Personal Secretary Interview Preparation Guide

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Employee of a company who supports the executive, CEO, or manager and has ability to make decisions that affect the company. In addition, the executive assistant will also perform similar responsibilities as an administrative assistant, involving research, communications, correspondence, and office management. In some organizations, the executive assistant will attend meetings or conferences in place of the executive.

► Managing the day-to-day operations of the office.
► Organizing and maintaining files and records.
► Planning and scheduling meetings and appointments.

It's essential that you do look at the company website before any interview if you're serious about the job. If for some reason you didn't take a look, don't lie, but it will look like you don't care about the role.

A great chance to sell yourself. Plan well, be precise and practice in front of anyone you can find. Try to touch upon a little bit of your personal self, this will give the interviewer a good insight into your personality.

It's a good idea to mention that you create presentations and reports using graphs, charts, pivot tables on a recurring basis and are quite comfortable working on social media sites. You need to come across as an advanced user of Microsoft Office products and are keen to learn new skills.

Something positive but not arrogant would work here such as:
► diligent
► Sociable
► Focused
► pessimist

Go a step further and mention you handle calendars in multiple time zones.

You're probably used to dealing with multiple emails for your boss and possibly multiple bosses.

Likewise with this question, you would want to come up with a similar answer around time-management.

Give an example of when you have been asked to keep things private. Confidentiality is a very important aspect in most industries.

Again another great opportunity to sell yourself and show signs of great characteristics skills, which will make the interviewer want to hire you instantly. Some key skills of an EA are attention to detail, ability to multi task, strong communication skills, good listening skills, and ability and desire to be two steps ahead of the executive that you support.

A question like this shows you're interested in learning what it takes to perform well. It will also give you a clearer indication of what the company is looking for in an executive assistant and why you sparked their interest.

This is always important and you should look at their company website to get some inspiration.

This demonstrates that you're proactive, which is a sought-after quality in an executive assistant. It also gives you a chance to discuss how your skills can benefit the company.

What type of personalities do you work best with

A hiring manager has a set amount of time to conduct an interview, so there may be some things he or she only briefly touches upon. Seize the opportunity to clarify anything that seems vague or confusing to you by asking the interviewer to revisit one or more of those topics when it's your turn to ask questions.

Expressing a desire to seek additional training signals that you're ambitious and want to enhance your contributions to the company. Questions about career advancement opportunities also indicate you're willing to make a long-term commitment to the organization.

This shows you're interested in continuing to move the process forward and it gives the interviewer a chance to share a bit more about the process and/or how many others are in the running for the executive assistant position.

Although it puts your interviewer on the spot, it gives you a chance to address any hesitations the employer may have about hiring you as an executive assistant. This could help you secure the position.

In my previous role I had to work with a lot of strong-minded and opinionated consultants and found that I lacked the ability to be assertive with them and sometimes I felt they were able to get me to do work that I was uncomfortable with. After discussing this with my Manager I attended an assertiveness course and gain the training I needed to deal with them. I find it hard to say no. It is a work in progress but I am getting there.

For a long time I really enjoyed working for my current employee and I have felt that I learnt a lot from the role and also from my manager. However the job is limited and doesn't provide me with much room to grow (you can expand this for what ever reason fits your circumstances) . I feel that this position will give me the opportunity to expand my skill set and also move forward in my career.

The most satisfying aspect of my role is being able to help the executives make informed decisions that affect the rest of the Company. I enjoy working with and supporting successful people at the top-level of their career.

An PA is the personal assistant to someone who's on the executive management team of the organisation or who perhaps sits on the board.

The most frustrating aspect is the slow pace in the office and it can be difficult to get things done on occasions.

Personal assistants must have organizational skills and the ability to prioritize work. Tough interview questions that assess their strengths in this area include "How you prioritize urgent responsibilities when you have little time left in the day to complete your tasks?" and "One of your co-workers has offered to help you on one of your busiest days; however, you believe your skills are far superior to hers. How would you respond to her offer when you really do need help?" The candidate's answer to the second question also sheds light on her ability to tactfully refuse or accept help from co-workers.