Letโs be honest, how many times have you been asked, โSo, what do you actually do?โ and how many times have you struggled to give an answer that truly reflects the breadth and complexity of your role? Emily Mills, Director at Lily Shippen and eavolve talks about why articulating our role as EA & PA professionals is essential for the career growth and success…
I remember a time when I was asked this question in a personal setting (back when I was working as an EA), and without thinking, I shrugged and said, โOh, I just help someone else get their job done.โ What a shocking answer!! Shameful, really. Not only did I do myself an incredible injustice, but I also reinforced an outdated and completely inaccurate narrative about the profession. In that moment, I had the opportunity to educate someone on what EAs/PAs truly do, to shift their perception, to change the way they saw the role, not just for me, but for every other EA/PA they would encounter in the future, and I completely wasted it.
What do you do as an EA / PA?
Truthfully, that response still haunts me, because if we canโt articulate our value, how can we expect anyone else to recognise it?
As EA and PA professionals, weโre not just battling packed calendars, inbox overload, and the never-ending demands of high-level executives. Weโre also fighting against an outdated perception, one that sees us as note-takers, diary managers, and โjust assistants.โ
And the only way that changes, is if we/you change it.
If people see you as โjust an assistant,โ they will treat you like one, it is that simple. If they donโt understand your strategic value, they wonโt include you in high-impact conversations. If you donโt define your role, someone else will and it wonโt be in a way that serves your career. Too often, highly skilled, business-savvy assistants struggle to articulate their role, downplaying their contributions or feeling uncomfortable advocating for their impact.
Does this sound familiar, I bet it does! Thatโs why mastering how you talk about your role isnโt just about you, itโs about the profession as a whole.
Why articulating our role as EA & PA professionals is essential
This is exactly why we (eavolve) deliver workshops on articulating your role because if we (as a collective), donโt take charge of the way our profession is perceived, weโll stay stuck in outdated stereotypes with the same frustrations and feelings of being undervalued and overlooked. If we donโt teach ourselves how to communicate our strategic value, weโll continue to be underpaid, underappreciated, and overlooked (indefinitely).
I truly believe that when you fail to communicate the value of your role effectively, the consequences are real. You will get passed over for promotions because decision-makers donโt see the full extent of your contribution, and you will struggle to gain buy-in for initiatives because you canโt position yourself as a key influencer. However, when you learn how to own your narrative, everything shifts, and I know this first hand, as I have done it! When you start to position yourself as a business-critical asset, not just a support function, you open doors to career progression and change perceptions (not just for yourself, but for the entire profession).
One of the biggest mistakes assistants make is waiting for recognition instead of commanding it. This is something I feel so strongly about and canโt bear to see EA/PA professionals sit back, hoping their executives will notice the effort, the impact and the difference they make.
The reality is: if you donโt vocalise your value, people wonโt see it
This can all starts with ditching generic job descriptions and making small language changes. For example, if someone asks what you do, donโt default to vague, outdated responses like โI keep everything runningโ or โI support my executiveโ. That doesnโt cut it. Instead, frame your role in terms of business impact. Instead of saying, โI manage my executiveโs diary and emails,โ say, โI enable my executive to operate at peak performance by strategically managing their time, ensuring they focus on high-impact decisions rather than operational noise.โ See the difference? One sounds like organising, and the other sounds like strategy.
Itโs also about moving away from simply listing tasks. If you say, โI arrange meetings,โ you reinforce the idea that youโre just a scheduler. Instead, say, โI ensure that every meeting my executive attends is purposeful, efficient, and aligned with our strategic goalsโeliminating time-wasting and driving productivity.โ One makes you sound replaceable and just like someone who โhelpsโ,ย the other makes you sound like someone who is invaluable and essential.
Beyond how we describe our roles, we need to actively shape our personal brand (something else I am extremely passionate about). That means speaking up in meetings, not just about logistics, but about strategy. It means positioning ourselves as thought leaders in our field, sharing insights on LinkedIn, engaging in industry discussions, and demonstrating our business acumen. The assistants who are the most respected, the most sought after, and the most highly paid are not the ones who stay in the background. Theyโre the ones who actively shape their own narrative and are visible!
If articulating your value feels uncomfortable, thatโs even more reason to work on it. Confidence in how you communicate your role is a learned skill and I know this can be hard, which is why we run workshops to help assistants master this. Once you learn how to frame your role in a way that commands respect, you open doors, to promotions, to salary increases and to career advancement. All of the things that you deserve.
The future of the EA / PA profession depends on confident and articulate assistants
The future of the EA and PA profession depends on mastering how to articulate what you do. The demand for strategic, high-level assistants is growing, but if we donโt take charge of redefining the role, weโll stay stuck in outdated perceptions. This isnโt just about you, itโs about the profession as a whole. Every time you confidently articulate your impact, youโre paving the way for future assistants to be seen, valued, and respected at the level they deserve.
So, the next time someone asks, โWhat do you do?โโdonโt just give them an answer. Give them a new perspective. And if youโre ready to master how you articulate your role with confidence and impact, explore our workshops designed to help you navigate this critical skill.
