Are you an individual with years of experience as a virtual assistant or particular expertise in a specific industry? If so, remote executive assistant jobs could be the next step in your career path. Building upon your background as a virtual assistant, an executive assistant typically earns more money yet takes on more responsibilities.
Despite a 7% decline in the administrative assistant sector, many companies, business owners, and executives are moving to a virtual platform to hire the right person to organize their affairs. By eliminating the barriers of geographic requirements, employers can find the best candidate for a virtual executive assistant job. If you have years of experience as a secretary, administrative assistant, or virtual assistant, taking your career to the next level as an executive assistant is the next logical step. Find out how to do it here.
How Do I Become a Remote Executive Assistant?
A remote executive assistant typically has more experience than a virtual assistant. Hence, noting the differences between the two can help you establish if you’re a viable candidate for the role. Generally speaking, the difference between the positions are:
- Education and industry-specific knowledge, including bachelor’s or master’s degrees vs. an associate’s degree or high school diploma
- Employment type (full-time vs. part-time, 1099 vs. W-2, etc.)
- Salary requirements
Furthermore, executive assistants are typically full-time positions with salaries and benefits compared to an hourly rate and freelance or contractor status of virtual assistants. Industry-specific knowledge can also play a vital role in your successful job hunt for a remote executive assistant job. Some of the top industry-specific jobs for executive assistants include:
- Dentistry
- Healthcare
- High-level management
- Legal
- Government
- Event planning
- Travel
Education Required
While a college degree isn’t necessarily required for remote executive assistant roles, earning one can definitely set you apart from other candidates. Your college degree doesn’t necessarily have to pertain to the industry that you’re in. Nevertheless, it helps in more specialized industries such as the healthcare or legal fields. At the very least, you will need a high school diploma or a GED equivalent to land a role as an executive assistant.
Skills Needed
Different employers have varying expectations of what skill set an executive assistant should possess. However, a baseline level of hard and soft skills should give you a shot at landing the job you want. To ensure you have what employers are looking for, take a glance at this list of hard and soft skills necessitated by the role.
Hard Skills
- Math and accounting skills
- Strong writing skills
- Schedule management
- Fast and accurate typing
- Skilled at using phones, fax machines, scanners, and printers
- Expert knowledge of Google Suite or Microsoft 365
- Excellent computer proficiency
Soft Skills
- Prioritization
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Self-assessment skills
- Written and verbal communication skills
- Listening
- Time management and organizational skills
- Assertiveness
- Planning skills
In addition, you may need industry-specific skills or knowledge or expertise required by your employer. Make sure to check each job description carefully to make sure you have the right skill set. If you don’t, it’s an opportune time to brush up or enhance your hard and soft skills.
Certifications
Certifications aren’t mandatory to become a remote executive assistant, much like advanced education. On the other hand, they can give you a leg up on the competition. If you want to boost your overall profile and body of work, think about adding these certifications to your list of accomplishments.
- Master Project Manager
- Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification
- Certified Legal Secretary Specialist
- Certified Paralegal or Certified Legal Assistant
- Certified Administrative Professional
Salary Information
Remote executive assistant jobs have a wide variety of salaries that often depend on experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, virtual executive assistants earn a median salary of $40,990 per year or $19.71 per hour. Top-earning executive assistants make around $63,000, while the low hovers around $37,000.
Companies Hiring for Remote Executive Assistant Jobs
Business owners, recruiting companies, and employers are always looking for highly skilled and organized professionals to fill their remote executive assistant jobs. If you’re not sure where to start your job search, here are a few options to consider.
Boldly
Boldly is a subscription staffing company that has dozens of Fortune 500 clients to its credit. The company matches highly qualified applicants to their A-list of clients on a subscription basis, giving Boldly a unique business idea that can lead to long-term employment. However, all of Boldly’s job openings are W-2 positions with full-time pay and benefits. Some of Boldly’s clients include ZenDesk, Grammarly, Google, Facebook, and Apple.
Elite Virtual Assistants
Elite Virtual Assistants is a staffing and recruiting agency and Virtual Vocations Employer Partner. They work specifically with virtual assistants and remote executive assistants. With clients ranging from small businesses to corporations, they can place you in a role that matches you with the right fit and company culture.
Alpha Virtual Administrative Services
Offering customized C-Suite level executive assistants and other business services, Alpha Virtual Administrative Services is a top choice for aspiring executive assistants to find a job. However, the company hires only the best of the best. So you’ll need a diverse background with experience in travel arrangements, note-taking, cloud management, Microsoft 365, and more. But if you have the right skill set, Alpha provides a great stepping stone into the world of remote executive assistant jobs.
Turn Your Organizational Skills and Industry Expertise Into a Reward Job With Help From Virtual Vocations
While you can find virtual executive assistant jobs on almost every job board, no other organization provides amazing supplementary resources like Virtual Vocations. Whether you sign up for a free or paid membership, you’ll have access to everything you need to excel at your job search, including:
- Companies database
- Career services
- Industry guides
- Career coaching
- Career center
- Free blog with plenty of advice on remote working
So if you’re ready for the next step in your career as a virtual assistant, join Virtual Vocations today. It’s the best decision you’ll make this year.
What are your strengths as an executive assistant? What tasks do you like the most? Connect with Virtual Vocations on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube to share your thoughts and tips. We’d love to hear from you!
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