Executive Assistant Resume Examples, Template Resume Tips

Executive Assistant Resume Examples, Template Resume Tips In order for a company to function, there must be a well-established hierarchy that needs to be strictly followed so as to achieve the previously set goals.The very top of the hierarchy “pyramid” is reserved for the executives, board of directors and all those who are actively involved in the decision-making process.It is only natural that people at the top carry the heaviest burden of all. They are fully responsible for the well-being of both the company and its employees.Their responsibilities range from the mundane filling in the various reports to crucial meetings and negotiations with key clients.To make things easier and more bearable for them, a completely new job post was designed.The job in question is Executive Assistant. Executive assistants are usually described as the right hand of an executive. We cannot but say that this is only partially true.An executive assistant is both the right and the left hand, the legs, the eyes and the ears of an executive. Occasionally, they need to be the executives themselves too.In order for you to apply for the job position of an executive assistant, you need to have certain abilities and skills which will be presented throughout the article.Besides these personal and professional skills, there is something else you need to be good at. Presentation! That is the presentation of yourself to potential employers.This is where your writing skills will come in handy, or more precisely, your resume writing skills.Your Curriculum Vitae (AKA CV or resume) is your professional ID. And make sure you have a good one.However, this is not easily done, since not everyone is good at presenting themselves in the best light.But don’t you worry none because this article is just the thing for you. Before we give you some example resumes, let us take a look at what the basic elements of a good CV are.When writing that perfect CV, you need to make sure that:Your CV draws attention;You choose a proper template (be smart, use our re sume template builder);Your CV is well organized (all relevant pieces of information are clearly visible);You choose the language which is to the point.Having told you that a good, nay, perfect CV is a must have, we will now show you how to actually write one.Executive Assistant Resume Example Right Executive Assistant Resume Sample Right Create your own resumeNow that we have presented to you two examples of people with different qualifications who are almost equally fit to do the job of an executive assistant let us go into some additional details on how to write that brilliant resume.However, if this seems way too complicated for you, don’t worry about it. We have just the thing for you â€" our resume template builder.Without any further delay, let’s dive in!HOW TO WRITE PERSONAL INFORMATION SECTIONWe already commented previously that your curriculum vitae is your professional ID.Here you need to provide all relevant information about yourself, both personally and professionally. Of course, any of these need to be 100 % accurate.Obviously, if you give false e-mail or phone number, you will not get contacted and will definitely not get the job you want.When writing a CV, it is important to present the data in a specific order. Just like with everything else, you need to provide your name first and then the poss ible ways to get in touch with you.NameObviously, you need to provide your full name, including your first and last name. You should be very careful here because nicknames are neither allowed nor tolerated here.NameEnid WilliamsMiguel Cruz RightNameEnid “The Sassy” WilliamsMiguel “Shorty” Cruz WrongNicknames sometimes say a lot about a person wearing them.However, nicknames are reserved for your friends and family, i.e. for people you are familiar with outside of work.This is definitely not the first thing your potential employee wants to know about you, especially if it is a nickname like the ones on the right.As long as you are in the stage of only applying for a job, avoid giving your nickname.ProfessionYour profession needs to be clearly indicated in your CV. Pardon us for saying this, but at a certain point, this can be even more important than your name.ProfessionBusiness High School Graduate RightProfessionHigh School Graduate WrongBe precise when giving your prof ession. Even if you do not have the right profession for a certain position, be honest about it. The chances are that you have other skills that compensate for the (current) lack of proper education or degree.PhotoWe all know that the most important element in an ID is a photo. As a matter of fact, when it comes to writing a CV, including a photo is optional.Still, always make sure to provide a photo in your resume. We are not trying to sound as discriminatory or prejudiced; but, resumes without photos are impersonal, they do not leave a good impression on the potential employer. Your photograph is even more so important in the case of an executive assistant.If you wonder why to let us just remind you this. You will be working with executives. You will be in charge of meetings with potential clients. You will be holding many presentations. You are not allowed to hide behind a faceless resume. The potential employers might think that you are not comfortable with your looks, and if yo u are not, why would they be?When choosing a photo for your resume, make sure that you look professional. Carefully select your outfit. Hint: choose neutral colours! If you still opt for yellow, for example, make sure it is the only bright colour you are wearing.To help you guys a bit more, we have prepared the following right from the wrong distinction.Photo instructionsSmile (a mere indication)Eyes open (naturally)Tidy, clean, and combed hairLight make-up (for ladies)Trimmed beard (for men)Only you in the photo (neutral background). The safest option is against a white or neutral wall.Proper posture RightPhoto instructionsGrin/laughEyes closedMessy hairdoStrong make-up (for ladies)Messy/too long beard (for men)Group photo (from the beach, parties, with your family).Slouching WrongNo need to explain why the things listed on the left will make you look better in the eyes of the potential employer than the ones on the right.Phone NumberThis is one of the ways for employers to get i n touch with you. Even if you give your e-mail address, giving your phone number too will do no harm either. It might just make it easier for employers since personal contact and communication establish a stronger and more sincere bond.AddressGiving your address is optional, but you can include it just in case. This is the “being honest” part since the company hiring needs to know if you are travelling across the country (figuratively and literally) to get to work or you are just 15 minutes away.E-mail AddressIt is the twenty-first century, and it is understood that everyone under 45 year of age has an e-mail address or even a couple of them. However, have this in mind.Emailenidwiliams@gmail.comcruzmiguel@gmail.com RightEmailenidthesassy@gmail.comshortycruz@gmail.com WrongThis obviously shows that your e-mail address needs to be “professional”. When applying for a job, don’t use those e-mail addresses that you generally use for other purposes (e.g. gaming, online shoppin g).Also, make sure that your e-mail address is easily spelt and pronounced so as to avoid potential ambiguity.Social Media ProfilesAs is the case with e-mails, even your grandma is on Facebook today (luckily, she’s not on Instagram!). So, it is virtually impossible that you don’t have at least one social network account.What is noteworthy here is that although they might help employers to get to know you better, social networks might as well act against you. The reason is practically the content you post, share or like on your profile.If you are sending passive-aggressive messages (or openly aggressive ones, for that matter) your chances for employment drop significantly if your potential work superior sees these.Whether you like it or not, your profiles will definitely have some content which is not appropriate to be seen before somebody gets to know you personally. So maybe just in case, do not give those links.But, if you do it, after all, manage the visibility of your posts at least, that is, make sure which of your posts are public.Hint: A link to your LinkedIn account is always a good idea (because it is made for professional and not entertainment or other purposes), while your Instagram profile is a huge NO.HOW TO WRITE YOUR SUMMARY SECTIONNow that we have gone through the tips about writing the factual part of your resume, we have reached that point where further writing of a resume does not come naturally to most of us.This is where you need to use only a few words and yet make a “gigantic” impression.When you find yourself in such a situation, then you need to rely on language it must be your tool to woo your next employer with, to prove and convince them that you are the right person for the job.So, how do you do it?Well, you do it like this.SummaryMore than 5 years/over 10 years of experience in the fieldSpecialized in international business and public relationsUsing strong language (boost, enhance, etc.)Ending on a proactive note (seeking an opportunity to turn theory into practice RightSummaryWith many years of experience. (And, how would you define and quantify many here, by the way?)Graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University (graduated what?)Using weak language (good, make better, etc.)Sounding uninterested or “needy” (I would like to work for you) WrongSee the difference it makes? Imagine eating a cupcake, and you like it so much that you keep coming back for more. Would you say that the cupcake is very tasty or that it’s delicious? Same goes for your resume.You are not good at organizing, you have excellent organizing skills. You don’t type fast, you type 100 words per minute.Be clever, make use of numbers. Executives adore numbers, it’s almost their religion. Use this to your advantage.HOW TO WRITE THE EXPERIENCE SECTIONThe experience section of your resume is what actually persuades the employer whether you are right for the job or no. Before we go into details, note that your previous experience is indicated in the reverse chronological order, that is, from the most recent to the earliest one back in the past.Here you first need to indicate the full title of the previous employer, and then you indicate the position you occupied within the company, a brief description of the position and/or tasks you were in charge of. To be more precise, this is what we mean. Right WrongThe right side looks a bit “poor”, doesn’t it? So, don’t write your CV like this! (And, if this is the only way you know, use our resume template builder instead!) The left side is more appealing to an employer since they can clearly see who they are dealing with and what kind of services they can expect from you if you become their employee. It’s all about getting the job done.In this part, language is also very important, along with numbers. How so?ExperienceIncreased rate of providing feedback to customers by 25%.Helped increasing the scope of work by 15% with existing clients by giving them proper ranking compared to newly acquired clients or those with a minor scope of work.Closed 3 deals with clients independently.Managed the team of 5 administrative assistants who were in charge of daily tasks. RightExperienceSignificantly increased the rate of providing feedback to customers.Helped increasing the scope of work with existing clients.Closed some deals independ ently.Managed a big team of administrative assistants. WrongNumbers don’t lie. For example, the term “significantly increased” is liable to subjective interpretation where someone might see 5% as significant too. On the other hand, “increasing the rate by 25%” says so much more. Do not obscure your achievements. Use them to advertise yourself in the best possible way.Having said all of this, here’s an important notice for you. Do not provide false details here.Do not say that you worked somewhere if you didn’t since this can be easily checked. If it turns out you gave false data, you will be discredited for good in a company you are currently applying for.Why are we giving this notice to you? Well, take a look at our example here. Miguel gave only one entry under Profession.He’s young, he’s just attending college, he’s only starting to build his career. But honestly, would you not give him a chance if you were an employer?ExperienceSeeking for an opportunity to turn theory into practice and put it to some actual use for both my own and the benefit of the company. RightExperienceSeeking an opportunity to learn new things. WrongThis might be given in the Summary section and not Experience after all. But this seemingly simple sentence can make a larger contribution than 10 entries in your Experience section.This is where he showed that even though he might not have sufficient experience, he is still persuasive and proactive in his job quest. There is no chance that an employer will not react to this.Hint: In your Experience section, don’t list those jobs that have nothing to do with the position you are applying for. It will just be interpreted as wasting the “precious” time of the executive hiring an assistant.Anyhow, if you can’t be bothered with all of this, we suggest that you use our resume template builder which will make your life easier and your job quest will be a piece of cake.GUIDELINES ON WRITING YOUR EDUCATION SECTIONIt might seem logical to put education before experience section. However, potential employers tend to give a higher priority to your experience.This is why the education section is listed later. So not to go into unnecessary details, take a look at this. Right WrongWhen giving your high school information, make sure to add all relevant details, such as the full title of the institutions you attended, attending years and the field of study. Note that your education is also listed in reverse chronological order.Bear in mind that it is not necessary to include your GPA. However, if you graduated with honours or had a high GPA score, you are absolutely allowed to flaunt it. Also, if you have a bachelor’s degree or an MA/MSc, then you can leave out your high school education.Including a brief comment on the projects you worked on, or volunteering also helps with leaving a better impression. These show that you are used to teamwork or leading a team, depending on your actual involvement in the project.HOW TO WRITE YOUR SKILLS SECTIONIn your skills section, prioritizing is the keyword. Not every skill is the one to list here. Take our word for it, your potential employer does not care about your gaming skills.When writing your skills section, language is something you need to pay extra attention to. Right WrongSo as not to repeat, we already explained the benefits of strong language and adjectives.As for languages, check this out.Skills - LanguagesEnglish (Native)Spanish (Advanced)French (Intermediate)German (Elementary) RightSkills - LanguagesEnglishSpanishItalian WrongMake sure to always include the level of your knowledge of a certain language.Let’s take German as an example. If the applicant only listed German, without adding elementary, imagine the disappointment of your employer who expected you can write reports and summaries fluently, while actually, you can only count to ten.Be honest about this since you will be appreciated more.As for the general interests that you list at the end of your resume, these are the activities you like to do in your free time. When writing these be careful not to include too many.Your future employer doesn’t want and does not need to know every single thing about you.Make sure to include only those activities that you truly like the most, and that can actually make you look good in the eyes of an employer.If you still think you don’t have the skill to write your CV on your own, feel free to use our resume template builder.ADDITIONAL TIPS TRICKS:If you decide to write your CV all by yourself, make sure to always double check your writing for grammar or punctuation mistakes.Take care that the data you provide is full and true to your best knowledge.Be precise and to the point. Don’t write lengthy summaries, nobody will read them even if they tell a good story.Make sure that your CV is customised to the position you are applying for.CONCLUSIONPeople always strive to get that ideal job they deserve. However, it is not always so simple.You cannot just show up and start working somewhere. In most cases, you need to go through the dreadful application process, selection, interviews, etc. To get selected, you need to make a good impression on the potential employer.And you do this by submitting an impeccable resume.Suc h a resume implies only the best personal and professional details about you and making it usually takes time and effort.In this article, we gave you some useful guidelines on how to do it, but if you are still having doubts, use our resume template builder and go get that dream job!Good luck! Create your own resume