Legal Assistant Interview Preparation Guide

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Employee of a company who supports the executive, CEO, or manager and has ability to make decisions that affect the company. In addition, the executive assistant will also perform similar responsibilities as an administrative assistant, involving research, communications, correspondence, and office management. In some organizations, the executive assistant will attend meetings or conferences in place of the executive.

► Managing the day-to-day operations of the office.
► Organizing and maintaining files and records.
► Planning and scheduling meetings and appointments.

It's essential that you do look at the company website before any interview if you're serious about the job. If for some reason you didn't take a look, don't lie, but it will look like you don't care about the role.

A great chance to sell yourself. Plan well, be precise and practice in front of anyone you can find. Try to touch upon a little bit of your personal self, this will give the interviewer a good insight into your personality.

They are clearly looking to see if you can get along with people. You could mention here that you are a hard worker, but also spend a lot of time at work with people and that you often socialise out of work time with your work colleagues. This implies that you get on well with them.

It's a good idea to mention that you create presentations and reports using graphs, charts, pivot tables on a recurring basis and are quite comfortable working on social media sites. You need to come across as an advanced user of Microsoft Office products and are keen to learn new skills.

Something positive but not arrogant would work here such as:
► diligent
► Sociable
► Focused
► pessimist

Go a step further and mention you handle calendars in multiple time zones.

You're probably used to dealing with multiple emails for your boss and possibly multiple bosses.

Likewise with this question, you would want to come up with a similar answer around time-management.

Give an example of when you have been asked to keep things private. Confidentiality is a very important aspect in most industries.

Executive Assistant is a broad job category that designates an individual who provides various kinds of executive support to people and groups in business enterprises.

This is always important and you should look at their company website to get some inspiration.

This demonstrates that you're proactive, which is a sought-after quality in an executive assistant. It also gives you a chance to discuss how your skills can benefit the company.

Expressing a desire to seek additional training signals that you're ambitious and want to enhance your contributions to the company. Questions about career advancement opportunities also indicate you're willing to make a long-term commitment to the organization.

A hiring manager has a set amount of time to conduct an interview, so there may be some things he or she only briefly touches upon. Seize the opportunity to clarify anything that seems vague or confusing to you by asking the interviewer to revisit one or more of those topics when it's your turn to ask questions.

Although it puts your interviewer on the spot, it gives you a chance to address any hesitations the employer may have about hiring you as an executive assistant. This could help you secure the position.

This shows you're interested in continuing to move the process forward and it gives the interviewer a chance to share a bit more about the process and/or how many others are in the running for the executive assistant position.

A question like this shows you're interested in learning what it takes to perform well. It will also give you a clearer indication of what the company is looking for in an executive assistant and why you sparked their interest.

The most frustrating aspect is the slow pace in the office and it can be difficult to get things done on occasions.

The most satisfying aspect of my role is being able to help the executives make informed decisions that affect the rest of the Company. I enjoy working with and supporting successful people at the top-level of their career.

An LA is the personal assistant to someone who's on the executive management team of the organisation or who perhaps sits on the board.

In my previous role I had to work with a lot of strong-minded and opinionated consultants and found that I lacked the ability to be assertive with them and sometimes I felt they were able to get me to do work that I was uncomfortable with. After discussing this with my Manager I attended an assertiveness course and gain the training I needed to deal with them. I find it hard to say no. It is a work in progress but I am getting there.

Executive officers entrust their assistants with confidential business information, and some executives even confide in their assistants on personal matters that have little to do with business. In some cases, executive assistants are not only the gatekeepers for executive leadership, but they also are confidantes. A tough interview question that probes the interviewee's business principles and ethics includes, "Suppose you are the assistant to the CEO of one of the most profitable companies in the world. Your boss lets it slip that she's been wrangling for the acquisition and control of a competitor.

► Tell us about your most recent experience in an administrative support position? [Prompt: How many people did you directly support and what were their titles]
► What steps would you take to prompt your boss to act on a task (e.g., sign a rush contract)?
► Do you consider yourself to have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office? Explain your use of PowerPoint to create a presentation?
► Have you been directly involved in making travel arrangements and preparing expense reports? Explain your role and the process?
► Tell us about a particular time that you were responsible for setting up a meeting. How many attendees were there and were they all internal to your organization or were they from outside as well? What steps did you take?
► How do you perform in a fast-paced environment where specific guidance might not always be available?
► How would you handle clarifying an unclear assignment?