Monique Helstrom

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Monique Helstrom Elevate Your Executive-Assistant Partnership

Quick update on the remote Executive Assistant opportunity with Socha Capital that I shared just a few days ago:The comp...
10/16/2026

Quick update on the remote Executive Assistant opportunity with Socha Capital that I shared just a few days ago:

The company has changed its hiring direction, and the Executive Assistant position is no longer available.

I know many of you expressed interest, and I appreciate everyone who applied, shared the opportunity, or reached out to learn more. Thank you!

10/15/2026

You don’t have to pretend your last job was wonderful.

You can tell me it was toxic! Tell me how leadership failed you. Tell me why you left.
But then tell me what you learned, what you’re looking for now, and why you’re ready for what’s next.

Because every minute you spend talking about your old boss is a minute you’re NOT spending telling me why I should hire you.

Your old boss does not deserve 17 minutes that could be put toward your next opportunity.

10/13/2026

I know we live in a different day and age and I'm 100% okay with you interviewing on your phone. But at the end of the day, a job interview is still a professional setting no matter what device you're using.

Be present, be engaged, and PLEASE, for my sake, keep your camera stable. 🙏

PSA: The interview isn’t about proving every bullet point on your resume all over again.It’s where I’m looking for prepa...
10/12/2026

PSA: The interview isn’t about proving every bullet point on your resume all over again.

It’s where I’m looking for preparation, professionalism, self-awareness, communication, judgment, and how you show up as a human being.

Your resume got you in the room. Now show me the person I’d be recommending to an Executive.

Want to know what can quickly undermine that trust? I wrote an entire article about 10 things I DON’T want to hear in an Executive Assistant interview.

Read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-things-i-dont-want-hear-interview-executive-monique-helstrom-xjh0c

If you’re interested in human behavior, resilience, serious composure under pressure, or why some people can endure extr...
10/09/2026

If you’re interested in human behavior, resilience, serious composure under pressure, or why some people can endure extraordinary circumstances while others unravel, The Attributes is absolutely worth reading.

Rich Diviney breaks down the difference between skills and attributes in a way that completely reframes how we evaluate performance, leadership, and even ourselves. And I completely agree.

Skills can be taught. Attributes are much more intrinsic. Grit. Adaptability. Drive. Situational awareness. Emotional strength.

And, I am lucky enough to call Rich a friend. I met him around 10 years ago when I worked with Simon Sinek and had opportunities to work alongside members of the Navy SEAL community. Talk about an elite human being. Calm, thoughtful, disciplined, deeply observant. Great dad. The kind of person who makes you immediately realize how much more there is to learn about human capability.

No theatrics. No ego. Just substance.

Which is exactly what this book feels like too.

Also check out his latest book, "Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team"

Executive Assistants write emails, prepare documents, manage details, and often communicate on behalf of their Executive...
10/08/2026

Executive Assistants write emails, prepare documents, manage details, and often communicate on behalf of their Executives.

So when I see typos, inconsistent information, or obvious errors on a resume, I’m not JUST judging the resume...

I’m asking myself whether I can trust you to catch those same mistakes before something goes out under your executive’s name.

Your resume is one of the most important documents you’ll create during your job search. Review it like it matters—because it does.

Want to know what else I’m looking for? I wrote an entire article about 10 things I DON’T want to see on an Executive Assistant’s resume.

Read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-things-i-dont-want-see-executive-assistants-resume-helstrom-ibjxc

10/07/2026

Yes, your resume should absolutely show me what you’ve done and what you’re capable of. But let me see the human behind it, too!

Your communication skills. Your leadership style. Your personality. Where you want to grow.

Your resume should sound like YOU!

And if you’re thinking, “Okay Monique, but how to I stand out without being gaudy?” that’s exactly what my resume coaching is for. 😉

Let’s make sure the person on paper actually sounds like the person I’d meet in an interview.

Learn more here: https://www.moniquehelstrom.com/resumeandinterviewcoaching

Congratulations to Lisa Nicholson on starting her new role as Vanderbilt’s Senior Executive Coordinator! 🎉This was one o...
10/02/2026

Congratulations to Lisa Nicholson on starting her new role as Vanderbilt’s Senior Executive Coordinator! 🎉

This was one of those interviews where everything just started clicking: experience, the communication style, the personality, the way the person thinks about the work.

And somewhere in the middle of the conversation, I just knew...
"It has to be Lisa."
And lo and behold, it was. 🥰

I swear, it was recruiter love at first sight, and I'm so glad the hiring managers at the Office of the Chancellor agreed!

Lisa, I’m so excited for you. You are incredibly well-suited for this role, and I cannot wait to see what you do with it. Congratulations again on the new chapter!

Congratulations to Jonathan Castor on starting his new role as Executive Director of the Office of the Chancellor of Van...
10/01/2026

Congratulations to Jonathan Castor on starting his new role as Executive Director of the Office of the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University! 🎉

I want to share a little bit about how Jonathan got here, because there’s a very good lesson in this for anyone looking for their next role...

The truth is, I initially passed on his resume.
(Again—so sorry, Jonathan. 😅)

Initially, I didn’t think his experience was the right fit.

Luckily, Jonathan disagreed with me. 😂
So he reached back out. He explained what I was missing, connected his previous experience directly to what Vanderbilt needed, and helped me understand why the story I was seeing on paper wasn’t the whole story.

I took another look and discovered he was right. Jonathan moved forward in the process and Vanderbilt saw what he knew he could bring to the role.
And now he has the job.

THIS is what I mean when I tell candidates that you have to know your value and BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT—especially within the context of the position you're applying for.

Advocating for yourself isn’t saying, “I really think I’d be great at this!” It's telling me WHY you'd be great at it.

What am I missing?
What experience do you have that translates?
What problem can you solve for this executive or organization?
What do you understand about this role that makes you believe you can succeed in it?

Connect the dots for me.

And ladies, I want to take a moment to speak directly to you here:
After years of recruiting, I need you to know that I see men do this much more often than women.

If you KNOW you belong in the conversation, don’t just accept that someone else didn’t see it on the first pass.

Make. Your Case.

That doesn’t mean every recruiter or hiring manager is going to change their mind. But if there’s something important about your experience that we’re missing, help us see it.
Jonathan did.
And BOY am I glad he did!

Congratulations again, Jonathan. You did a fantastic job advocating for yourself throughout this process, and I cannot wait to see how you use that same confidence and conviction to advocate for your executive and Vanderbilt in this new role. 👏

Congratulations to Jonathan Castor on starting his new role as Executive Director of the Office of the Chancellor of Van...
09/30/2026

Congratulations to Jonathan Castor on starting his new role as Executive Director of the Office of the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University! 🎉

I want to take a moment to share a little bit about how Jonathan got here, because there’s a very good lesson in this for anyone currently looking for their next role...

The truth is, I initially passed on his resume.
(Again—so sorry, Jonathan. 😅)

His resume came across my desk, I reviewed his experience, and I didn’t think he was the right fit.

Luckily, Jonathan disagreed with me. 😂
So he reached back out.

But he didn’t just ask me to reconsider. He told me WHY I should.
He explained what I was missing, connected his previous experience directly to what Vanderbilt needed, and helped me understand why the story I was seeing on paper wasn’t the whole story.

So I took another look and discovered he was right. Jonathan moved forward in the process and Vanderbilt saw what he knew he could bring to the role.
And now he has the job.

THIS is what I mean when I tell candidates that you have to know your value and BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT—especially within the context of the position you're applying for.

Advocating for yourself isn’t saying, “I really think I’d be great at this!” It's telling me WHY you'd be great at it.

What am I missing?
What experience do you have that translates?
What problem can you solve for this executive or organization?
What do you understand about this role that makes you believe you can succeed in it?

Connect the dots for me.

And ladies, I want to take a moment to speak directly to you here:
After years of recruiting, I need you to know that I see men do this much more often than women.

If you KNOW you belong in the conversation, don’t just accept that someone else didn’t see it on the first pass.

Make. Your Case.

That doesn’t mean every recruiter or hiring manager is going to change their mind. But if there’s something important about your experience that we’re missing, help us see it.
Jonathan did.
And BOY am I glad he did!

Congratulations again, Jonathan. You did a fantastic job advocating for yourself throughout this process, and I cannot wait to see how you use that same confidence and conviction to advocate for your executive and Vanderbilt in this new role. 👏

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