Table 1Transition record

administrative assistanttoexecutive assistant

A administrative assistant already meets 49% of what the executive assistant role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.

From administrative assistant

49%

Overlap1

To executive assistant

17 Skills carried over

11 Required, not held

55.8 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 55.8

This move: 55.8 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the executive assistant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the administrative assistant profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A executive assistant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a administrative assistant background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held organise travel arrangements for staff communication, collaboration and creativity
already held manage personnel agenda management skills
already held draft corporate emails communication, collaboration and creativity
already held disseminate messages to people management skills
already held perform business research information skills
already held process commissioned instructions communication, collaboration and creativity

All 17 carried skills, including the 14 the executive assistant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 24 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held communicate schedules to the people concerned required
required, not held build business relationships required
required, not held build trust required
required, not held use different communication channels required

optional, not held liaise with board members optional
optional, not held work in an international environment optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional
optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
optional, not held translate language concepts optional

02 information skills 2 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held maintain register of shareholders required
required, not held translate keywords into full texts required

optional, not held manage payroll reports optional
optional, not held prepare financial statements optional
optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional
optional, not held revise drafts made by managers optional

03 assisting and caring 2 required

required, not held apply information security policies required
required, not held observe confidentiality required

04 working with computers 2 required

required, not held manage office facility systems required
required, not held use word processing software required

05 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held perform clerical duties required

optional, not held support development of annual budget optional

06 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held international import export regulations optional
optional, not held international tariffs optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a executive assistant role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 17 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held business communication knowledge
already held company policies knowledge
already held coordinate events skill
already held disseminate messages to people skill
already held draft corporate emails skill
already held fix meetings skill
already held liaise with managers skill
already held manage personnel agenda skill
already held organise travel arrangements for staff skill
already held perform business research skill
already held plan schedule skill
already held process commissioned instructions skill
already held use office systems skill
already held use spreadsheets software skill
already held create import-export commercial documentation skill
already held prepare presentation material skill
already held speak different languages skill

13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held international import export regulations optional
optional, not held international tariffs optional
optional, not held liaise with board members optional
optional, not held support development of annual budget optional
optional, not held work in an international environment optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional
optional, not held manage payroll reports optional
optional, not held prepare financial statements optional
optional, not held prepare tax returns forms optional
optional, not held revise drafts made by managers optional
optional, not held show intercultural awareness optional
optional, not held translate language concepts optional

24 held skills the executive assistant role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role deliver correspondence skill
not needed by the target role disseminate general corporate information skill
not needed by the target role disseminate internal communications skill
not needed by the target role ensure proper document management skill
not needed by the target role file documents skill
not needed by the target role fill out forms skill
not needed by the target role handle mail skill
not needed by the target role handle petty cash skill
not needed by the target role issue sales invoices skill
not needed by the target role keep task records skill
not needed by the target role maintain internal communication systems skill
not needed by the target role maintain inventory of office supplies skill
not needed by the target role maintain statutory books skill
not needed by the target role manage digital documents skill
not needed by the target role monitor staff absences skill
not needed by the target role organise business documents skill
not needed by the target role organise facilities for office personnel skill
not needed by the target role perform office routine activities skill
not needed by the target role provide customer follow-up services skill
not needed by the target role respect data protection principles skill
not needed by the target role transcription methods knowledge
not needed by the target role use microsoft office skill
not needed by the target role use personal organization software skill

2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held international import export regulations optional
optional, not held international tariffs optional

Index

Other moves recorded from administrative assistant

Full index of moves from administrative assistant

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.