How can I win a promotion from a PA to an EA?
Our Ask Abi columnist, Abigail Jones, an EA to C-Suite, answers career related questions sent to us by the Assistant community. Abi currently works at Spotify, and also provides professional coaching and mentoring to individuals and corporate groupsโฆ
How to win a promotion from a PA to an EA?
Thank you for sending in a great question that is on the minds of many PAs.
Preparation is the best way to transition from Personal to Executive Assistant. Start with understanding the difference between the two roles, and what the additional responsibilities and expectations are.
Responsibilities of an EA include for example:
- Responsibilities include strategic planning, project management, decision-making support, and acting as a liaison between the executive and other stakeholders.
- Enhancing your ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with high-level executives and stakeholders.
- Cultivating strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to handle complex and unexpected challenges efficiently.
- Demonstrating a deep understanding of the business and industry, along with strong leadership and problem-solving skills. Start by searching online for some generic Executive Assistant roles; what skills do those job descriptions list that you already possess, and what are you missing?
- Make it your mission to start filling the gaps and ask for opportunities to demonstrate your readiness for an EA position, such as covering for an EA on leave, or leading on a project, or request mentoring from an EA.
- Express your intention and ambition to your line manager and ask if there are any opportunities to develop or show leadership.
Prioritise winning a promotion from a PA to an EA in your personal development plan
You could also write it into your personal development plan and set clear measurable goals, aligned with the skills and responsibilities of an EA. You could request support for any professional development in a form of certificates or seminars, workshops and attending events like the PA Show.
Understand the business – what are the company goals, operations and industry? Gaining a deep understanding of the business and the executiveโs goals and priorities will help you to anticipate needs and make informed decisions.
Network with your Executives and build relationships to understand their expectations and requirements. Develop your professional network internally to increase your visibility, and also externally to understand how other EAs work, and how they have made the transition – other EAs are a valuable resource.
Consider if and how, within your organisation, you can transition to a strategic role. If not, are you prepared to job hunt externally? Keep a record of your accomplishments, successful projects and positive feedback, which can be used either when discussing an internal promotion, or when interviewing.
Good luck!
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Your question could be answered in our Winter Issue 2024, out by end of October – deadline end of September. Read more Ask Abi column is PA Life magazine’s earlier issues.
