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New Year, New Role: Tips for Starting Strong in 2025

2 January 2025 No Comments

As the new year begins, many professionals, including Executive Assistants (EAs), Chief of Staff and Executives, are looking to make career moves that align with their goals for growth and success. Whether you’re a Sydney-based Executive Assistant, a Melbourne-based professional, or an executive seeking top-tier support, 2025 offers an opportunity to redefine your career trajectory. At Executive Entourage, we specialise in connecting elite Executive Assistants and Executives across Australia, ensuring the perfect match for mutual success.

Here are five actionable steps to start the year strong, tailored for both candidates and hiring executives:

1. Define Your Career Goals

For Executive Assistants: Take a moment to reflect on your long-term aspirations. Are you aiming to transition into a Chief of Staff role? Do you want to work for a fast-growing company in Sydney or Melbourne? Defining these goals will help you focus on opportunities that align with your vision.

For Executives: Assess your current team dynamics. A top-tier Executive Assistant can be a game-changer, offering unparalleled support and streamlining your productivity. Determine what qualities you value most in an EA, such as discretion, adaptability, or tech proficiency.

2. Optimise Your Professional Profile

For Executive Assistants: Ensure your LinkedIn profile and resume are updated with your most recent accomplishments. Highlight your ability to manage complex schedules, support high-level executives, and adapt to fast-paced environments. Demonstrating your expertise in roles like C Suite EA, Office Management or Chief of Staff can set you apart.

For Executives: Consider crafting a compelling job description that clearly outlines your expectations and company culture. Working with a specialised recruitment agency, such as Executive Entourage, can help you attract the right candidates while saving time.

3. Expand Your Network

For Executive Assistants: Networking is key to uncovering hidden opportunities. Join professional groups on LinkedIn or attend industry events to connect with peers and potential employers. Engaging in discussions can also showcase your expertise and make you more visible to recruiters.

For Executives: Building relationships with specialised recruitment agencies, like Executive Entourage, ensures you’re connected with the best talent. Attend relevant events or webinars to stay informed about market trends.

4. Upskill for the Future

For Executive Assistants: Stay ahead by learning new technologies or honing leadership skills. Consider taking courses in project management, communication, or advanced software tools. Highlight these skills in your resume to stand out as a top-tier candidate.

For Executives: Invest in professional development for your team, including your EA. A well-trained assistant can enhance your productivity and support your long-term goals.

5. Leverage Industry Experts

For both EAs and Executives: Partnering with an experienced recruitment agency can make all the difference. At Executive Entourage, we understand the nuances of placing elite Executive Assistants and Chief of Staff candidates into roles where they thrive. Whether you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, or elsewhere in Australia, our personalised approach ensures that we meet your unique needs.

When you choose Executive Entourage, you’re not just accessing a recruitment service—you’re partnering with a seasoned C-Suite Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, and Human Resources Manager. This unique combination of experience enables us to provide tailored solutions that address both immediate and long-term needs. Our expertise allows us to work closely with you to identify and secure the ideal fit, ensuring a strong and successful partnership that benefits your business now and in the future.

Start 2025 with Confidence

Whether you’re an Executive Assistant ready to embrace new challenges or an executive seeking world-class support, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to take action. Connect with Executive Entourage to explore how we can help you achieve your goals. With our deep expertise in EA recruitment and coaching, we’re here to set you on the path to success.

Contact Us for a confidential conversation regarding your recruitment and coaching needs for success in 2025.

Executive Recruitment Services Expanding Australia-Wide

1 January 2025 No Comments

As we step into 2025, Executive Entourage is excited to announce that we are now operating Australia-wide, bringing our trusted executive recruitment and executive assistant recruitment services to businesses and professionals across the country.

As the Founder of Executive Entourage, I bring over 25 years of experience in executive support, including Top Tier C-Suite Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff, Human Resources and Governance positions. My experience working closely with senior leadership teams and helping build successful, high-performing teams has provided me with deep insights into what makes exceptional executive assistants and executives thrive in today’s fast-paced business environment.

I have had the privilege of growing Executive Entourage, partnering with exceptional clients across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. Now, we are proud to extend our services nationwide, providing executive recruitment and career coaching solutions to help organisations and professionals achieve their goals in 2025 and beyond.

What Does Executive Entourage Offer?

At Executive Entourage, we focus on delivering high quality executive recruitment services tailored to both businesses and candidates. Our mission is to match top-tier talent with the right opportunities, ensuring long-term success for both organisations and professionals. Whether you are seeking an executive assistant to support your leadership team or searching for exceptional executive-level professionals to drive your business forward, Executive entourage has you covered. 

Executive Assistant Recruitment

With over 25 years of experience in the executive assistant landscape, we understand the crucial role that executive assistants play in driving the efficiency and success of leadership teams. From managing calendars and coordinating travel to supporting high-level decision-making, a skilled executive assistant is integral to a business’s operations.

Our executive assistant recruitment services help businesses find the right professionals who can provide strategic support and manage key tasks that enable leaders to focus on driving business growth.

Executive Recruitment

Finding the right leaders for your organisation is essential to its success. At Executive Entourage, we specialise in executive recruitment to connect organisations with top-tier talent, from senior management to C-suite executives. Whether you’re looking for a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Chief Executive Officer, our executive recruitment services ensure that you have access to highly qualified and experienced professionals who align with your business objectives.

Why Executive Entourage?

Our expertise in executive assistant recruitment and executive recruitment is built on years of experience in supporting senior executives, driving strategic initiatives, and building high-performing teams. Here are a few reasons why organisations and professionals choose Executive Entourage:

  • Proven Track Record: With over two decades of hands-on experience in executive support, we know what it takes to find the right talent.

  • Australia-Wide Reach: As we expand nationwide, we bring our services to businesses and professionals in every state and territory, from Sydney to Perth, Melbourne to Brisbane, and beyond.

  • Tailored Recruitment Solutions: We understand that every organisation is unique. That’s why we offer customised recruitment solutions to match the specific needs of your business, culture, and team dynamics.

  • Professional Development: We don’t just focus on filling roles; we are dedicated to helping professionals enhance their careers. Through career coaching, we offer valuable guidance to those looking to take their careers to the next level.

Expanding Nationwide in 2025

Executive Entourage has grown significantly, and we’ve had the privilege of partnering with outstanding clients across Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane. Now, we are expanding our footprint to provide executive recruitment and executive assistant recruitment services Australia-wide.

We are committed to helping businesses build successful teams and individuals take their careers to the next level in 2025. Whether you’re a business seeking exceptional talent or a professional looking for career coaching to elevate your future, Executive Entourage is here to support your success.

Get in touch

If you are looking to fill a senior role or need an executive assistant to support your leadership team, Executive Entourage can help. We are excited to continue developing relationships and creating opportunities for businesses and professionals across Australia.

For more information about our executive recruitment and executive assistant recruitment services, please visit Recruitment or Contact Us today.

Let’s work together to make 2025 a successful year for your business and career!

 

Executive Assistant Coaching

30 December 2021 No Comments

Are you a high achieving Executive Assistant and would you benefit from coaching?

Coaching, in its modern format, has been around since the late 1990s. People still think of it as something new, but in reality, Coaching has been around for millennia.  There has never been a period in history where Coaches did not exist.

Sure, it might have looked a little different, but Coaching is as old as the hills. Modern-day Coaching may be more refined and a lot more commercially viable, but the principles remain the same.

What does a coach do?

Coaches have the skills and knowledge to advise, support, and encourage their clients.

They help them to:

  • Make sound decisions;
  • Take effective actions;
  • Resolve their challenges in the most efficient way possible; and
  • Learn from the process, so they can repeat it whenever they want/need.

A coach can also remain detached from the issues at hand.

Consider the wise words of Albert Einstein:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”.

Time is money

In the modern era, in life and business, time is money. There’s an ever-increasing amount of cooperation and collaboration going on both in businesses and peoples’ private lives. We need to figure things out almost on the fly these days while dealing with different time zones and cultures.

Everyone has their unique issues to handle alongside everything else that needs to be accommodated, and then there’s the technology we all use to connect with everybody and everything.

Life is more complex today and it certainly seems to be speeding up every time you turn around. It doesn’t take long before we begin to have thoughts of overwhelm and burnout on our minds.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: “How long can I justify spending time and money on this issue trying to figure it out for myself, knowing what Albert Einstein said about problem-solving?”

If having a Coach could save you time and money, it would be ridiculous NOT to hire one, wouldn’t it?

Throughout history, every King has had an Advisor (Coach), every Military Leader has had a Strategist (Coach), every World Class Athlete has had a trainer (Coach), and every Entertainer has had a Manager (Coach).

Who hires a coach?

The only conclusion we can draw from the history of Coaching is that the people who hire a Coach fall into two categories:

  • People who are at the top of their game and want to stay there, or
  • People who aspire to be at the top of their game and want to get there as fast as they can.

Many people will say that they want to change themselves, their life, their job, or their circumstances, but in real terms, they are fearful of change. They will delay, procrastinate, and make excuses. They lack self-confidence and the drive to follow through. It’s human nature. It’s what ordinary people always do.

People who hire a Coach are not ordinary people

They are inspired and have a vision. They embrace change and are prepared to get fully engaged in making positive changes in their life. Plus, they don’t want it to take forever!

They have a sense of urgency, and they want someone they can lean on, confide in, use as a sounding board, and rely on to help them make the inevitable tough decisions that they can see on the horizon.

People hiring their first Coach are often racked with pessimism. They think, “What if I waste my money?”

Consider that, before you hire a coach, you’re already wasting time, which is the same as money, and you lack the resources to resolve the issues at hand. It would cost you less to hire a Coach and find out firsthand and NOW how unbelievably useful a Coach can be.

People who are hiring their second or subsequent Coach have no pessimism.  What they are looking for is the perfect fit for them and the circumstances they find themselves in.

Within reason, money is not the issue and they never think about the possibility of wasting it. Their main concern is finding the RIGHT Coach and then hoping that the Coach they choose has a spot left open where they can be accommodated, and can they start today?

Is Hiring a Coach Right For You?

Maybe. Maybe not.

  • Are you at a point where NOT taking action is costing you time and money?
  • Do you feel stuck in your struggles?
  • Could you use encouragement and sage advice in moving forward?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, perhaps an Executive Assistant Coach can get you moving in the right direction. Above all, a Coach can help you create the life or role you desire – and sooner rather than later.

Executive Assistant Coaching

At Executive Entourage® we understand the ever-changing role of the Executive Assistant. We know the struggles firsthand, the daily challenges and the roller coaster ride you can be on. We understand how rewarding a great business relationship can be and how successful a business and team can be with effective guidance and leadership.

The role of an Executive Assistant can be lonely. Working with highly confidential business information, working autonomously for the greater good of the organisation and achieving at a very high standard. You are not alone. We enjoy helping high-achieving Executive Assistants who wish to fast track their career progression and learn from the best.

How can an Executive Assistant Coaching help?

Imagine having someone with 20+ years of experience as a C Suite Executive Assistant helping you with your career. Listening to your needs, wants and ambitions and helping you achieve desired results.

Some of the areas an Executive Assistant Coach can assist are:

  • Building strategic partnerships
  • Business partnering with your Executive
  • Improving your performance
  • Transitioning to a more senior role
  • Management Skills
  • Project Management
  • Emotional Intellegence
  • Career Planning
  • Personal branding
  • Overcoming imposter syndrome
  • Effecitvely working from home
  • Standing out in a job interview
  • Job interview preparation
  • Dealing with work-related stress
  • Building thriving teams
  • Dealing with difficult people
  • Strategy skills
  • Setting KPIs

Executive Entourage®

At Executive Entourage®, we assist Executive Assistants with their career ambitions and give them the core skills to thrive in and enjoy their role. We assist Executive Assistants to find the gaps in their current experience and work on strategies to improve within our coaching programs. Do you feel you need some additional training? Contact Us today to discuss your needs and consider our Executive Assistant Coaching programs.

Executive Assistant Network

The Executive Entourage® Executive Assistant Connect is a free network for Assistants globally to collaborate in a safe environment. It is a support network for career and personal growth and is full of tactics, insights and inspiration. Assistants are encouraged to ask questions or advice from other Assistants to gain support in their everyday roles and career. Our candidates and coaching clients are encouraged to join the network to keep connected with the latest Executive Assistant news.

Why not join the conversation with the Executive Entourage® – Executive Assistant Connect?

Would you like to continue reading tips on the benefits of coaching? Continue reading this Forbes article with 5 ways a personal coach can help you succeed.

Emotional Intelligence – your key to success

17 September 2021 No Comments

As an Executive Assistant, it is key to have high emotional intelligence and have the ability to stay calm when everyone else is losing their mind.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

Have you ever noticed that some people stay calm under pressure much better than others? Would you like to become one of those people?

Everyone has a different stress tolerance, but with practice, you can become much more resilient in the face of adversity. Dealing with stressful situations is part genetics and part skill. You can’t do anything about your genes, but you can certainly enhance your coping skills!

Practice these techniques and learn to handle stress which will lead to ultimate emotional intelligence:

1. Take care of your body

A calm mind is best supported by a healthy body. Taking care of ourselves allows us to have greater awareness around ourselves of others and their feelings. What does taking care of your body mean?

  • Eat well.
  • Sleep enough.
  • Get some exercise.

When your body is out of sorts, your mind isn’t at its most resilient. A well-cared-for body is the foundation of a durable and stress, resistant mind.

You could make one small improvement to your diet each week, experiment with your sleep schedule or exercise daily in a meaningful way. These three simple things matter more than you realise.

2. Breathe and stay calm

Your breathing is the only aspect of your physiology that you can control easily. There are plenty of breathing techniques you can try when you’re feeling stressed. By mastering your breathing you will stay calm in a challenging situation. Consider trying the following:

  • Simply take long, slow, deep breaths.
  • Inhale for four seconds, hold it for two seconds, and exhale for six seconds.
  • Just breathe normally and keep your attention on your breath. Feel the air moving in and out of your body.

3. Relax your body

When you feel stressed, there is a part of your body that is stressed, too. Find that tense, uncomfortable part of your body and focus on relaxing it. In fact, do your best to relax your entire body.

4. Focus on the positives

There’s a positive aspect to every negative situation. Look for the positive and your brain will feel more at ease. This sets you up in the right frame of mind for the situation head.

  • Most of us focus on the negative and ignore the positive. Do the opposite and feel the calm.

5. Focus on solutions

Focusing on problems is very stressful. Focusing on solutions is the best practice. Rather than being emotionally attached to the problem remove yourself from the issue and look at it subjectively. What has occurred, what needs to happen and by who.

6. Manage your thoughts

Thoughts can get away from us very quickly. Do you imagine the worst when something negative happens? Do you sit around and ruminate on your difficulties? Managing your headspace is necessary to stay calm regardless of the situation and will help you overcome the challenge and potential conflict.

  • Consider if your thoughts are helping you to remain calm or creating stress.
  • Most people imagine the worst and their brains and bodies respond accordingly.
  • Try putting your attention on your breathing until you feel calmer and then begin looking for solutions.

7. Communicate effectively

Calm communication throughout a situation is important to defuse conflict and escalations. Communicate to those people who need to know and keep them in the loop of the issue, resolution and timeframes. Depending on the situation it may call for key personnel to inform all staff. Knowing the escalation point in a situation is important and delivering the key facts to enable them to help you with a solution.

8. Take action

When you assertively deal with negative issues, you’re taking control. Sitting around and thinking is a passive activity. Only think long enough to find a good solution and then get busy implementing it.

  • Activity helps to dissipate stress and build confidence and optimism.

Stress, conflict and things not going to plan are unavoidable, but your ability to manage stressful situations can be greatly enhanced with effort. You might be surprised by how stress-resistant and emotionally intelligent you can become! When you can handle more stress with greater comfort, you empower yourself to make positive changes in your health, career, relationships, and happiness.

About Us

At Executive Entourage, we assist Executive Assistants with their emotional intelligence. We assist your Executive Assistant to find the gaps in their current experience and work on strategies to improve within our coaching programs. Do you feel your Executive Assistant needs some additional training? Contact Us today to discuss your needs and consider our Coaching programs.

Would you like to continue reading tips on emotional intelligence? Continue reading an article on LinkedIn with 10 tips to make you an emotionally intelligent Executive Assistant.

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How to stand out in a job interview

3 September 2021 No Comments

It’s exciting to make it past the resumé/CV and job application phase. Being invited to a job interview can feel exciting. It can also feel nerve-wracking. That is why we have provided some expert job interview tips below to help you nail your next interview.

Now that you’ve made it past the initial phase, it’s time to make the first impression needed to take the next step.

At this point, you can also shift your perspective. At the beginning of the job application phase, you are just the words on your resumé/CV and cover letter. Being invited to an interview is an opportunity for a potential employer to actually get to know you, your personality, and how your experience relates to their business and requirements. It is an opportunity to showcase your skills and experience and sell your skillset. A job interview is a great opportunity to talk about yourself, your skillset, your ideas and career ambitions and make sure that they align with the business you are interviewing with.

Job interview tips to make a lasting impression on the interviewer

Spending time researching and preparing for the interview is essential to get over your nerves and make a good impression with well-crafted answers.

1. Research the company

The start of your interview preparation should be company research! Look at company values, their LinkedIn page, and the About page on their website. This research will help you connect your answers to the company values and mission.

2. Review your skills against the role

Show you have the skills the company is looking for in that role. It’s easy to tell the interviewer that you are “deadline-oriented” or a “team player”, but make sure it is supported with a relevant scenario that demonstrates those skills.

  • What is the company looking for?
  • How does your experience line up with the job listing?
  • What relevant results have you gotten before? Prepare numbers or percentages that demonstrate your accomplishments.
  • Think about specific experiences that show you have certain qualities or skills.

3. Prepare answers

Prepare an answer for “tell me about yourself.” This open-ended question interviewers ask gives them insight into who you are behind your resumé/CV, cover letter, and job conversation. It’s a way for interviewers to start the conversation and get to know and understand you. Here are some ideas:

  • Give a brief overview of your education, most recent jobs, and insight into short and long-term career goals.
  • Tell a professional story – what inspired you to pursue the field? Why are you passionate about your work?
  • Show your personality and interests (and make them relevant to the company).

4. Practice for the interview beforehand

Be sure to start by practising and preparing answers for the questions you may be asked during the interview.

  • Think about why you’re interested in that specific role and company.
  • Prepare to talk about the connection between your past experience and the current position you’re applying for.
  • Practice body language and making eye contact.
  • Consider recording a mock interview and reviewing your answers and body language.
  • Consider what you will wear to the interview to showcase your brand.

5. Prepare questions to ask at the end of the interview

At the end of the job interview, your interviewer will probably ask if you have any questions. This is your opportunity to learn about the company, as well as show your interest.

  • What does a typical day look like?
  • How is performance measured and reviewed?
  • Why did you choose to work with this company?
  • What professional development opportunities are available to new employees?
  • What are the goals for the first six months of this position?

By allowing appropriate preparation time you will walk into the interview calm, confident, and engaged. Being engaged and confident will help you build a relationship with the interviewer and make a lasting impression.

During your interview, make sure to engage with the interviewer and try not to just answer their questions. Try and have a conversation with the interviewer as well.

Preparing for your job interview might feel like a lot is on the line. Look at this as an opportunity to build a relationship with the interviewer and show how you would fit in with the company culture and sell your skillset!

About Us

Executive Entourage® has interview preparation services that help you develop interview strategies for nailing your ideal role. Guiding you through your next interview including resume preparation, interview questions/answers and LinkedIn updates to advance your career to the next level. Be sure to Contact Us today for expert advice and assistance.

If you wish to continue reading Forbes has some additional surprising job interview tips to consider for your next interview that you may wish to consider.

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Become an expert in your field

18 August 2021 No Comments

Perfecting Your Skills and Delegating Your Weaknesses

If you want to stand out from the crowd or competition at work, then you need to be seen as an expert in your field. This takes time and action on your part and not just walking around telling people that you’re an expert. You need to “show them” you are an expert in action.

Everyone has the potential to be an expert at what they do. Here are a few simple steps to consider.

Educate Yourself

First and foremost, make sure that you are educated on what you are doing. If you are working in a particular department of a company and want to be seen as the go-to person on anything related to it, you need to know what you are talking about.

  • Take evening courses at a local college (face to face or online) to help further your education and keep you up to date on the latest knowledge and technology.
  • Read more about the subject matter. It does not matter what you do as a profession, you need to take advantage of the vast knowledge in the library and online. You can always be an expert outside of your profession on a particular subject.

By expanding your knowledge, you will also build your confidence. With knowledge comes confidence.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge

It’s one thing to talk about what you know, but it’s something else entirely to do it and show them.

Experts do not walk around and brag about what they can do, they take action. If you encounter a difficult problem or situation, you will be able to take charge and find a solution.

  • Be proactive. If a problem arises, act right away to find a solution. If you are not sure of the answer yourself, search out someone who does. Even experts need to learn new things and they are not afraid to admit it to others.

Learn To Be a Great Communicator

People must understand what you can do and why you are the best one to do it. This means that you must understand and foresee the questions and concerns of others, then prepare and articulate the answers and solutions to them.

  • Great communicators do not just boss others around. They use communication skills to teach and empower co-workers but also are ready to pull up their sleeves and do the groundwork to earn the respect of colleagues and get the job done.

Always Act with Integrity

Always display leader qualities and give credit where credit is due to your team and colleagues. Great leaders build up their teams and lead them to success.

There will always be things we are not so good at. The trick is knowing what these are. In those circumstances, you have to learn how to delegate those responsibilities to others who have the skills required to get the job done. Part of being a good expert is seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others and how their talents can be put to good use.

  • Give others credit for a job well done. Wise leaders and the most incredible of experts don’t do everything themselves. They have a talented team around them who have the skills they lack.

By following these simple steps you’ll become the person with the answers. These are the experts who become irreplaceable and well respected because they take action.

About Us

Need assistance finding your niche and becoming the expert in your field?

Executive Entourage® can coach, train and mentor Executive Assistants to be the expert in their field. We help Assistants to evaluate the gaps in their knowledge to work on and identify where they can focus their energy and become an expert. Consider our Coaching Program or join our Executive Assistant Network to collaborate with like-minded individuals.

Feel free to Contact Us today to arrange a discovery call on how Executive Entourage® can help you become an expert in your field.

If you want to continue reading how this skill set can propel your career read this great Forbes article on 6 steps to become an expert and accelerate your career.

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