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Executive Assistant CV Template UK
Executive assistants in the UK support senior leaders — from C-suite executives to directors and VPs — managing the operational detail that allows leadership to function effectively. Employers look for candidates who exercise exceptional judgement, handle highly sensitive information with complete discretion, and communicate authoritatively on behalf of the people they support. The strongest CVs make the seniority and scope of the leaders supported immediately clear, alongside the complexity of the environment: international travel, board-level governance, investor relations, or complex multi-stakeholder calendars. An EA CV that reads as general administration will not stand out at senior level.
UK EA hiring in 2026 is highly stratified — junior PA-style roles in SMEs (£30–40k) sit at a completely different level to true C-suite / FTSE 250 EAs (£60–80k) and Chief of Staff hybrid EAs at PE-backed scale-ups (£75–110k). The single biggest source of mis-banding on EA CVs is failure to name the executive's title, the organisation size, and the explicit scope of board / investor / international work. "Supported senior leadership team" tells a recruiter nothing; "EA to CEO of FTSE 250 retailer (8,200 FTE, 14 countries), including main-board pack support" gives instant calibration.
Executive Assistant salary bands in the UK (2026)
Indicative UK ranges based on current market data. London and specialist sector roles typically sit at the upper end of each band.
Team Assistant / Junior PA
£28k–£38k
Supporting director-tier or below; often a stepping stone role.
EA / Senior PA (3–6 yrs)
£40k–£55k
Supporting C-suite or senior VP in mid-sized businesses. London top end.
Senior EA (6–10 yrs)
£55k–£75k
C-suite of FTSE / equivalent. Board / investor exposure typical.
Chief of Staff / Business Manager (10+ yrs)
£75k–£120k+
EA-plus-projects hybrid role. Scale-up CoS roles often include equity.
Executive Assistant CV bullet examples — weak vs. strong
Real examples specific to this role. Use them as templates for rewriting your own bullets.
Weak
Managed diary, travel, and correspondence for the CEO of a large business.
Strong
EA to CEO and CFO of UK-listed retailer (FTSE 250, ~£480M turnover, 6,200 FTE); managed two complex diaries across 9 international time zones, ~14 board / committee cycles per year, and quarterly investor day logistics.
Why it works: Names the executive titles, company tier, scope (turnover, FTE, time zones), board cycle volume, AND investor work. Senior EA recruiters band candidates entirely on this kind of scope statement.
Weak
Prepared materials for board meetings and handled confidential information.
Strong
Owned full board pack production cycle for 8 main-board meetings and 16 sub-committee meetings annually (avg. 240-page pack); rebuilt the pack timeline in 2024 cutting circulation lead time from 5 days to 8 days pre-meeting and eliminating late paper additions.
Why it works: Names the meeting volume, pack size, AND the specific governance improvement. Board-level EA work is the single highest-paid specialism — getting this kind of scope on the page directly lifts banding.
Common mistake
Listing tasks (diary, travel, meetings, correspondence, expenses) without naming whose tasks they were and what organisation. Recruiters cannot distinguish between an SME office manager and a FTSE EA on this kind of CV — and default to the lower band.
Pro tip
Open the CV with a one-line scope statement directly under your name: "Executive Assistant — current: CEO of FTSE 250 (£480M T/O); previously: CFO of PE-backed scale-up (£90M T/O)." This single line is the most powerful change you can make and is the first thing every senior EA recruiter reads.
Next Step
Check your executive assistant CV against a real job description
Use the ATS checker to compare your CV against a real executive assistant job description, then rewrite weak sections in the AI CV builder.
What recruiters look for in a Executive Assistant CV
- Seniority level of executives supported — CEO, CFO, C-suite, board members — and the organisational scale they operated within
- Diary and priority management complexity: number of calendars, international time zones, last-minute changes, and competing demands
- Board and governance support: board meeting preparation, minute-taking, pack distribution, and confidential document management
- Judgement and autonomy — examples of acting on behalf of the executive, making decisions independently, and managing up appropriately
- Stakeholder communication quality: drafting correspondence, handling sensitive enquiries, and managing relationships with external parties
- Project and event coordination at leadership level: offsites, investor meetings, town halls, or international travel programmes
Seniority levels this page covers
Tailor your summary, recent experience, and keyword coverage to the level you are applying for. Senior roles usually need stronger ownership, scope, and commercial impact language.
How to make this page useful before you apply
Mirror the right language
Do not rewrite everything at once. Start by checking whether your current CV already uses the same skill and keyword language as the role, especially around Diary management, Travel coordination, Stakeholder communication.
Prove the right kind of impact
The strongest executive assistant CVs do not rely on broad claims. They show concrete evidence of seniority level of executives supported — ceo, cfo, c-suite, board members — and the organisational scale they operated within and diary and priority management complexity: number of calendars, international time zones, last-minute changes, and competing demands.
Match your level
This page covers assistant through business support lead applications. As the level rises, your wording should show more scope, ownership, and decision quality.
Key skills to include
ATS keywords recruiters expect
ATS score tips for this role
Make the seniority of the people you supported explicit and early — "EA to CEO and CFO of 2,500-person FTSE 250 business" tells a recruiter everything they need to know in one line.
Use "board support", "governance", and "minute-taking" explicitly if you have done this work — these are searched for as ATS keywords when businesses want EA experience at board level.
Include international scope where relevant: "coordinated travel across 12 countries", "managed diary across four global time zones" — international complexity is a differentiator for senior EA roles.
Show discretion and judgement through framing, not just claiming it — "managed commercially sensitive correspondence on behalf of CEO", "acted as first point of contact for board members and investors".
Avoid a purely task-based CV that lists scheduling and travel booking without any signal of the pace, complexity, or judgment required — senior EA roles are leadership support, and the CV should reflect that.
Common questions about executive assistant CVs
What is the difference between a PA and an Executive Assistant in the UK?
In practice, "PA" and "EA" are often used interchangeably at mid-market level. However, "Executive Assistant" typically signals a more senior, more autonomous role — supporting C-suite rather than director-level, with greater involvement in governance, board support, project coordination, and acting on behalf of the executive. If your experience is genuinely at C-suite or board level, use "Executive Assistant" rather than "PA" in your CV title, and make the seniority of the people you supported explicit.
How do I make my executive assistant CV stand out if most of my work is confidential?
You do not need to disclose content — only scope and complexity. "Drafted and reviewed commercially sensitive correspondence on behalf of CEO for board members and external investors" describes the nature of the work without naming the content. You can also describe the governance environment: "sole EA for a £300M PE-backed business through two fundraising rounds and a partial exit" is highly informative without being confidential.
Should I include a personal statement on an EA CV?
Yes, but make it a scope statement rather than a generic "experienced professional" paragraph. The strongest EA personal statements name the executive tier supported, the organisation scale, and one differentiating capability — board governance, international travel programmes, or investor relations. Keep it to three to four sentences and make the first sentence impossible to skim past.
How do I show progression if I have been an EA at the same company for several years?
Show increasing scope, not just tenure. "Promoted from EA to one director to sole EA for the CEO and CFO following business growth from 120 to 800 FTE" is a strong progression narrative. If the organisation grew during your tenure, you grew with it — name that explicitly. Board pack responsibility, investor involvement, or Chief of Staff elements added over time are all credible progression signals.
What technology skills should an executive assistant include on their CV?
Match what the job description mentions, but commonly expected skills include Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel), board portal software (Diligent, BoardEffect, or BoardPad if applicable), and travel booking platforms. For senior EA roles, mention any experience with business intelligence tools, project management software (Asana, Monday.com), or investor relations platforms if you have used them in a genuine governance or investor-support capacity.
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