12100 Executive assistants

What this occupation covers

Executive assistants coordinate administrative procedures, public relations activities and research and analysis functions for members of legislative assemblies, ministers, deputy ministers, corporate officials and executives, committees and boards of directors. They are employed by governments, corporations and associations.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Establish and coordinate administrative policies and procedures for officials, committees and boards of directors
• Analyze incoming and outgoing memoranda, submissions and reports and prepare and co-ordinate the preparation and submission of summary briefs and reports to executives, committees and boards of directors
• Prepare agendas and make arrangements for committee, board and other meetings
• Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees and boards of directors
• Meet with individuals, special interest groups and others on behalf of executives, committees and boards of directors to discuss issues and assess and recommend various courses of action
• Liaise with departmental and corporate officials and with other organizations and associations on behalf of executives, committees and boards of directors.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 13100 Administrative officers
• 12103 Conference and event planners
• 13110 Administrative assistants

Excluded from this code

• Administrative officers (See 13100 Administrative officers)
• Conference and event planners (See 12103 Conference and event planners)
• Executive secretary (except legal and medical) (See 13110 Administrative assistants)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

committee clerk · constituency aid · constituency assistant · corporate secretary · executive assistant · legislative assistant · medical information assistant · ministerial assistant · parliamentary assistant · parliamentary committee clerk · special assistant

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• Completion of a bachelor's degree in public administration, political science or a related discipline or the completion of a college diploma in administration is usually required.
• Experience in a related administrative occupation is usually required.