flights, accommodation, and transportation, ensuring seamless and stress-free executive trips domestically and internationally.
- Enhanced productivity by developing and implementing effective filing and organisational systems for both digital and physical documents, making information retrieval quick and efficient.
- Coordinated successful company events and meetings by organising venues, catering, and materials, paying close attention to detail to deliver exceptional experiences.
- Streamlined expense reporting and budget tracking for the executive office, demonstrating a keen ability to manage financial tasks accurately and judiciously.
- Supported the executive in preparing for board meetings by compiling reports, presentations, and agendas, contributing to the strategic preparation process.
- Displayed excellent problem-solving skills by proactively addressing potential challenges, ensuring the executive's schedule and commitments were unaffected by unforeseen issues.
- Managed complex diaries and scheduled over 300+ meetings across global time zones, ensuring optimal time management and prioritisation for a C-level executive.
- Coordinated international travel arrangements, including visas, accommodations, and itineraries for the CEO, which reduced travel expenses by 15% through meticulous planning.
- Led a project to digitise paper-based filing systems, resulting in enhanced document retrieval times by 30% and reduction in physical storage space by 20%.
- Oversaw the creation of detailed reports and presentations for board meetings, which assisted in securing £5M in additional funding for corporate initiatives.
- Streamlined the executive communication process by implementing a new CRM system, boosting departmental productivity by 25%.
- Served as the main point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, improving response times by 40%.
- Facilitated in the organisation and execution of annual company-wide events with over 500 attendees, consistently completing projects under budget by 10-20%.
- Developed comprehensive expense tracking systems that identified cost-saving opportunities, resulting in a year-over-year budget reduction of 5%.
- Implemented proactive maintenance schedules for office equipment, reducing downtime by 35%.
- Act as a gatekeeper for the Managing Director, effectively prioritising correspondence and requests, thereby elevating executive efficiency.
- Negotiate supplier contracts for office resources, achieving an average annual saving of 8% which positively impacts the bottom line.
- Spearheaded the transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining 100% continuity of executive operations.
- Managed a complete revamp of the executive suite's technology stack, introducing SaaS tools that increased departmental productivity by over 20%.
- Authored and edited critical communications, speeches, and presentations that facilitated the executive's thought leadership position within the industry.
- Orchestrated complex event planning for international conferences, enhancing company reputation and facilitating valuable business relations.
- Collaborated across teams to align executive goals with departmental objectives, increasing internal alignment and driving forward company strategies.
- Conducted in-depth market research that formed the foundation for the executive's strategic planning, enabling more informed decision-making processes.
- Supervised the refurbishment of the head office, managing the project timeline meticulously to ensure minimal disruption to executive activities.
- Orchestrated the scheduling and logistical planning for over 150+ domestic and international meetings annually, displaying exceptional organisational acumen.
- Designed and implemented electronic file management systems, which reduced document retrieval times and increased the team's operational efficiency.
- Played a pivotal role in organising corporate retreats that fostered team building and strategic alignment, adhering to strict schedules and tight budgets.
- Initiated a comprehensive contact management system to streamline executive networking efforts, fostering more efficient stakeholder engagement.
- Collaborated with IT to enhance cybersecurity for executive communications, achieving a significant reduction in potential data breach risks.
- Supervised cross-functional teams in executing high-profile projects, ensuring the executive's vision was achieved within the set timelines.
How to ensure your executive assistant CV stands out when you have no experience
This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:
- Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
- Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
- Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
- Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your executive assistant CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your executive assistant CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your executive assistant CV:
Advanced Microsoft Office Suite knowledge
Calendar management
Travel coordination
Meeting and event planning
Data management
Document preparation
Expense report management
Research skills
Project management
Basic accounting
Excellent communication
Organisational skills
Time management
Discretion and confidentiality
Problem-solving abilities
Attention to detail
Adaptability
Teamwork
Client relations
Stress management
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
Listing your university education and certificates on your executive assistant CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Write your professional executive assistant CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:
- Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
- Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
- Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
- Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
- Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.
