Executive Assistant Degrees: Gateway to the Top Administrative Jobs

Days made up of fetching coffee, taking dictation, typing, and filing are history for almost any Executive Assistant. Today's technology lets executives and professionals prepare many of their own documents, and handle many other tasks they once delegated to secretaries and support staff.

Instead, the life of today's Executive Assistant has become richer and more interesting because of technology. You're more likely to be coordinating meetings, making travel arrangements, doing internet research, and managing schedules. In between, you'll still answer telephones, emails, and faxes. But it's more typical you'll be in the boardroom preparing a presentation than at the coffee machine preparing a latte.

Become a Jack of All Trades
The pressure is on every executive to do more with less. They need the kind of skills that are sharpened through one of the top executive assistant degrees. You can learn to combine the organizational talents of an office manager, the recordkeeping savvy of an accountant, and the interpersonal skills of an HR person, in one flexible role. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technology has reduced the growth of administrative jobs. But there are still millions of jobs remaining, more demanding and stimulating than ever.

Project Management and Technical Support Rolled Into One
Executives are paid for broad results, not to coordinate staff meetings or prepare PowerPoint presentations. They can guide teams, but often stumble when it's time to change ink in a printer. These are the kinds of areas where your boss will turn to you, as a detail-oriented and on-the-ball assistant. Your boss makes the broad initiatives, you follow through on details. One type of preparation most good executive assistant degrees include is a focus on project management training, so you can take on larger project responsibilities.

Another quality of good executive assistant degrees is they prepare you to provide valuable technical support. You're the first responder when your boss hits a snag in a program, or can't get something done on the network, or has printer trouble. To become truly invaluable, a good degree program is indispensable.

Source:
Occupational Outlook Handbook: Executive Assistants and Administrative Jobs