Last Updated on January, 2025
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 500,000+ people worked as executive assistants in 2020.
Although the term ‘assistant’ sounds small, the job role of an executive assistant is essential to ensure the smooth operations of a business or organization. The role requires a skillful and competent individual who is continuously willing to learn.
Online courses are an excellent way of achieving a competitive edge and staying on the journey of learning and upskilling. I have compiled a list of 9 best courses to help executive assistants stand out.
Contents
- Executive Assistant Courses: Overview
- Top 9 Executive Assistant Courses
- 1. Introduction To Administrative Professional Jobs – Skillshare
- 2. PA Course – Institute Of Executive Assistants And Administrators
- 3. Microsoft Office 2016 Essential Training: 9 Course Bundle – Udemy
- 4. The Unrivaled Assistant – Practically Perfect PA
- 5. Executive Assistant Diploma – Institute Of Executive Assistants And Administrators
- 6. Professional Skills For The Workplace – Coursera
- 7. Executive PA Diploma – Souters Training
- 8. Administrative Professional Tips – LinkedIn Learning
- 9. Must-Have Skills (Training) For Virtual Assistants In 2023 – Udemy
- A Buyer’s Guide: What to Consider When Choosing the Best Executive Assistant Courses?
- Benefits of Training to Become an Executive Assistant
- How Much Does it Cost to Follow an Online Executive Assistant Course?
- How Long Does it Take to Learn How to Be an Executive Assistant?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Last Words
Executive Assistant Courses: Overview
Here are the top 9 Executive Assistant Courses:
Top 9 Executive Assistant Courses
Platform: Skillshare
Teacher: Rosamaria Carillo
Course Length: 15 lessons– 1h 19m
This course from Skillshare is my top pick for the best executive assistant course list.
Why? This excellent introductory course will lay a perfect foundation for the world of administrative professions.
The class will introduce you to the administrative field (the positions, titles, duties, etc.), the skills required to enter and succeed, the value of choosing the field, and the required skills to thrive in it.
This course combines 15 video lectures, a hands-on project, class participation, and a future course feedback survey.
This course is a beginner-level course with over 1500 students enrolled so far. Over 65% of the students who took the class said their expectations were met, while 23% said they were EXCEEDED!
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
2. PA Course – Institute Of Executive Assistants And Administrators
Platform: Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators
Teacher: Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators
Course Length: 5h over 5 days
A course straight from the Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators?
Undoubtedly, the platform and the accreditation that comes with it are bound to have their recognition among potential employers.
This course promises the education to develop and enhance the techniques, best practices, and approaches to deal with differenttasks relevant to the role. This will give them the confidence to thrive in their office environment.
This course aims to deliver the learning by replicating a live virtual classroom environment. This will facilitate an interactive and effective learning experience for all students.
The course content is the ultimate guide for anyone entering the field.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
3. Microsoft Office 2016 Essential Training: 9 Course Bundle – Udemy
Platform: Udemy
Teacher: Simon Sez IT
Course Length: 550 lectures, 67h 55m of on-demand videos
Microsoft Office continues to be the most used software in the business environment. So, all executive and personal assistants must be proficient and confident in handling it to ensure smooth operations.
This course covers multiple Microsoft products like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more. So this is an excellent and elaborate course for executives in an administrative role.
The course extensively covers a massive syllabus, giving new skills to beginners, essential skills to intermediate learners, and advanced skills to advanced users.
The course boasts an impressive 7000+ student base and a 4.4 overall rating.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
4. The Unrivaled Assistant – Practically Perfect PA
Platform: Practically Perfect PA
Teacher: Nicky Chritsmas
Course Length: 24hrs of video lessons
Do you need a complete guide to empower roles as executive and personal assistants?
The Unrivaled Assistant by Practically Perfect PA is the answer.
This is a combination of three of the best courses of the platform bundled together. The aim is to equip learners with the qualities required for executive assistant jobs.
This education from these programs will help learners develop and succeed in every aspect, from essential skills to mindset to tools and techniques, all included.
This exclusive platform has been educating learners from across 80+ countries and has a subscriber base exceeding 50,000.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
5. Executive Assistant Diploma – Institute Of Executive Assistants And Administrators
Platform: Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators
Teacher: Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators
Course Length: Up to 6 months
Another course straight from the Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators. But this time, a comparatively advanced one. This course is focused on executive assistant training to build on qualifications and increase earning potential.
This course essentially covers four focus areas:
All learnings are delivered through interactive online sessions in a virtual classroom setup.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
6. Professional Skills For The Workplace – Coursera
Platform: Coursera
Teacher: Lisa Montanaro, Laurie Cozart, and Diane Davidson
Course Length: 37 hours of lectures
A course with over 20,000 students, an overall rating of 4.7 stars, and 750+ reviews.
This is a ‘specialization’ by Coursera. So it’s like a 4-course series to help improve interpersonal business skills, master strategies to improve professional relationships, and more.
Business communication and interpersonal skills are essential to thrive within the office and a professional network environment.
Focused on that this course series covers:
This course series maintains interactive learning by including multiple assessment methods like reflections, quizzes, projects, and other activities.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
7. Executive PA Diploma – Souters Training
Platform: Souters Training
Teacher: Souters Training
Course Length: 6 months
This course is a level 4 CPD (continuing professional development) accredited diploma by Souters Training.
The course aims for a broad focus area, including all the necessary functional skills with elements of management techniques to enhance organizational effectiveness.
This program is suitable for individuals wanting to develop relevant skills to increase earning potential, people looking for a career change, and employees who want to stay up-to-date and competent with relevant role skills.
On a quick note, the CPD accreditation is a great inclusion to the CVs of assistants and executives. CPD is a globally recognized awarding body that will open doors to many more opportunities and impress potential employers.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
8. Administrative Professional Tips – LinkedIn Learning
Platform: LinkedIn Learning
Teacher: April Stallworth
Course Length: 3h 2m
This course by LinkedIn Learning has attracted close to 500,000 students. With a 4.8 overall rating based on almost 5000 reviews, more than 80% of the students rate it 5 stars.
From the course length, the course is designed for a quick learning strategy focused on professional advice.
Although short, it covers a range of topics categorized under introduction, the office team, essential administrative professional skills, the administrative professional role, organization is critical, leadership and people skills, and managing your career.
Unlike a traditional course, this is more like a supporting course exploring strategy, tips, ideas, and approaches to empower and elevate the role of an EA. So, it is not necessarily focused on task knowledge but on preparing an individual to better navigate the role.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
9. Must-Have Skills (Training) For Virtual Assistants In 2023 – Udemy
Platform: Udemy
Teacher: Erin Booth
Course Length: 51 lectures, 3h 33m
This is one of Udemy’s best sellers, with almost 15,000 students enrolled. The course has 4900+ reviews and an overall rating of 4.7 stars.
This course aims to train students on performing common tasks, deliver tips on back-to-office things, and standardize work quality.
What You’ll Learn
Pros
Cons
A Buyer’s Guide: What to Consider When Choosing the Best Executive Assistant Courses?
There are so many online executive assistant training courses available on the internet. Choosing the most relevant to match your current skill and knowledge level is challenging.
So, below is a list of variables worth considering when choosing the best EA course suitable for you.
Course Content and Relevance
An executive assistant role can vary based on the department served. The tasks change from serving as a personal assistant to a senior official, administrative assistant within a particular department, or executive assistant to senior management.
So, assessing if the course you are considering has the relevant course content to fill in the gaps in your knowledge and practical skills required for the role is important.
Similarly, a course covering broader content will do if the role is more on a general executive assistant focus.
Teaching Methods
Online training is often structured with video lectures and supplemental reading materials.
Including more hands-on projects, quizzes, quick Q&A sessions, and other practical assessments at the end of lessons can enhance quick learning and knowledge retention. So, look for courses that follow a comprehensive learning syllabus.
Duration and Flexibility of the Course
Consider the course duration based on how soon you expect to master the content. For example, a short course is more suitable if you are going into new employment.
Similarly, if you are on the job and seeking knowledge for long-term career improvement, a self-paced, longer course with broader content coverage is more valuable.
Recognition and Certificate Value
If you want to include the course in your resume for employer recognition, consider a recognized and accredited course provider, such as Coursera, Udemy, or the Institute of Executive Assistants and Administrators. Certificates from these places hold weight.
Learner Experience
Reading feedback, testimonials, and reviews from past students is highly beneficial in understanding the overall experience of the course. Based on this, you can get an idea of the pros and cons of the course from real students.
Value for Money
It’s often worth investing in a paid course over a free course, given the paid course covers quality content. Compare several courses considering the above variable to ensure your investment is worthwhile.
Other Additional Considerations
Additional variables like the teacher credentials (most courses include a description of the teacher’s background), number of students enrolled, and inclusion of bonus or additional learning materials are worth considering.
A free trial or refund policy will also come in handy in case of dissatisfaction.
Benefits of Training to Become an Executive Assistant
The Benefits of training to become an executive assistant are:
How Much Does it Cost to Follow an Online Executive Assistant Course?
The courses covered in the above list fall in the price range of $499 to $1,399.
The cost of an online executive assistant course varies based on the course content, the reputation of the course provider, any accreditations or certifications, and the educator of the course.
The course prices reflect these variables. So, a course offered at $500 or more will hold value in content quality and industry recognition.
Also, it is worth highlighting how some course providers price their courses. Course providers like Skillshare, LinkedIn, and Coursera do not offer individual courses. Instead, they offer subscription rates monthly or annual) to access the whole platform where many more relevant courses can be accessed. But sites like Udemy offer individual course purchases.
How Long Does it Take to Learn How to Be an Executive Assistant?
The duration of learning to become an executive assistant changes based on certain variables. These include course content, educator, and course provider.
The courses shortlisted for this review cover courses starting from an hour and going up to 6 months.
Courses of a short duration are more focused on providing an introductory insight into the executive assistant job role, responsibilities, and the skills required.
Similarly, the longer courses cover various topics in detail. Accreditation or certification of some sort usually accompanies them.
Both short and long courses hold value. Short courses lay the foundation for the role. In contrast, longer courses build upon the foundation aiming at long-term personal and professional development to excel at the job.
It is worth highlighting that, like any profession or job role, learning to become an executive assistant takes time and practice.
Other course categories you might like:
Frequently Asked Questions
Last Words
An executive assistant has a broad range of tasks to perform. Knowledge and practice are core to effectively and efficiently performing these tasks and mastering the job.
Well-organized online courses with high-quality course content are an excellent starting point for EAs and aspiring EAs to take charge of their career.
I recommend the Skillshare course – Introduction to Administrative Professionals. The course serves as a comprehensive guide into the world of administrative professions. You can learn the roles, duties, and skills required to thrive in these administrative roles.
Also, getting a Skillshare subscription to follow this course will be useful because you can explore many similar courses. And if need be, you can also explore other courses on the platform.
Was this article helpful?
Was this article helpful?
