ATS keywords for an executive assistant resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Managing complex diaries and competing priorities
- ▸Preparing board and executive papers
- ▸Domestic and international travel coordination
- ▸Acting as a trusted gatekeeper
- ▸Handling confidential information with discretion
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Demonstrated experience supporting senior executives
- ▸Advanced Microsoft Office and common business tools
- ▸Certificate IV or Diploma in Business Administration where relevant
- ▸Right to work in Australia
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating the seniority supported, EAs are screened on it.
- ▸Generic admin duties instead of executive-level scope.
- ▸No evidence of discretion or judgement under pressure.
- ▸Not matching the role's environment (corporate, government, startup).
Executive Assistant CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Executive Assistant, 2020 to present. Provide administrative support to management. Manage diaries, book travel, organise meetings, take minutes and prepare documents. Handle incoming email and phone calls as required.
It never says who was supported, so the recruitment software matches none of the ad's terms (complex diary management, board and committee papers, stakeholder liaison) and the hiring manager cannot tell an EA to a chief executive apart from a team administrator.
After
Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer and Board | Certificate IV in Business Administration | Advanced Microsoft Office
ASX listed financial services group, corporate head office (approximately 900 staff) | February 2020 to present | Full time, permanent
- ▸Complex diary management for the CEO and two direct reports across three time zones, averaging 40 meetings a week, with gatekeeping and prioritisation of roughly 60 inbound requests a month.
- ▸Board and committee papers: coordinated, collated and distributed packs for 11 board and audit committee meetings a year, holding authors to a five business day pre-circulation deadline.
- ▸Travel coordination covering 30 to 40 domestic and 6 to 8 international trips a year, including visas, itineraries and expense management acquittal inside the monthly finance cut-off.
- ▸Handled confidential material including remuneration papers, restructure planning and pre-announcement disclosures, working to the company secretary's confidentiality protocols.
- ▸Stakeholder liaison as first point of contact for external directors, investors and the executive team, drafting correspondence for the CEO's approval and holding the line on access to their time.
Same job, but naming the seniority supported (CEO and board), the meeting and travel volume, and the sensitivity of the material moves this from general administration to executive-level scope that a screener can grade.
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Frequently asked questions
What sets an executive assistant resume apart from an admin one?
Make the seniority and complexity explicit, who you supported, board papers prepared, the scope you managed and the trust placed in you. EAs are screened on the level they have operated at.
How do I show discretion and judgement?
Use concrete examples: managing confidential board material, handling sensitive stakeholder issues, or making priority calls on an executive's behalf.
Should I quantify executive assistant work?
Where you can, yes, number of executives supported, scale of travel coordinated, or events delivered. Specifics make the resume credible.
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