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10 Signs of a Rockstar Administrative Assistant,
and How to Become One
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May 14, 2014
- Posted by Stephen Chapek(http://www.go-brilliant.com/blog/author/stephen-chapek)
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Administrative Assistants are often the unsung heroes of a business organization. The
position may not entail a lot of status, but their function is critical for the smooth
operation of any business.
They take care of the day to day details that keep a business running. And especially for
assistants who shadow a senior manager, they end up being a nerve center for the
organization as well. A high placed executive assistant will have access to and
knowledge of every part of the business organization. In other words, if you really need
to find out what is happening in a particular company, speaking with an executive
assistant is a good idea. Not only do these folks serve as the gatekeepers, but if you can
get one your side, they can also be an excellent source of intelligence for what is really
going on!
At Brilliant Transportation, we often deal with executive assistants on a daily basis
because these are the people who make the travel arrangements for their bosses. Since
they take time out of their day to understand our business and how we can serve their
needs, we thought we would return the compliment and learn more about their role in
general, and also to try to be of benefit to them as well.
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Page 1 of 710 Signs of a Rockstar Administrative Assistant, and How to Become One
10/1/2015http://www.go-brilliant.com/blog/ten-characteristics-rockstar-administrative-assistant-how-to-become-one

As the staff here at Brilliant Transportation is continually striving to improve their job
performance, we figured that many executive assistants we are in touch with would be
interested in advancing their careers as well. To that end, we did a little research to
come up with some helpful suggestions on how to become a rockstar administrative
assistant!
The Characteristics of a Great
Admin Assistant
So what are the qualities that make up a great admin or executive assistant? Let’s take a look at the
some the main skills you will need:
1. Competence
The first quality you need to possess is a core competence that covers basic office skills and common
sense. Anyone who has gotten a good college education should be able to master this area. Of course,
along with many other areas in life, the key to success is motivation and interest. If you’re not
interested in administrative work, or at least interested in being good at the job you need to do, it will
be difficult to succeed.
Your core competence in an administrative role means you should be able to demonstrate mastery of
spelling and grammar skills, computer literacy including a solid working knowledge of MS Word,
Outlook, Excel and database management.
Additional basic office skills you need to know well are practices of scheduling, payroll, collections,
budgets, reports and basic accounting procedures. Not all admin jobs require the above mentioned
financial reporting, but it can be a great asset. The more you know, the more valuable you are to an
organization.
2. An Excellent Communicator
Being adept at communication is a requirement for almost any office job, but particularly so for
executive assistants, as you will often find yourself acting as a lynchpin between different layers of
your organization.
Executive assistants are often the first point of contact within an organization. They answer the phone,
greet people in reception and often have to handle questions, orders, and complaints from customers
and vendors alike. Admins act as a communications hub for their offices, delivering directions from
the top down to the rest of the organization as well as the reverse. Front line workers in a company
often go through executive assistants when they need to let managers know what is going on, as
managers often have hectic schedules and are not always available to canvas their internal
organization.
A terrific assistant will always answer the phones or greet people with a smile on their face, even if
they don’t feel like it, because they know they have to represent their company in the best light. Also,
the ability to handle angry or upset people is critical. The assistant will have to think on their feet,
learn how to diffuse difficult situations and make customers or clients feel valued. They do this by
having great listening skills and practicing empathy.
3. Organized and Detail Oriented
In a busy office, attention to details is a must, as is multitasking. The assistant has to wear many
different hats to succeed in this role. In order to track and organize events, you have to keep up with
the minute details of whatever project or agenda is on the front burner for the day.
The good assistant will be able to organize files and handle incoming and outgoing communication
and mail. You might be on the phone, working a spreadsheet and opening mail at the same time. It is
essential to be able to focus and know how to prioritize your workflow. They also have to handle
correspondence, record keeping, bill paying, know company procedures and policies, my goodness
there’s a lot to do!
Do you remember your mother telling you the importance of paying attention in school? Well
hopefully you learned that lesson well, because it was all in preparation for your day job. This is
where things get real. A failure at school may only result in getting a F in a class. But failure on the
job could mean unemployment. So stay sharp!

4. Master of Time Management
This is one of the most important skills sets that you need to master in order to become a superior
admin assistant. Your job will probably keep you very busy, particularly if you work in a face paced
industry. You won’t survive the deluge if you can’t manage your time on a daily basis in an effective
manner.
This isn’t something they really teach in schools, so the best you can do is learn on the job. If you’re
lucky, you may receive some formal training in this regard from your employer or manager, but if not,
emulate people in your company that know how to get things done! As an assistant, different people
will always be asking for your time or to help them with some project or other.
You may not always be able to say no, so make sure to complete tasks efficiently, and don’t get pulled
into too many random tasks at once. Take care of our boss and your department first before dealing
with others. Learn to prioritize and create a daily to-do list. Learn to handle urgent matters
immediately. The quicker you can resolve an issue, the quicker you can cross items off your to do list.
We've compiled a huge list of online tools for admin assistants(http://www.go-
brilliant.com/blog/online-resources-list-guide-executive-assistants-ea) categorized by
purpose. You may want to bookmark it so you can quickly find the tools you need to
manage time, projects, and to stay as organized as possible.
5. Industry Savvy
Having an understanding or experience in the industry you are working in, or apply to work in will
always give you a leg up on the competition. This is one of those knowledge categories that fall under
on-the-job training. Sometimes, especially in entry level positions, of which an administrative
professional can be one, no prior knowledge of your specific industry may be required, but there is the
expectation that you will learn quickly on the job, and absorb the critical lingo and concepts that are
used everyday in your field.
Of course, the more industry specific knowledge you can offer an employer, the more valuable you
become. But the main point is know that general administrative skills will always have to applied in a
specific environment, whether it be legal, or sales or manufacturing or retail or real-estate, or whatever
industry you find yourself in. Do yourself a favor by learning as much about your industry as you can,
so you can become a resource for your company. Many times, senior executives are happy to mentor
junior staff members, as long as they feel their needs are being taken care of in the process.
6. Masters the Tools of the Trade
Every trade has it tool set. Plumbers must know wrenches, contractors need to know how use a
hammer and measuring tape. Admin Assistants work with office technology, so a solid working
knowledge of these tools is essential.
The Microsoft Office Suite has been the standard for office technology for decades, and while you
need to know this, being familiar with additional computing platforms like Mac and Linux will be of
great help.
Your tools are varied and ever changing as every year brings new models of equipment on the market.
You’ll need to master everything from computers to photocopiers to fax machines (and yes, these are
still in use in many offices!) Assistants also work with software for word processing, desktop
publishing database management and spreadsheets. Assistants must also be comfortable adapting to
new technology as well as troubleshooting equipment as well.
7. Professional Attitude and Appearance
As they will tell you in Job Training 101, dress for success! Almost every job type comes with a
uniform or standard attire, and for Administrative Assistants it is usually office casual. For more high
profile executive assignments you may be expected to wear a suit and tie for men or a dress or suit
pants for ladies. This may seem superficial, but the better dressed you are, or the more professional
you look, the more respect you role commands. So look good, because in many cases you may be
representing your company to the public at large. Equally important to dress is body language and
behavior. Even if you’re not in front of the public, your bosses will take note of your personal
demeanor. Pay attention and don’t slouch, be polite and look busy, even if you aren’t at the moment.
These little details can help make your career!

8. Deals With Office Politics and Confidentiality
Whether you like it or not, your job as an executive assistant will keep you right in the middle of
things, and it become more important the higher up in the organization ladder you are. In an office
setting, that means dealing with office politics and confidentiality issues. Assistants often have to deal
with complaints from customer or employee problems, sometimes professional, but also sometimes
personal issues as well. The best advice I can give is to stay neutral and be diplomatic. Failing that,
you should then advocate for your boss’s or department’s best interest. Your job isn’t necessarily to
resolve these issues, that is often handled at the manager level, but you will have to act as a messenger
or liaison, so always try to be fair and helpful.
Regarding confidentiality, you may have to handle sensitive documents or knowledge at times and
your job is protect that confidentiality. At no time should you leak sensitive information or be a
gossip. That could sink your career real quick and in some cases lead to dismissal as well.
9. Possesses Good Judgment
This is one of those job qualities that isn’t often listed in the job description, but falls more under
common sense. To be an effective assistant, you’ll need to exercise good judgment, and the more
experienced your judgment is, the more effective and valuable you can become. Assistants often work
without a lot of direction, so being able to make sound decisions without supervision is necessary. A
quality assistant needs to anticipate or recognize problems and be able to refer them quickly to right
person or department for resolution. You also need to be able to understand logic, reasoning and
conceptualization skills to determine the pros and cons of solutions to problems you are facing.
10. A Team Player
This is the type of advice that they often immortalize on inspiration posters, but as cliched as it may
sound, it’s really true. You’re job as an executive assistant can be a kind of catch all assignment.
Many times, it will be expected that you’re the one the make the coffee, or go pick up lunch, or clean
out an old storage room or whatever! My best advice is do all that you are asked to do with a smile
and as much enthusiasm as you can muster. Executive assistants are general helpers, so be that, help
where you can, even taking on tasks that may not be assigned but need doing. You’ll impress your
boss with your initiative.
Also, don’t forget, executive assistant jobs are often stepping stones to higher management positions.
If you have a great work ethic, and there’s room for advancement at your company, your efforts will
be noticed and your hard work could lead to much bigger things!
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Topics: Executive Assistants(http://www.go-brilliant.com/blog/topic/executive-assistants)
Pauline Lugalia 2/2/2015 6:25:47 AM
I would like to learn from those who have a better experience than me and be excellent in what i do i.e.
162
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become indespensable
Reply to Pauline Lugalia
Charles Hurley 2/2/2015 6:48:22 AM
Hi Pauline,
The first thing I would recommend would be feeding your brain with all the knowledge
you can. The best way I've found is to subscribe to as many blogs as possible. I recently
wrote a blog post on the 4 best blogs for Executive Assistants (http://www.go-
brilliant.com/blog/4-blogs-every-executive-assistant-should-follow). By the way, thank you
for subscribing to the Brilliant Blog!
Reply to Charles Hurley
Rochelle 7/30/2015 6:12:58 PM
I've found that the more organized a workplace is, the smoother everything runs. My desk at work is
very organized; color coated, labels, files, you name it. I'd be a mess throughout the day if I didn't have
everything in order. It makes my job a whole lot easier.
Reply to Rochelle
Marquita Merritt 8/11/2015 10:38:46 AM
YOU ROCK!!!
Reply to Marquita Merritt
JoAnne Myers(https://joannemyers.wordpress.com/) 7/3/2015 6:22:44 PM
I want to learn the skills of being a rock band assistant.
Reply to JoAnne Myers
Rochelle 7/30/2015 6:14:42 PM
I've found that the more organized a workplace is, the smoother everything runs. My desk at work is
very organized; color coated, labels, files, you name it. I'd be a mess throughout the day if I didn't have
everything in order. It makes my job a whole lot easier!
Reply to Rochelle
Rochelle 7/30/2015 6:11:22 PM
I've found that the more organized a workplace is, the smoother everything runs. My desk at work is very
organized; color coated, labels=, files, you name it. I'd be a mess throughout the day if I didn't have
everything in order. It makes my job a whole lot easier.
Reply to Rochelle
Tink Erbell 9/8/2015 7:07:17 AM
Why did you post this comment 3 times?
Reply to Tink Erbell
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