6 Tips for Your First Time as an Executive Assistant

January 3rd 2025 | by Veronica Tyler Christie Edited 1/19/2025; 7/7/2025

In my experience, I’ve often stepped into roles as the smiling, laughing administrator, greeted with, "We’ve never had anyone in this position before, so there’s no real training on this." during my first week on the job. Whenever upper management unveils another layered to their chaotic team structure, this lets me know that I will be learning on the fly, teaching myself, and also shaping the role to fit me while working within the parameters of an unfamiliar environment as well as stubborn folks with demands.

We can all agree that we have professional gut feelings when starting a new role and here’s what I felt while I was “building the plane while its flying” in my previous roles:

• I’m the new hire initially encouraged to TAKE SPACE because I’m encouraged to be deserving of the space when its later felt that the space I’m occupying might be too strong for those who thought they were prepared.

• I’m the new ray of naïve sunlight who doesn’t know anyone yet and standing in as the personality hire when later I will be overshadowed, undermined, and stressed out after 1-3 years due to a “new strategic vision” accompanied with being told to be open minded with compassion while being bullied by those who are older, seasoned, and unwilling to be one with the new strategic vision (~boy, read this run on in ONE breath).

• I’m ready to do the most for others in the name of the mission (“I’m trying to restore my community” - Marshawn Lynch) but those others are not willing to do the most for you when in the position seeking support, reassurance, and action. I’m alone, capable, and suddenly siloed.

Regardless of what may feel problematic while working with others while drowned in sideways intentions laced with mission, you’ve got to start somewhere in this brand new role you just signed on for. A job is a job and this 2025 job market is not exactly open to switching out at our convenience the moment we are looking for change.

Please keep in mind that these upcoming tips come from alot of pain, betrayal and my own mistakes on the job. Now after taking a few falls, finding distrust in the work environment and sobbing a few times in the 5-7 person windowless conference room, I am now talking and walking my advice. I suffered so you don’t have to. ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊

Here are a few tips to help you thrive as an Executive Assistant. (Don’t worry, Office Managers, your guide is coming soon.

1. Get Curious, But Not Too Curious

   Ask questions that are specific to the functions of your role and make sure to keep that information where you can reference it later. Make sure to store a copy of your SIGNED ON offer letter with the job description attached to it. This should be a basic HR role to accommodate for so make sure its all packaged together. While in the phase of asking questions during your onboarding, this puts you in the position of being the Sherlock Holmes of the office and/or remote environment now. Ask just enough questions to anticipate needs, understand your supervisors and their equals on the organization chart, yet poke around enough that it doesn’t trigger a can of worms about a messy divorce or a multi-hour venting session about how Sheila from Finance is awful to Rudy in Logistics. Stay in your lane and make sure to politely find an out of these conversations when someone is being a little too vulnerable with you in exchange for your vulnerability.

2. Streamline Where You Can (a.k.a. Be the Office Fixer)

   Identify the inefficiencies, take initiative, and streamline processes with templates, automations, and smart workflows. Approach it all like it’s just another Tuesday—because for you, it is.

   At the same time, be mindful of the potential risks or gaps you're addressing, and clearly articulate the benefits of your proposed solutions. If your ideas aren’t implemented, don’t take it personally—just document them. Not as an “I told you so,” but as a record of what was suggested, what was workshopped, and the direction ultimately chosen.

   Sometimes leadership suffers from meeting or office amnesia—especially if they don’t have strong systems to manage their daily tasks. That’s not your burden to carry. Don’t gaslight yourself into depending on their memory. Document and trust your own process. You’ll come out more confident and sturdy. I either recommend using the notes app in your email or jotting things down in your own personal notebook.

3. Write Out Your Own SOP Because, Let’s Face It, Nobody Else Will Processes? What processes? Were you told to write out an SOP? What the heck is an SOP? According to Wikipedia: A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations. Yes, you heard that right - find document software and start logging all the things you do routinely so you remain less of a mystery and manage the chaos. ✨Bonus: you’ll have all the answers when things inevitably skew into disarray.

4. Master the Calendar Game (Yes, Stalk Everyone’s Schedules)
   It’s not exactly admirable amongst all parties (from experience), but keeping tabs on everyone’s calendars is critical. Yes, you’ll see some weird entries (“Lunch: colonoscopy”), but when meeting requests start pouring in, you’ll be the scheduling mastermind. Protect your boss’s time like a fortress as you will be in charge of their overall outcome from the day and how you schedule them should optimize their capacity and energy from meeting to meeting. Consider that if their brain power fades by Thursday afternoon or they may vanish Fridays without a PTO request submitted, block their time accordingly based on their behavioral patterns. You may always ask for clarity later about their schedule if they are often too unpredictable (and this is where documenting their actions will be helpful to back your reasons). Approach it with a sense of care for them rather than ‘keeping them accountable’. Yes, sharing reasons is probably a form of accountability but I have learned that most are pretty fragile to that word so its always best to front all reasons with care before sounding like you are accusing them of not being responsible. Its never easy when you, the assistant, learns that your supervisor misses a meeting which may dust up stakeholder drama because your supervisor couldn’t keep up due to overestimating their own capacity. Or the agonizing hours of having to listen to frustrated teams because they are unable to properly meet with your supervisor effectively. This is why you are here! As the Executive Assistant, its so so important to make sure to ask the Operations or IT lead for permissions to view and add team calendars to your outlook, google, or whatever email provider list. You should be able to automatically add them yourself unless there is some concern about permissions. Try to get this done your first week on the job as it is the most unsuspicious way to do your job well. Always make sure that the following is available on calendar invites:

   1. POP - Purpose, Outcome, and Process

   2. Location (even if you have to jot down ‘TBD’ its better than not having one at all)

   3. Supporting documentation attached.

   4. Automated reminders (Google, Outlook, Yahoo)

5. Bad Day? Stay Cool, Save the Gossip for Your Friends OUTSIDE OF WORK
   People might underestimate you—especially if you’re coming from teaching or the arts. They’ll flash their big-tech resumes or online college MBAs like badges of honor, but who cares? Keep your cool. Answer concisely, politely double down, focus on actionables, and save any gossip or frustrations for your home girls. Being calm and collected isn’t about proving yourself, it’s about rising above the nonsense and handling business like the bad b*tch you woke up to be today. More times than none, you will get blamed for most mishaps like missed emails or a team member not attaching the right materials prior to a meeting. All in the spirit of weaponized incompetency however its necessary to continue make your supervisor shine, amirite? Always make sure to document your daily progress and treat it like your daily journal, stay demure with positivity in response and keep it pushin’. I know it can be tempting to vent with other co-workers about the poor behaviors you may have picked up on all while seeking the validation that you “aren’t crazy”. I am here to tell you that you are not; its definitely them. Please do your best to keep the peace

6. Last bit of advice: Do your best to stay sharp, keep it chill, and keep them guessing how you’re so good at this. Oh and anytime anyone asks for your complete honesty - just don’t - even if they are a fellow generational-born colleague. More times than not, that honesty is better served to yourself, and peace is always an option.

I believe in you but most importantly - believe in yourself first.