Careers
Executive assistant
Preparing a decision, filtering the urgent from the rest, holding an executive diary and writing what commits: the executive assistant works closest to decision-making. A position of trust, demanding in discretion as much as in anticipation.
Working at an executive's pace
The role is largely about preparing: gathering the elements of a file before they are asked for, producing a note that fits on one page, anticipating the next question. The diary demands constant arbitration between equally legitimate requests. Committees leave minutes that become the organisation's memory. On top comes cross-department coordination, where the assistant obtains through relationships what no internal memo would obtain as fast.
- Prepare a decision file and a one-page summary note
- Arbitrate an executive diary and organise a business trip
- Write committee minutes that record the decisions
- Coordinate several departments around a shared deadline
Alongside which executives
- Chief executive offices of companies and group subsidiaries
- Management of mining and industrial sites
- Ministerial offices, public agencies and local authorities
- Offices of international organisations and embassies
- Management of hospitals, school groups and health facilities
The figures to keep in mind before deciding
A candidate compares four things first: duration, taught hours, credits and target level. Here they are, in the order that matters. Level sets the responsibility the qualification recognises; hours state the real work asked of you; credits make comparison possible with any other programme, here or elsewhere in the region.
- qualification level
- 5
- months of programme
- 10
- taught hours
- 700 h
- credits
- 70
- competency blocks
- 5
Senior technician and supervisor
Led by an instructor.
1 credit = 25 h of work, 10 of them taught.
Framework of the « Executive Assistant » qualification, code TP55.
The validated skills, one by one
Each block matches a capability the role demands and the assessment verifies. The breakdown comes from the filed framework: it describes an occupation as it is practised, not a subject as it is taught. A block once obtained stays obtained, which makes the path resumable if working life calls for a pause.
- Decision support
- 190 (27 %)
- Organisation and coordination
- 180 (26 %)
- Professional communication
- 170 (24 %)
- Administrative and budget follow-up
- 120 (17 %)
- Professional conduct
- 40 (6 %)
- Decision support · 190 h — Research, briefing notes, meeting packs, monitoring
- Organisation and coordination · 180 h — Executive diary, prioritising, travel, events
- Professional communication · 170 h — Drafting, committee minutes, internal communication, professional English
- Administrative and budget follow-up · 120 h — File tracking, expenses, operating budget, suppliers
- Professional conduct · 40 h — Executive-level confidentiality, judgement, handling urgency
Reaching executive assistance
Here are the paths open to this occupation, with their real cost and duration. A long programme installs the full base; a certificate targets a precise function and can be taken while keeping your job. Both strategies work, and the table gives what you need to choose between them.
| Programme | Duration | Credits | Taught hours | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Management programme — Bac+3 level · Bachelor's degree | 3 years | 180 | 1800 h | 4 800 000 GNF per year |
| Advanced Excel · Short course | 2 months | 4 | 40 h | 900 000 GNF in total |
The points people ask us about
How does this differ from secretarial work?
Level 5 recognises anticipation and autonomy: preparing a decision rather than processing a request, coordinating rather than executing. The secretary and assistant qualification, at level 4, is the preceding step and prepares perfectly for that move.
Is English necessary?
It opens international organisations, mining groups and diplomatic missions, where the role is particularly sought after. In local companies, written professional French remains the most decisive skill.
Does the role lead to management?
It frequently does, through the intimate knowledge of the organisation it gives. The administration and facilities manager qualification, at level 6, formalises that move towards leading a team and an operating budget.
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