Interview Questions for an EA (Top 15 Official Questions)

“The three things a new EA should do on their first day of work are:

1. Introduce themselves to co-workers and learn about the company culture,
2. Ask for help from someone who is very familiar with the computer system or who knows how to find what they need on their own, and
3. Start prioritizing tasks by importance.”

“I always try to balance my workload, so I won’t have too much on my plate at once. I break down large tasks into micro tasks and use project management software to guide the project timeline. This helps me know what needs to be done first and which tasks have more wiggle room with their deadlines so that one can be swapped for another as necessary.

If I’m assigned a project on a short deadline, I’ll sometimes have to put in a late night at work or even take work home with me if it’s manageable enough. If the project or task is beyond what I can do I will communicate what is reasonable to deliver based on the short deadline alone and explore if there is wiggle room to push out the project deadline and/or get help to complete what needs to be done.” 

“I would look to see what other meeting rooms are available and ask the person who is scheduled to use the conference room if they would change the location to one of the available options. If they said no, there are other options I’d try. For example, do one of the other available rooms work? If not, I’d see if I could quickly adapt to make the room work as best as possible for the meeting. If none of these ideas work, I’d ask if it’s possible to hold the meeting virtually or to reschedule the meeting.”

“The ability to juggle many tasks at once and stay organized is very important to be a successful executive assistant. Interpersonal skills are also necessary to be able to communicate effectively with executives and other staff members. Being able to be adaptable, anticipate needs, meet deadlines, and stay calm under pressure are critical skills for any successful EA.” 

“To prevent stress at work I ensure I stay organized by using project management software. I also create processes to increase my efficiency with every task as well as all my communication and collaborations. A big part of handling stress is preventing stress. Creating processes help me to be proactive. Everyday I also create a list of my top three to-dos and make sure to knock them out first. If I do feel myself getting stressed out I’ll timebox my stress and allow myself five minutes to decompress. While sometimes it doesn’t feel like there are five minutes to spare, I’ve found that making time in stressful situations always leads to a positive end result.”  

“I am very open to constructive criticism and welcome it because it helps me grow and improve. I always take note of any advice or comments given, especially if they were specific and practical. If someone wasn’t happy with some aspect of my work, as someone who is a Type A personality I’ll think of ways to avoid what they didn’t like and improve upon it.” 

“I would break down the directions I was given by both executives into lists to determine what overlaps and what differs. I’d then analyze the differences and assess what makes the most sense to achieve the best result with the time allotted.

I’d then create an email with a brief summary of both directions and my suggested approach to complete the project including a statement letting them know it’s the approach I will implement to meet the deadline unless they disapprove.

Given the short deadline I’d either directly tell them I sent them an urgent email about the project that requires their review or call and text them until I got a response. If they didn’t approve the suggested approach I’d ask them to please consider the tight deadline, to collaborate on the best approach, and communicate it to me once they’ve finalized the approach together.”

“My usual reporting process consists of generating weekly and monthly reports, which include any important information that has taken place in the past week or month and measurable progress on key initiatives. I keep a daily log of progress on key initiatives to make creating reports easy. I’ve found that executives want reports with quantifiable metrics on progress and that these reports help them do their jobs so this is what I strive for.”

“My former employer would say my computer skills are “proficient.” I am comfortable using Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), Google Drive, MS Outlook, and Gmail. I’m very familiar with MS Office and use it often. I find that creating charts or graphs in Excel is easy enough for me to do on my own without having to ask anyone for help. If I come across a calendaring software, CRM, or other software I’m not familiar with, I have no problem learning at a fast pace.”

“I would call the person they were meeting with to let them know about the travel delay and ask if the meeting could be rescheduled for later in the day. If rescheduling wasn’t an option, I would see if it would be possible to schedule a virtual meeting someone could begin until they arrived at the meeting in-person.”

“I was running registration for an event my executive was the Master of Ceremonies for. We ran into a snag when one of the speakers didn’t show up. I quickly went through the registration, identified possible replacements, contacted them, secured them to speak, and created speaking notes and slides for the speaker, and talking points for my exec. The session was a hit! It made me feel good that I could handle such a last-minute problem.”

“When working as an EA, communication is key so be sure to prioritize this. If anything comes up that needs the attention of your boss or their superior, always let each person know before speaking with anyone else about it so they don’t think there’s a problem between them. As much as possible, try not to let problems escalate and talk about things calmly and clearly with all parties involved.”

“I’d like to learn more about PL budgeting. As an EA for the C-Suite, I often help budget parts of a project. I enjoy it. I know the balance sheet is typically run by the CFO but given that I have my hands in the cookie jar so to speak I think I could add valuable insight to refine the budget while learning how to build an entire PL budget.”

“I’d like to learn more about PL budgeting. As an EA for the C-Suite, I often help budget parts of a project. I enjoy it. I know the balance sheet is typically run by the CFO but given that I have my hands in the cookie jar so to speak I think I could add valuable insight to refine the budget while learning how to build an entire PL budget.”

“As an EA confidentiality is very important. I have had to breach confidentiality once. It was during an on-the-job injury for one of my executives. I notified our HR department immediately so they could handle the situation while staying in touch with the executive about what steps were being taken and who I contacted at each step. While they initially didn’t want to report the injury after everything was said and done they thanked me for the decisions I made and the actions I took.”

I want to find a position at a company that is doing something to help the world where I can contribute my experiences and achievements.

I understand that this position requires the ability to handle multiple projects at once.

I previously oversaw the daily schedules of three executives at a Fortune 100 company that achieved efficiency in their daily schedules making them 36% more productive.

If hired I would apply the skills I’ve learned to achieve similar results by learning the needs of the executives in order to create processes that drive measurable efficiency.

I also see that this position requires creating Board of Director reports.

I previously generated 36 monthly Board of Directors reports that achieved streamlined communication of the company’s core metrics, challenges, and areas of need.

If hired I would feel comfortable working with the team to generate Board of Director reports that actually get read ahead of time and communicate the right information to facilitate productive meeting outcomes. Together we’d be able to ensure the Board is always happy with the company.

The position also requires travel management.

I previously independently researched and managed over 230 travel trips for my executives this achieved a 72% reduction in travel spent and improved the level of accommodations.

If hired I would be able to quickly use my travel planning techniques and strategies to save the company money and increase exec happiness with better accommodations.

As someone who has a growth mindset I welcome opportunities to learn skills and approach challenges with a positive attitude. This position would give me an opportunity to improve my PL budgeting.

My previous employer and team can provide additional reasons why you should hire me. I’m happy to put you in touch with them. Would you like me to make an introduction to them?”

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