The confidence pandemic within the EA and PA industry

Emily Mills, Director at eavolve, a training provider for executive support professionals, talks about a topic she’s very familiar with, namely confidence. Emily is a ‘doer’ and she believes in building confidence by taking action. Emily delves in to the topic of ‘the confidence pandemic’ within the EA and PA Industry and explains why she is determined to change it…

There’s an unspoken crisis in the EA and PA profession. It is not about skills. It is not about capability. It’s about confidence, and it’s holding too many professionals back from reaching their full potential (in my opinion and experience).

In the last three months alone, I’ve coached over ten professionals each facing different challenges, from job transitions to career progression and leadership growth. But the one thing they all had in common? A lack of confidence in their own value.

Who suffers from the confidence pandemic in the EA/PA industry?

It is something I’ve seen time and time again in this profession and I’ve lived it myself.

Before creating eavolve, I worked my way up from an EA to a Director in under ten years. I was a Senior C-Suite EA in the world’s largest independent technology company and went on to manage a global team of 60 EAs. That journey didn’t happen because I waited for someone to recognise my potential. It happened because I recognised it in myself.

But I know that for so many in this industry, self-belief isn’t automatic and that’s exactly why we need to talk about it.

If you ask any EA or PA if they’re good at their job, the answer is usually some variation of:

“I just get on with it.”
“It’s what I do.”
“I wouldn’t call it strategic, I’m just supporting my exec.”

Translation? I do not see what I do as exceptional, even though it is.

I hear it every day: incredibly capable professionals running entire functions behind the scenes, spotting risks before their execs do, managing people without the title, driving decisions without formal authority. Yet, when it comes to articulating their impact or advocating for themselves, they hesitate, and it’s not just individuals, it’s the profession as a whole.

Why do EAs and PAs lack confidence?

Confidence is not a personality trait. It’s a mindset, a learned behaviour, a skill that has to be built and strengthened over time.

However, over a period of time, the EA and PA profession has been conditioned to be reactive rather than proactive. To sit behind the scenes. To let others take the credit. To accept titles that do not reflect true scope. To take on responsibilities without demanding the recognition that comes with them.

We have been taught (subtly and overtly) that being an EA is about serving rather than leading. That our work is valuable, but not visible and when you internalise those messages over time, confidence isn’t just something you struggle with, it’s something you don’t even realise you need.

A lack of confidence does not just affect individuals. It affects the entire profession and I am watching it happen, time and time again.

When EAs and PAs don’t advocate for themselves, here’s what happens:

• They get stuck in roles that no longer challenge them because they don’t believe they’re ready for the next step.
• They accept lower salaries than they deserve because they don’t know how to push back.
• They remain unseen in their organisations because they do not feel entitled to step forward.
• They wait for recognition that never comes because they believe hard work speaks for itself (it doesn’t).
• They don’t shape the future of the profession because they assume they don’t have a seat at the table.

However, when I look at this profession, I don’t see passive administrators. I personally see future leaders, strategic partners, and industry influencers but belief has to come before action.

From EA to Director: what I learned about confidence

When I started my career, I never imagined I’d be leading a global team of 60 EAs, I didn’t even know what an EA was when I ‘fell’ into this profession. My path wasn’t mapped out there certainly wasn’t a blueprint for how to transition from an EA role into executive leadership.

But the one thing I did learn early on? Confidence does not come from waiting. It comes from doing.

I built my career by stepping into spaces I wasn’t sure I was ready for. By saying yes to projects that stretched me, by speaking up when it was uncomfortable and by learning to communicate my impact in a way that executives understood. Now, believe me when I say that I made plenty of mistakes along the way! But I refused to let those be an issue!

I see so many EAs and PAs holding themselves back out of fear, fear of getting it wrong, fear of stepping too far outside of their comfort zone, fear of being seen. But if I’d let those fears stop me, I’d never have built the career I have today.

And that’s exactly why I’m so passionate about helping others break through those barriers.

What needs to change?

Confidence isn’t something that appears overnight. It has to be built, reinforced, and practiced. And right now, our profession isn’t doing enough to nurture it. If we want to see more EAs stepping into senior leadership roles, securing Chief of Staff positions, or influencing business decisions, we have to start prioritising confidence-building as much as skill-building.

At eavolve, we’re tackling this head-on in three key ways:

1. Coaching that focuses on confidence as much as capability

I’ve spent the last three months coaching EAs and PAs through job transitions, career development, and leadership challenges. And while every person is different, confidence is always the common thread.

Through our Career & Confidence Coaching, we help professionals stop second-guessing themselves and start owning their value. We tackle imposter syndrome, shift mindsets, and build the skills needed to advocate for their careers, not just wait for opportunities to come to them.

2. Personal branding that positions EAs as strategic partners

One of the biggest reasons confidence stays low. Visibility.

If no one recognises your impact, it is easy to believe it doesn’t exist.

Our Personal Branding Workshops help professionals articulate their value and position themselves as strategic players, not just support staff. Because if you’re not telling your story, someone else will and trust me, they’ll likely undersell you.

3. A Network that pushes people forward

Confidence grows when you surround yourself with people who see your potential, challenge you to step up, and remind you of your value when you forget it.

Through mentoring, networking, and group coaching, we’re creating a space where EAs and PAs feel empowered to take bolder steps in their careers. Because when one person steps up, it encourages others to do the same.

What I want for the EA and PA profession

I do not want to see another talented EA underpaid, undervalued, or overlooked because they don’t believe they’re “ready.” I don’t want to see professionals holding back in meetings, shrinking in their roles, or hesitating to apply for bigger opportunities because they don’t see their own potential. I want to see a profession where confidence isn’t the exception, it’s the standard. Where EAs and PAs step into their power, own their voices, and shape the future of this industry.

And that starts with you.

If you’re reading this and you recognise yourself in any of it, if you know you’re capable of more but something is holding you back, I want you to ask yourself: What’s the worst that could happen if I back myself?

The truth is, the biggest risk is not stepping forward, it is staying where you are and wondering what could have been. I can’t say it enough………it’s time to stop waiting and start doing and I can’t wait to see what happens when you do.

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