Executive assistant CV: example, skills and writing tips

Executive assistant CV example

The example below shows how the advice in this guide fits together on one page. The person, the employers and all the figures are invented: use the structure, not the content, and replace every detail with your own.

Notice what makes this CV useful to a recruiter: every line says who you supported, what you organised, with which tools and at what scale. The rest of this guide explains how to build each section in the same way.

Job title and professional summary

Show the level of leadership you support

Not all assistant roles cover the same scope. You may have supported a site director, a CEO, an executive committee, several directors or a partner. Say so in your title and first lines:

Executive Assistant – 8 years’ experience
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Executive Assistant – executive committee support
Bilingual Executive Assistant – English and French
Executive PA – international environment

“Executive assistant to the CEO and 3 executive committee members” says far more than “Management support”. If you have genuinely supported senior leadership, avoid a generic title such as “Administrative Assistant”.

Executive assistant, PA, office manager: which title fits?

These titles overlap, and their use varies between employers and countries. Pick the one that describes what you actually do.

Professional summary example: experienced executive assistant

The professional summary (often called a personal profile in the UK) is three to five lines: who you support, your main responsibilities, your environment and, if relevant, your languages.

Executive assistant with 9 years’ experience supporting CEOs. Manages complex diaries, executive committee meetings, international travel and sensitive files, and coordinates with internal teams. Fluent professional English.

Professional summary example: international environment

Bilingual executive assistant with 6 years’ experience in an international group. Supports two directors: travel, multi-country meetings across time zones and confidential information.

Professional summary example: junior assistant

Business administration graduate ([qualification], [year]) with first experience supporting two managers during a [12-month] apprenticeship: diary management, meeting preparation, minutes and travel booking.

Avoid “organised, rigorous, motivated and versatile”: it does not show your level.

Executive assistant CV skills by area

The role usually combines organisation, coordination, communication, administration and information management. Select what you have really done and phrase it so a reader can see how you did it.

A skills line such as this gives little information:

Organisation – Discretion – Microsoft Office – Versatility

This one is far more useful:

Complex diaries · Executive committee meetings · International travel · Minutes and action tracking · PowerPoint · Fluent English

Describing your experience and achievements

For each role, show who you supported, what you organised, your autonomy and the scale. Where possible, follow this order:

context → your own action → tools or method → scope → result

For example: “In a 900-employee group (context), I set up an action tracker for executive committee decisions (action) in a shared Excel file (tool) for 4 committee members (scope), so every action had an owner and a deadline before the next meeting (result).” The figures in this sentence are illustrative.

Too vague

Diary management
Meetings
Travel
Admin

More informative

Illustrative figures.

Supported the CEO and 2 executive committee members daily
Managed complex diaries and prioritised requests
Organised executive committee meetings and prepared the packs
Wrote minutes and followed up agreed actions
Organised travel in Europe and the US, including last-minute changes
Prepared confidential documents with restricted circulation

Show discretion and priorities through facts

“Discreet” and “good at prioritising” are claims. Describe the nature of what you handle instead: confidential documents for leadership meetings, sensitive budget or strategic information, daily rearrangement of the diary according to priorities, or meetings involving several committee members. The evidence is stronger than the adjective.

Achievement examples to adapt

Replace [X] and [Y] with your own verified figures, or leave the line out if you cannot support it.

• Supported [X] senior executives, including the [CEO / managing director].
• Organised [X] international trips a [month / quarter] across [Y] countries.
• Coordinated the annual [seminar / conference] for [X] participants, with a budget of [amount].
• Prepared [X] executive committee or board meetings a year, from agenda to minutes.
• Set up a [tracker / shared calendar / filing system] that [describe the verified effect].

Tools and languages: show how you use them

Rather than “Microsoft Office”, name the tools you use and what for: Outlook for complex diaries and shared mailboxes, PowerPoint for executive presentations, Excel for trackers and consolidation, Teams or Zoom for multi-site meetings, SharePoint or Google Workspace for document sharing, and the booking or expense tools of your employer.

Outlook: complex diaries and shared mailboxes
PowerPoint: presentations for leadership meetings
Excel: tracking, consolidation and reporting

Languages

Languages can matter a great deal in international roles. Show how you use them rather than only giving a label: “English – daily calls, emails and travel arrangements with international teams” is more convincing than “English: fluent”. If you use a scale such as the CEFR (A1 to C2), give your real level and do not overstate it.

Education and qualifications

Executive assistants come from varied backgrounds: business administration or management support qualifications, degrees, language studies or professional courses for assistants. On your CV, use the format qualification – institution – year:

[Qualification] – [specialism]
[Institution] — [year]

List a certification only if you hold it, and do not present a qualification from one country as equivalent to another’s. If you are experienced, your roles matter more than your education.

Making your executive assistant CV easy to read for ATS

Employers often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) or recruitment software to store and search applications. The aim is not to “beat” or trick an ATS: it is to make sure your key information is extracted correctly and easy to find.

• an explicit title (executive assistant, PA);
• the level supported (CEO, managing director, executive committee);
• employers and dates easy to identify;
• responsibilities written as text: diaries, meetings, travel, minutes;
• tools and languages named with their use;
• qualifications stated clearly.

“Managed the CEO’s diary and international travel” is more precise than “Executive support”, for both the software and the recruiter.

Tailoring your executive assistant CV to each job

Assistant roles put the emphasis on different things. Your background does not change, but you can bring forward what matches the job.

Before applying for a CEO support, board or international assistant role, it helps to see which elements of the job description your CV already covers and which are missing. CVReader compares your CV with a job description and highlights the points of correspondence.

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Junior assistant or career changer

With little experience supporting executives, be precise about what you have actually done.

• Apprenticeships and internships: describe diary management, meeting preparation, minutes and travel booking, with the number of people supported and the duration.
• Career changers: bring forward transferable experience such as coordination, scheduling, customer-facing communication or event logistics, and keep it distinct from executive support experience.
• Personal qualities: discretion, anticipation or diplomacy are relevant, but show them through your tasks rather than listing them.

Managed the diaries of two managers during a [12-month] apprenticeship · Prepared weekly meetings and wrote the minutes · Booked domestic travel.

Trained or working in France?

If your background is French, a few adjustments make your CV clearer to English-speaking recruiters.

French qualifications

Keep the French name and add a short explanation, without presenting it as equivalent to a qualification from another country:

• BTS Support à l’action managériale (SAM): French two-year higher technician diploma in management and executive support.
• BTS Gestion de la PME: French two-year higher technician diploma in small and medium-sized business management.

BTS Support à l’action managériale (French two-year higher diploma in management and executive support)
[School] — [year]

French job titles and terms

Translate the role, not the words. An “assistant(e) de direction” is usually an executive assistant, or a PA when the role centres on one person; an “assistant(e) de direction générale” supports the CEO or managing director. The “CODIR” (comité de direction) is the executive committee or leadership team, the “DG” the CEO or managing director, and “notes de frais” are expense claims.

Mistakes to avoid and final checklist

Writing only “diary management”

Say how complex it is and how many executives you support.

Listing qualities only

Organisation, discretion and rigour should appear in what you did.

Downplaying your level of responsibility

Direct support to a CEO or an executive committee should be clearly visible.

Turning your CV into a list of small tasks

Bring forward your most significant responsibilities first.

Leaving languages vague

If they matter for the role, show how you use them.

Using a generic title

“Administrative Assistant” can hide real executive support experience.

Checklist before you apply

• My title states my role and the level I support.
• My summary fits in three to five lines and contains facts, not adjectives.
• Each role shows who I supported, what I organised, my tools and my autonomy.
• Every figure is accurate and not confidential.
• Tools and languages are described with their real use.
• Foreign qualifications and terms keep their original name, with a short explanation.
• Employers and dates are easy to find, and skills are written as text.
• I have brought forward what matches the job’s main focus.

Executive assistant CV: frequently asked questions

What skills should I put on an executive assistant CV?

Put first diary management, meeting and travel organisation, coordination, document preparation, minutes, confidential matters and the tools you really use.

Should I say how many executives I support?

Yes, when it gives context to your level of responsibility, along with their level (CEO, executive committee, directors).

Is an executive assistant the same as a PA?

The titles overlap. “Executive assistant” often refers to more direct support to senior leaders with wider autonomy, while “PA” can be centred on one person. Use the title that matches your real role.

Should I mention languages?

Yes, if you use them in your role or the job ad asks for them. Give your real level and show how you use them.

Is an executive assistant resume different from an executive assistant CV?

“Resume” is the usual American term; “CV” is used in the UK and much of the world. For a job application, the advice in this guide applies to both.

Do I need a different CV for every assistant job?

You do not need to rewrite your career, but some roles value languages, board support, projects, travel or events more: bring forward what matches.