Richard Arnott shares his strategy to ensure your CV stands out from the crowd
If you’re an Executive Assistant eyeing a new role or hoping for a promotion, it’s time to stop listing your responsibilities on your CV and start describing the impact you’re making.
1. Minutes 1–20: Write for Humans AND Machines
Most big companies rely on AI and algorithms to sort through resumes before a single person sees them. So, help these tools find you. Make sure your resume fits the system’s criteria and that it’s easy to find and hard to ignore:
- Plug in keywords from job descriptions.
- Share specific, measurable wins.
- Show the strategic impact you make.
- Point to your tech and AI know-how.
- Spell out how you’ll make life better for the company.
Tap into AI yourself. The best EAs use these tools for resume edits, LinkedIn updates, searching smarter, and prepping for interviews. For every candidate grumbling about AI filters, the sharp ones quietly pass right through.
AI is already changing your job. The EAs who thrive aren’t fighting AI, they are using it. This isn’t “Used AI to make meeting notes.” That’s basic. Try: “Launched an AI tool that cut meeting documentation time by 75%, so decisions happened faster and nothing slipped through the cracks.” Nobody cares which app you picked. They care what changed.
2. Minutes 20–30: Think Like a Strategic Partner
This shift isn’t just trendy; it’s expected. The old “just an admin” mentality is fading fast. Today’s best EAs play at a higher level. You shield your executive’s time, clear roadblocks, catch inefficiencies before they hurt, and make room for work that really matters. That’s what gets you noticed. That’s what earns trust, promotions, and respect.
3. Minutes 30–50: Focus on Results
Working hard is good, and loyalty has its place, but people don’t get promoted just for showing up every day. Leaders want evidence you made a real mark. What messes did you fix? How did things get better because of you? Can you point to results that actually moved the needle?
Have those stories ready. You need them for your resume, your LinkedIn, and every time you talk about growth.
4. Minutes 50–60: Show What You Achieved
Connect your work to results. The real distinction lies in what happens because you’re on the team. How did you help a leader do more? Solve real problems? Keep the chaos under control like nobody else? What changed because of you?
Look at the difference between these two lines:
- Managed executive calendars.
- Designed a meeting system that cut wasted meeting time by 20%, letting my executive focus on big-picture strategy.
See the shift with number two? The first tells us your job. The second shows why you’re an asset. So next time you send out a CV or sit down for a review, ask yourself: “Am I just listing what I do, or am I proving the value I deliver?” Leaders hire you for the difference you make. The EAs who remember this are the ones who keep advancing.
