Executive Assistant Interview Questions

"Before I leave every day I take a look at what is going to be happening the next day. If there are any key meetings or events my executive will be attending then I print off any required materials. I also schedule 5 minutes every morning to go over what they have to do that day and if they have any tasks for me. Once the meeting is over, I prioritise the tasks in a to-do list."

"I can sometimes become overwhelmed when there are a lot of tasks ahead of me. While I manage to finish everything on time, I don't like feeling flustered. I am taking steps to improve this by being more diligent about creating lists and understanding priority tasks versus non-priority tasks."

"While this can be a difficult situation to be in, I would be sure to let the executive asking for the information know that I am unable to divulge sensitive information. I would ask them to contact the other executive directly should they have any questions. I would be sure to let the other executive know about the situation and give them notice that the question may arise."

"Trello is a great resource that I use every day. I have different boards for different projects and it connects directly with my calendar making it easy for me to remember key dates. I also colour code my meetings in my calendar so I know what projects or items are a priority that day over others."

"If I was given conflicting instructions from two different executives then I would email both of them so that they were able to see the instructions I was given. I would then ask the two of them to meet with me so we could get a better understanding of the instructions that I should be taking in order to fulfil the request."

"I would definitely say that the most important role for an executive assistant is to support company executives in all kinds of ways. Executive assistants need to make themselves available for calendar scheduling, email drafting, note-taking in meetings and helping to book travel. As an executive assistant, being organised is incredibly important because I need to understand the calendars of my executives better than they do."

"In my previous role, I was pulled aside by one of the company executives so that she could explain the notes I was taking in her meetings weren't thorough enough. I understood instantly the importance of taking detailed notes because she wanted to be able to understand what happened in a meeting whether she was there or not. I spent some time working with her on a couple of meetings after that to ensure I was fulfiling her request and providing detailed notes."

"In one of my last jobs, I was responsible for supporting the president, CMO, COO and CEO. It was quite a difficult job because all four individuals were incredibly busy and managing their calendars alone was a full-time job. I became quite skilled at multitasking. It was also important for me to be incredibly organised so that nothing slipped through unnoticed."

"I love being organised and creating schedules so being able to do it full-time as a job really suits me. I also really enjoy being trusted with confidential and sensitive company information. Since I'm naturally a people-pleaser, I take pride every day in making sure that I am making our company's executives' job just a little bit easier. It is also great being appreciated in an organisation when I do a good job."

"The previous five years I have worked as an executive assistant for several company executives. Thanks to that experience, I think I am ready to take on the task of working for a larger organisation and working with four executives. I also believe my college degree in business administration has helped me to perfect the key skills required for the role such as written and oral communication skills, basic computer skills, and problem-solving."

"The previous executives I worked for would definitely say I am very organised and able to perform a wide range of tasks. I'm also a very quick learner and eager to take on new tasks. My priority is making sure the company executives always look good and stay organised themselves. I am also quite personable and get along with all sorts of different personalities."

"The first step I would take would be to sit down with the company executive to understand what their priorities were. I would also ask them questions about their personality and how they like to manage their day. If there was anything they needed in order to do their job effectively I would ask it as well. Afterwards, I would spend some time organizing their calendar and making sure everything was up to date."

"In one of my past positions, the company president oversaw our European offices as well as our Canadian head office. He was constantly traveling all over and one of my key responsibilities was making sure that domestic and international travel was booked for him. I worked with a travel agency to get the best rates and booked hotels, car rentals and flights for him."

"It took a couple of months but eventually I was able to anticipate the needs and wants of my previous executive. For example, I always made sure to book meetings with external partners at her favourite restaurant. I would also never book meetings before 8 am and ensured her schedule was cleared to pick up her children from school. Of course, I also knew her favourite coffee order so knew just when she needed a little pick-me-up."

"Before I leave every day I take a look at what is going to be happening the next day. If there are any key meetings or events my executive will be attending then I print off any required materials. I also schedule five minutes every morning to go over what they have to do that day and if they have any tasks for me. Once the meeting is over I prioritise the tasks in a to-do list."