Executive Assistant Boolean Search String
A first-pass boolean search for sourcing executive assistant candidates, built from the role's most-screened-for skills — adapt it with your own must-haves, or generate one tailored to your exact JD below.
"Executive Assistant" AND "Calendar management" AND "Travel coordination" AND "Stakeholder communication" NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern"site:linkedin.com/in/ "Executive Assistant" "Calendar management" "Travel coordination" "Stakeholder communication"Run this search on Google →How this string is built
The role title in quotes, ANDed with the top must-have skills for a executive assistant — Calendar management, Travel coordination, Stakeholder communication — each in quotes so LinkedIn and Google match the exact phrase rather than any word in it separately. NOT "recruiter" NOT "intern" filters out the two most common sources of false positives.
Other must-have skills worth adding
If the search above returns too many results, AND in more of these to narrow further:
- Confidentiality
- Meeting/board support
- Expense management systems
- Event planning
- Project coordination
Other titles to search for a executive assistant
The same job is also called Personal Assistant to the CEO, Executive Administrator, Senior Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff Assistant. Searching only for “Executive Assistant” misses those people, so join the titles with OR inside brackets and AND the skills after them.
Five searches to run, from broad to narrow
- Broad: every title, one core skill
("Executive Assistant" OR "Personal Assistant to the CEO" OR "Executive Administrator" OR "Senior Executive Assistant" OR "Chief of Staff Assistant") AND "Calendar management" - Focused: three skills, with the noise removed
("Executive Assistant" OR "Personal Assistant to the CEO" OR "Executive Administrator") AND "Calendar management" AND "Travel coordination" AND "Stakeholder communication" NOT "administrative assistant" NOT "receptionist" NOT "intern" - Tools and credentials: the nice-to-haves as an OR group
("Executive Assistant" OR "Personal Assistant to the CEO" OR "Executive Administrator") AND ("Expense management systems" OR "Event planning" OR "Project coordination") - Google X-ray on LinkedIn profiles
site:linkedin.com/in/ ("Executive Assistant" OR "Personal Assistant to the CEO" OR "Executive Administrator") "Calendar management" "Travel coordination" - Feeder role: people from a neighbouring job
"Administrative Assistant" AND "Calendar management" AND "Travel coordination"
Start with the broad search to see how large the pool is. If it is too big, move to the focused one. If it is too small, drop a skill or use the feeder search.
Noise to exclude for this role
For a executive assistant the usual false positives are administrative assistant, receptionist, intern. Each one added with NOT removes a group of profiles that look similar but are not the job.
Where else to look
Good executive assistant candidates often come from Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, Personal Assistant. Search for them with the same core skills, then check that they are ready to move.
What to check on the profile
The seniority supported, travel and event coordination and examples of judgement under pressure.
Credentials to confirm
Usually none. Confidentiality is essential, so say how you handle it.
Frequently asked questions
Why AND the skills together instead of OR?
AND narrows to candidates who show evidence of every listed skill — good for a first-pass search on a specific role. If that returns too few results, dropping to OR between the least-critical skills (keeping the must-haves ANDed) widens the pool without losing precision on what actually matters.
Why exclude "recruiter" and "intern"?
Those two terms are the most common source of false positives in a executive assistant search — recruiters and internship-seekers whose profiles happen to mention the same skill keywords. Adjust or remove the exclusion if it's cutting out candidates you actually want (e.g. if you're specifically hiring for an internship).
How is this different from the full Boolean Search Generator tool?
This is a static starting-point example built from executive assistant's most common requirements. The tool builds a tailored version from your actual job description — different seniority, location, and specific must-haves than this generic example.
What other job titles should I search for a executive assistant?
The same job is also called Personal Assistant to the CEO, Executive Administrator, Senior Executive Assistant, Chief of Staff Assistant. Put them in a bracketed OR group so one search covers them all, for example ("Executive Assistant" OR "Personal Assistant to the CEO" OR "Executive Administrator").
What should I exclude when sourcing a executive assistant?
The usual noise is administrative assistant, receptionist, intern. Add each with NOT so the results are people who do the job, not people near it.
Where else can I find executive assistant candidates?
Look at people in related roles who already have the core skills: Administrative Assistant, Office Manager, Personal Assistant. Search for them with the same skills and check whether they are ready to move across.
Hiring a executive assistant? The rest of the toolkit
- How to write the job description →
Titles, must-haves, credentials and a starting posting.
- Interview questions to ask →
Role-specific questions and what a good answer contains.
- Run the whole hire in one place →
Jobs, CV review, interviews, offers and checks together.