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Writing an Administrative Assistant’s Personal Statement

Table of Contents

Administrative assistants play an important role in any organization. They are responsible for scheduling appointments, answering phones, managing emails, and providing administrative support.

The job of an administrative assistant requires good organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask. Asides from your resume, a personal statement is a vital document employers typically require to determine your suitability for a job role. The  administrative assistant personal statement examples  in this guide will help you get started on the right note.

A personal statement is your chance to sell yourself to the employer and demonstrate your abilities, qualifications, and skill set. You’ll surely leave a lasting impression on the recruiting manager with a solid personal statement that details what you can offer to the company.

This article will take you through writing the perfect administrative assistant personal statement . 

What Is A Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a document you submit as part of your job application. It is a summary of your skills, qualifications, and capabilities . It details what you can offer an employer regarding your applying job. 

A good personal statement must convince the hiring manager that you’re a perfect fit for the role at hand. You may include your interests, life, and career goals. The personal statement is also a great way to demonstrate your written communication skills. This is because administrative assistants often interact with customers and other stakeholders via email. 

What to Include in an Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

For your statement to stand out, you must include some essential information. Here are some key details to include in an administrative assistant’s statement:

1. Relevant work experience

List any previous work experience relevant to the administrative assistant position you are applying for. This could include experience working in a similar role, handling office tasks, or using appropriate software or technologies.

2. Skills and Abilities

Highlight any skills and abilities that make you a strong candidate for the role. These could be proficiency in computer programs such as Microsoft Office, excellent communication skills, and the ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively.

3. Education and Relevant training

Include any relevant education or training you have received, such as a degree in business administration or a certificate in office management.

4. Personal qualities

In your statement, highlight any qualities that make you well-suited for the role of an administrative assistant. These could include strong attention to detail, a positive attitude, and working well in a team.

5. Career goals

Finally, include a brief statement about your career goals and how the role of an administrative assistant fits into your long-term plans.

How to Write an Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

Your statement should be written in a clear structure, with each section building on the point you made in the previous one. 

The following steps will guide your writing:

1. Begin with a Hook

Begin your statement with a brief statement that captures the reader’s attention. You may start by explaining why you are interested in the administrative assistant position and what makes you a strong candidate.

2. Highlight your relevant work experience

When listing your relevant work experience, include the names of the companies or organizations you worked. Also include your previous job titles, and a brief description of your responsibilities.

3. Mention your most unique skills and abilities

You might have several skills and abilities, but only mention those relevant to the administrative assistant position. Also include any skills that give you an edge over other job applicants, one that portrays your uniqueness. 

4. Highlight your personal qualities that make you stand out

This is where you sell yourself to the employer. Detail any unique qualities that will make you excel on the job. These may include strong attention to detail, a positive attitude, and working well in a team.

5.  Conclude

Bring your statement to a close by convincing the employer that you’re indeed the perfect fit for the job role. 

Administrative Assistant Personal Statement Examples

I am an experienced and organized administrative assistant passionate about using my unique skill set to provide exceptional service.

My career has been built on the commitment to providing excellent support services, which I have perfected through initiative and dedication. 

As a professional, I take pride in learning complex tasks while working efficiently under tight deadlines. I often display impressive problem-solving abilities by resolving issues related to day-to-day operations in a timely fashion. Additionally, I always strive to increase my productivity by exploring creative methods of executing my duties. 

My strong interpersonal skills allow me to interact easily with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and build meaningful relationships. Furthermore, I always ensure effective communication between all stakeholders, helping create a peaceful work environment. On top of that, I am skilled at negotiating favorable terms and achieving organizational objectives. 

Overall, my experiences and expertise make me an ideal candidate for any organization looking for competent and reliable administrative assistance.

I am an experienced and enthusiastic administrative assistant, passionate about utilizing my diverse skills to help organizations achieve their objectives. With my extensive knowledge, I juggle many tasks while working efficiently and effectively under pressure. I focus on delivering results on time with accuracy and attention to detail that is second to none. 

My technical proficiency includes computer use, data entry, record keeping, scheduling, filing, and other clerical duties. With these abilities and my commitment to learning new software applications, I offer a unique blend of energy and experience to any organization. 

Additionally, I strive to build strong relationships through my active communication skills and problem-solving abilities. I also have excellent interpersonal and organizational abilities.

I hope to be considered for this opportunity to serve as an administrative assistant in your organization.

I am an experienced and enthusiastic administrative assistant, eager to bring my organized and dedicated work ethic to any workplace. 

With a proven track record of handling clerical duties efficiently and accurately, I am confident I will become an essential part of your team. My drive is fueled by my creative problem-solving skills and willingness to take on complex tasks easily. 

Furthermore, I have excellent interpersonal relationship skills to collaborate effectively with colleagues while maintaining professionalism. I strive to improve processes within any organization and possess the organizational skills necessary for achieving streamlined operations. 

Additionally, I can easily prioritize tasks, reduce risks, and keep communication lines open between departments while maintaining confidentiality and topmost discretion. My dedication to superior customer service will be invaluable when interacting with clients or customers. 

Overall, I offer a unique combination of experience, energy, skill, and reliability that would make me an ideal addition to your office.

Administrative assistants are the backbone of every organization, as many things won’t function without them. When seeking the role of an administrative assistant, you must display your uniqueness. And capture the employer’s attention in a way no other person does.

A strong personal statement will set you apart from the competition. So it’s worth investing your time and effort to create a striking statement.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

• CV Templates & Advice

Have you found your ideal admin job, but are struggling to write a great personal statement for your Administrative Assistant CV?

Personal statements are the perfect opportunity for you to show your potential employer what you’re all about and where your talents lie. We recommend using this short personal profile to promote your strengths, work experience and key skills.

Use this 100-150 words at the beginning of your CV to provide examples of how you match the job specifications and why you are perfect for this role.

If you are looking for further information and useful tips, then read our expert guide on  how to write a personal statement .

What to include in your administrative assistant personal statement

Why you are applying for the role:

• Refer to the knowledge you have of the position to show awareness of the demands of the role.

Why you are applying for this specific role:

• What is it that attracted you to this specific role?
• Why do you want to work for this specific company?

Provide details about your education:

• Provide a brief overview on your previous education (School/University/Higher Education Courses)

Your admin experience:

• Where have you worked previously?
• What were you required to do in your last role?
• Did you have any additional responsibilities in your previous roles?

Your vision:

• What are your career aspirations?
• What are you hoping to achieve in this role?

Example Admin Assistant Personal Statement:

Organised and adaptable administrative assistant with four years’ experience working in various office environments. My attention to detail and excellent time management skills means that every task is completed efficiently and to the highest possible standard. I have a calm and patient disposition meaning that I am able to work effectively under pressure and focus on the task in hand. I am proficient working in a team, but also work well independently. In my previous role, I was responsible for providing administrative support to a large sales department reporting directly to the regional sales manager. To succeed in this role i had to be exceptionally organised and demonstrate strong communication skills. In my next role, I am looking to take on new challenges and additional responsibilities.

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July 1st, 2022

How to Write Personal Statements for Administrative Job Application | Complete Guide

This post will give you a comprehensive idea of what you should include in a personal statement for an administrative job. Check out our examples of personal statements for administrative job applications in this post.

On reading the successful administrator personal statement examples, you will get to know what to do and what not while drafting these documents. This way, you would be on the right track while writing one of these applications.

You can post your doubts and reach out to us once you read this post. We would be glad to help you clarify the same.

What is Personal Statement for Admin Job Application?

Personal statement for admin job application can enhance your chances of landing on the lucrative administrative job you had been eyeing. This document serves as an excellent specimen to demonstrate your core skills and leadership abilities to operate in the administrative profile. With high-quality personal statement for admin jobs, you would have the advantage on your side during the recruitment process. Along with your cover letter, resume, and job application, a professionally crafted personal statement would help you win a job.

A personal statement for admin job articulates your abilities to perform well in the profile. So, you need to convey specific skills with examples in this document. In this post, you can check some of the best examples of personal statements for administrative job application.

NEED EXPERTS HELP FOR WRITING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT? CLICK HERE NOW!

Why Do You Need a Personal Statement for Administrative Job?

A personalized personal statement for administrative job helps you explain your potential to a recruiter. A well-articulated personal statement would enable the recruiter understand your abilities. So, you can promote your experience, strength, and skills through this document.

Your personal statement for administrative role is important for the following reasons:

• It articulates your experience and competence in administrative jobs
• A customized personal statement gives you an edge over others
• The document helps the selecting committee to identify your skills
• Amidst competitive job environments, the statement strengthens your profile
• You can explain your specific skills in the administrative profile
• The personal statement complements other application documents like resume and cover letter

structure a personal statement for Administrative Personal Statement Job Application?

Formatting and structuring your personal statement for administrative role calls for expertise. With a proper structure to your personal statement, you can make the crucial information stand out. Besides, you can demonstrate your presentation skills, which also helps the employer assess your profile with ease.

Here’s how you should structure a personal statement for administrative job. An experienced personal statement writer can help you draft this document.

• Mention how long you have been a part of the industry
• Write about the specialized and transferable skills you have
• Mention all your areas of expertise
• Explain the relevant industries where you have demonstrated your competence                                                                                                                  
• The administrator personal statement examples show the relevant interests and qualifications
• Include all the personal qualities that complement your profile
• Include instances that explain your professional abilities
• Write about how you wish to adapt yourself to the new work environment

How Do you Write a Powerful Personal Statement Administrative Job Application in 6 Steps?

Writing a successful personal statement for an admin job requires prior experience. Besides, you might be applying at the entry-level or executive profile. Here’s how you should write a personal statement for admin jobs.

On scrutinizing through the best administrator personal statement examples, you would notice that the introductory paragraph in each document is unique. You can mention what motivated you to apply for the course along with your recent experience.

The body of your personal statement for an admin job should explain relevant skills, interests, and experiences. You might furnish some personal details to support your administrative fellowship, professional summary, or application letter.

Your personal statement should clearly indicate what you would bring to the table. So, you can touch your academic background and professional experience briefly before explaining your plans.

As you check out the best administrative personal statement examples, you would notice how experienced writers mention the awards, certifications, degrees, and industry experience of the candidate. You might also mention the positions you worked in and the corresponding responsibilities.

Before joining a new office, you would be submitting an essay and appearing an interview. However, these documents don’t carry specific examples to explain your skills. Your personal statement for admin job application brings you the right opportunity to mention these strengths.

Draft a strong conclusion for your personal statement that would leave a lasting impression on the recruiters. It should justify the relevance of your application, persuading the selectors to hire you.

Need Help for Writing Your Personal Statement? Click Here!

Sample for Personal Statement for Administration Job Application

Here’s one of the best administrative personal statement examples that you might check out. The experts can draft a similar personal statement for administrative job for you.

With three years of industry experience under my belt, I am willing to shoulder greater administrative responsibilities at your esteemed organization. As an adaptable and organized administrative assistant, I have worked in different office experiences over the years. My excellent time management skills and attention to details help me accomplish the tasks efficiently, adhering to the industry standards.

A patient and calm composure helps me work efficiently under pressure. Admin tasks tend to get complicated at times. On multiple occasions, I have shouldered stress efficiently, focusing on the individual task at hand. Besides, I have demonstrated my competence in working as a team and leading other employees. At the same time, I am comfortable working independently.

I had a gratifying experience operating as an administrative support staff in the sales department for the last two years. I had to report to the regional sales manager directly. Working in this profile, I was able to organize my working process and polish my communication skills. I look forward to embrace a progressive career and deliver the same kind of commitment to your organization. Hence, I look forward to take on additional responsibilities and channelize my skills to address the challenges.

Currently, I am working with an MNC as an operation and admin executive. The company has entrusted me with the responsibility of maintaining professional connection with our clients. In my profile, the responsibilities include making enquiries through emails and telephone. I also assist the team with events, meetings, and conferences. Besides, the company has entrusted me with the responsibility to carry out web-based research and make clear presentations. Besides, I am responsible to ensure that the content on our website for clients remains updated and relevant. At the same time, I am equally competent in maintaining the databases with client details. Evidently, I am well-versed in the core administrative processes, and brace up to embrace my next opportunity.

While I believe that maintaining a high level of professionalism is imperative for me, I also worked on my basics. Before integrating myself into the industry, I graduated with a three-year degree from the Amity University, finishing in the top 3% of the glass. Being practical minded, I believed that true professionalism in work comes from a calculative blend of my existing skills and industry knowledge. This explains why I switched my job twice in a span of three years. Besides, I strived to excel in my professional circuit wherever I worked all these years. I was happy to have delivered value to my organizations. At the same time, this professional exposure helped me evolve as a more competent candidate, with a refined knowledge in admin jobs.

I am willing to apply for the admin job in the marketing department since I already have experience in this field. This experience will come in handy while I take on the new tasks at your organization. I am eager to set my hands on new methodologies and carry on with the learning process. I am also well-versed with the leading software that office admins need to manage the back office. Having completed my B. Com program, I am familiar to accounts management. Besides, I have completed a Diploma program in Taxation and Accounts Management to streamline my profile.

Channelizing my existing skills and fresh knowledge, I would like to work in your esteemed organization as an office admin. With due diligence and commitment, I hereby promise to contribute to the productivity of your organization. I have always been eyeing a progressive career, and I believe that your platform would be the ideal pedestal for me to carry out my professional endeavors. With due diligence and commitment, I would take on the fresh set of responsibilities and deliver value to your organization.

Example – Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

I have had a keen interest in administrative jobs since my childhood. As a Class Representative and School Representative I enjoyed my administrative responsibilities. I like to lead and manage anything and I always took advantage of opportunities to showcase my leadership capabilities and management abilities. I had a strong desire to be part of the Indian Administrative Service. But despite a few failed attempts in the Indian Civil Service examination, I made the decision to be a part of top multinational companies and secure my dream job as an Office Assistant. I have 3 years of experience as an Office Assistant at XYZ and have managed several responsibilities. My excellent time management skills and attention to details has helped me to accomplish my tasks efficiently and fulfill my duties excellently.

As a vibrant person, I have always tried hard to maintain a positive work culture. My interactions with my fellow mates have always been quite decent and these have helped me to hone my interpersonal communication skills. Though at times I feel that administrative jobs get complicated, my calm and patient composure has helped me to work efficiently under pressure and tackle all the challenges. Working both as part of a team and independently, I had efficiently managed my responsibilities well. As a team player, I have demonstrated my skills efficiently. In my position as an Office Assistant, I have sometimes led my fellow mates and trained new joiners. As an Office Assistant, I have prepared reports, documentations, managed meetings and offered customer support. Working as a team, me and my team mates have also contributed towards the sales and marketing branch of the company.

Working in this profile has enabled me to be organized and polish my technical and communications skills. I am sure this job position also offers me the same kind of work environment where I can hold a progressive career and work efficiently for your organization. In order to better equip myself with contemporary techniques on administrative positions, I would look to take on additional responsibilities and polish my skills to address the challenges.

I am sure my perfect blend of professionalism and will to work hard will make me good as an Administrative Assistant. As a Bachelor of Commerce Honors graduate from the well reputed Amity University, I am adept in management and administrative responsibilities, accounting and taxation as well. As a competent candidate, I am ready to take up new challenges and whet my skills.

I am sure my work experience as an Office Assistant will come in handy during my Administrative Assistant job in the marketing department at your Company. I am eager to take up new responsibilities and channelize my talents for the benefit of your company. I am sure your company offers the right platform for me to carry out my professional endeavors. With great enthusiasm and diligence I would like to take up responsibility as an Administrative Assistant and add value to your company. This post will surely help me to better myself and the company. With great diligence and enthusiasm, I would like to take on the responsibilities and add value to your organization by my compassionate work ethics and professionalism.

How Do You Make Your Personal Statement Stand out?

Now, you must be wondering what should a personal statement include for a administrative job application?

• Explanation for applying for the particular role
• Details outlining your educational background
• Your past experiences in the administrative profile
• Your vision on how you can get going in the new organization
• Unique skills that give you an edge over other candidate
• Proper evidence on how your experiences and skills suit the job description
• Specific examples to demonstrate your competence
• Your future goals considering the industry
• The benefits you can bring to the table
• How you view your career progression in the organization

What Administrative Skill Should I Demonstrate?

While writing a Personal Statement for an Administrative job, don’t miss to mention the administrative skills you possess and have exhibited in your previous job.

Below are the top administrative skills you should have to be a successful Administrator:

• Effective Communication Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Responsibility
• Customer Service
• Multitasking
• Time Management

How Do You Demonstrate Excellent Administrative Skills?

It is very vital to include some Administrative Skills you possess in your CV to demonstrate your Administrative capabilities.

So don’t forget to include the following points in your CV:

• You can name some of the events you have organized
• You can give instances in which you have solved a conflict.
• You can demonstrate your technical skills by giving the names of softwares you are familiar with.
• Describe the situations in which you have managed the schedule of a team.
• Name any foreign languages you speak, if any.

What Should You Avoid in a Personal Statement?

Your personal statement for job is a crucial document where you cannot afford to make mistakes. Once you examine the best examples of personal statements for administrative job application, you would notice how flawless they should be.

Faltering with the contents, presentation, tone, or format in your job personal statement can lead to rejection. Therefore, you need to be careful about the common mistakes while writing a personal statement for job and avoid the same. To help you secure the desired administrative job, our writers with more than 10 years of professional experience have pointed out the common mistakes that you might commit.

• Don’t use cliches in your statement as it makes it generic
• Don’t be vague about the skills or write something that others would include
• Refrain from embellishments and exaggerations in your personal statement
• Don’t include buzzwords or unnecessary fluff in the document
• As the language you use matters, refrain from using a negative tone
• Your document shouldn’t include personal information like the number of dependants
• Refrain from making the document ambiguous by using disjoint sentences
• Don’t forget to edit, proofread, and check the document before submitting

To enhance your chances of bagging the job, make sure to have experienced writers on your side. The best administrator personal statement examples will help you understand the quality and tone that would break the ice.

Top 10 Administrative Jobs

Have a look at the top ten administrative jobs to apply for.

• Senior data entry specialist
• Facilities manager
• Medical administrative assistant
• Executive assistant
• Certified professional coder
• Call centre manager
• Customer service manager
• HR benefits specialist
• Contract administrator          
• Senior executive assistant

Pro Tips from Our 10+ Years of Experienced Professional Personal Statement Writers for Jobs

Our seasoned writers have explained how you should draft your personal statement for admin job application. Adhering to these guidelines, you can come up with a powerful and convincing personal statement. This can help you create a strong impression on the recruiting committee who would call you for an interview.

Seasoned writers use their industry experience to draft outstanding job personal statements . Here are some of the tips you would find beneficial.

Intent for application:

Mention your intention to apply for the administrative job. Here, you might include your professional philosophy.

Qualifications:

As you see in the administrator personal statement examples , experienced writers seamlessly draft these documents, mentioning the relevant qualifications of the applicant. 

Proper formatting:

Make sure to format and present the job personal statement properly. This ensures that the readers would find it relevant and inviting.

Editing and proofreading:

To ensure that you submit a flawless personal statement for administrative job, make sure to get the document properly edited and proofread by experts.

Focus on tone and language:

The tone and language in which you write your personal statement matter a lot. So, make sure to use the right tone in this document.

Customize your application:

Remember, each company has its own ethics and working style. So, you need to get your personal statement customized for each of them.

Did We Miss Anything?

Once you check out the personal statement examples for management jobs and CV samples, you will get a clear idea on what to include in these documents.

Hopefully, you are now better informed about how you must draft these crucial statements.

Well, we are at the end of this post, and you may contribute from your end with some ideas you would like to share.

Also, let us know if you benefit from our examples of personal statements for administrative job applications. We would be glad to help you with more of these sample personal statements for you.

What should be included in a personal statement for a job application?

A Personal Statement for job application must include why you are the best person for the specified job.

What are 3 categories of examples that define administrative skills?

Strong organizational skills, communication skills and interpersonal and teamwork skills are the 3 categories that define administrative skills.

What are the three top qualities of an administrative assistant?

Problem solving, Multitasking, Foresight and Anticipation are the three top qualities of an administrative assistant.

What makes you stand out as an administrative assistant?

Your positive attitude and communication skills

Mrs Jizah M

Mrs Jizah M has always enjoyed writing down her thoughts since school days. What just started as a hobby slowly transformed into a passion. Her writing skills were first acknowledged by few of her professors when she wrote content for the college website; this was a turing. Slowly she started getting freelance works and later on, a series of events led her to specialize in academic and higher education related documentations. In additional to personal statements, she along with her team writes LORs, SOPs, college application essays, admission essays and all similar types of documents.

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3 Smashing Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Examples

Posted by CV Nation on May 25, 2021

The definitive guide to writing an administrative assistant cover letter, with 3 admin assistant cover letter samples and everything you need to know to write a great cover letter for administration jobs.

Preparing a cover letter for an administrative assistant job that makes a positive impact isn’t an easy task. How do you communicate your value to recruiters and make yourself stand out from the crowd in just one page?

With an average of 118 people applying for each available job , your cover letter is your first, and possible only, chance to show recruiters why you’re the right person for the job.

But don’t fret.

This guide will show you exactly how to write a great cover letter for administrative assistant jobs. We’ll show you how to structure your admin assistant cover letter and present your skills, experiences and qualifications in the most effective way.

This guide also includes a cover letter sample for entry level administrative assistants/administrative assistants with no work experience.

How to Structure Your Administrative Assistant Cover Letter

When writing a cover letter for a job, it’s always beneficial to use a specific structure. This will give you a roadmap to follow and ensure you sell yourself as effectively as possible.

So feel free to follow CV Nation’s cover letter structure.

1. Introduction

2. overview of experience and expertise, 3. key selling points, 5. key skills, 6. ending and call to action.

Let’s take a look at these six steps in more detail.

Start your cover letter with a professional introduction, briefly explaining who you are and the position you are applying for.

Follow this with an outline of your experience and expertise, showing why you’re a good candidate for the job and how your experience aligns with the requirements of the job.

Of course, for administrative assistants, this is where you can highlight your administrative experience.

Focus on your key selling points and what makes you stand out.

For example, have you been recognised for improving administrative processes? Have you got a reputation for reducing costs or improving efficiency in office environments?

Identify your key selling points and ensure to highlight them in your cover letter.

When writing a cover letter for admin assistant jobs, it’s important to do your research. This will enable you to tailor your cover letter to the company you’re applying to.

Take a look at the administrative assistant cover letter templates in this guide. Note how research has allowed the cover letters to be tailored to the companies, resulting in unique, personal letters that make a connection with the reader.

Draw attention to a number of your key skills. Provide examples of times you’ve used the skills to achieve success.

Consider using bullet points to draw attention to your skills, and provide examples of times you have used your skills to achieve success.

End your cover letter with a clear call to action. A call to action refers to the action you want the reader to take. When applying for jobs, your call to action will most likely ask the reader to get in touch with you regarding your job application.

Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Example

Skills for Administrative Assistant Cover Letters

As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to showcase your key skills in your cover letter.

Here, we list the five most sought-after skills for administrative assistants and explain how to show them on your cover letter.

1. Organisation

Without good organisation, offices don’t operate efficiently.

As such, it’s beneficial to highlight your organisation skills on your cover letter (if you do in fact possess good organisation skills, of course).

How do you show your organisation skills on your cover letter?

Touch on how you used your organisation skills to get results as an administrative assistant. For example, this may include restructuring a filing system or implementing new scheduling software.

If you can show how your organisation skills led to positive outcomes, you’ll make a positive impact on recruiters.

2. Attention-to-Detail

Administrative assistants perform a range of daily tasks that require a high level of accuracy, such as scheduling bookings, completing reports and making appointments. To ensure these tasks are completed accurately, attention-to-detail is essential.

How you show your attention-to-detail on your cover letter?

The way your cover letter is written, formatted and presented can indicate your level of attention-to-detail. If you submit your cover letter with typos, spelling errors and inconsistent formatting, recruiters may envision the writer to be someone who lacks attention-to-detail.

So it’s important to ensure your cover letter is void of mistakes and professionally written.

3. Communication

Admin assistants engage with many different people on a regular basis, including colleagues, internal departments, suppliers and other companies.

To ensure the smooth-running of daily operations, administrative assistants should be comfortable communicating with people at all levels and from all backgrounds.

How do you show your communication skills on your cover letter?

As with attention-to-detail, the way your cover letter is written can speak a lot about your communication skills.

When you’re writing a cover letter, you’re communicating with the reader. So ensure your cover letter is well-written and uses engaging language.

4. Problem-Solving

Administrative Assistants are often the first point of call for problems. Whether it’s problems with schedules, incorrect paperwork or changes to events, admin assistants need to be ready to provide swift resolutions to arising problems.

How do you show your problem-solving skills on your cover letter?

The best way to highlight your problem-solving skills on your cover letter is to provide examples of times you have overcome problems and achieved positive results.

5. IT and Technology

IT, technology and software play a big role in the daily work of an administrative assistant. In fact, the majority of tasks performed in offices are carried out via IT and technology.

Specific technical requirements for admin assistants vary from job to job. Common requirements include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word and internal systems.

How do you show your IT and technology skills on your cover letter?

Dedicate a few lines to explaining your technical/IT proficiency. Simply state which systems and software packages you’re adept with to show recruiters that you’re ready to jump straight into the job.

Before writing your cover letter, ensure to research the company you’re applying to. By researching the company, you can tailor your cover letter to the job and show how you’re aligned with the company’s values and culture.

This also shows that you genuinely care about working for the company, rather than bulk distributing cover letters to many different employers.

Study the administrative assistant cover letter templates in this guide and note how research makes the letters personal and unique.

How to Write an Administrative Assistant Cover Letter with No Experience

If you’ve got no experience in administration, the key is to focus on your transferable skills and related experiences.

For example, have you got experience corresponding with vendors over the telephone? Or have you carried out administrative tasks while organising groups at university? Try to identify such skills and experiences that are relevant to administration, and focus on them in your cover letter.

If you’ve undertaken any administration-related work on a voluntary or free basis, highlight this on your cover letter to showcase your administrative experience.

Here is an example of an administrative cover letter for someone with no experience:

Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Example (No Experience)

Further Tips for Your Administration Assistant Cover Letter

How should you format your administrative assistant cover letter for emails.

When sending your cover letter by email, the letter should be formatted slightly differently.

The key difference is that you don’t need to include your address at the top of the letter as you do with hard copies of your cover letter. Instead, simply include your email address and contact number under your name at the end of your cover letter.

Here is an example:

‘Your sincerely,

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0) 123 4567 890

Furthermore, when sending cover letters by email, you should not insert your name at the top of the email, as you would in a document.

Salutations

If you know the name of the person who will be reading your cover letter, use the salutation ‘Dear [Name]. If you don’t know their name, use the salutation ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or 'Dear Recruitment Team'.

Cover letters for those in Britain should end with ‘Yours sincerely’ if using ‘Dear Name’ or 'Dear Recruitment Team'. If you’re using ‘Dear Sir/Madam’, end your letter with ‘Yours faithfully’.

In the United States, end your letter with either ‘Yours faithfully’ or ‘Yours truly’.

State That Your CV is Enclosed

If you’re submitting your cover letter alongside your CV, it’s appropriate to inform the reader that your CV is attached.

Stating that your CV is enclosed couldn’t be easier. Simply insert ‘Enc.: CV’ under your name at the end of your cover letter.

Word or PDF?

When attaching or uploading your cover letter, should you use Word or PDF format?

Attach your cover letter in PDF format. Unlike Word format, PDF maintains its shape on all devices, ensuring your cover letter doesn’t become unreadable.

Hopefully you’ve found this administrative assistant cover letter guide helpful.

For further help with your administrative assistant job search, view our guide to admin assistant job interviews . This guide includes 20 of the most common administrative assistant job interview questions and example answers.

Don’t forget to ensure your CV is fine-tuned before you send off your applications. If you need help with your CV, check out our ultimate guide to writing a CV , which includes 27 CV templates.

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21 September 2023

4 minutes read

Crafting the Perfect Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

Dirghayu Kaushik

In today’s competitive job market, standing out as an administrative assistant candidate is essential. Your administrative assistant’s personal statement plays a pivotal role in showcasing your qualifications, skills, and enthusiasm for the role.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of creating an outstanding personal statement and cover letter to help you land that coveted administrative assistant position.

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• Why Your Administrative Assistant Personal Statement Matters

Your administrative assistant personal statement is your first opportunity to capture the hiring manager’s attention. It’s a brief yet powerful introduction to your application, allowing you to make a lasting impression. Here’s why it matters:

Setting the Tone for Success

The personal statement sets the tone for the rest of your job application. It provides a snapshot of who you are as a candidate and what you bring to the table. A well-crafted personal statement can pique the hiring manager’s interest, encouraging them to delve deeper into your qualifications.

Standing Out from the Crowd 

In a sea of applicants, standing out is crucial. Your personal statement is your chance to shine and differentiate yourself from other candidates. It allows you to showcase your unique blend of skills, experience, and passion for the administrative assistant role.

Demonstrating Your Fit 

Employers seek candidates who not only have the necessary qualifications but also fit seamlessly into their organization. Your personal statement should articulate why you are the perfect fit for the administrative assistant position and how your skills align with the company’s needs.

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• Crafting Your Administrative Assistant Personal Statement

Now that you understand the significance of your personal statement, let’s dive into the process of crafting one that leaves a lasting impression. We’ll break it down into actionable steps:

Step 1: Start with a Strong Opening 

The opening sentence of your personal statement should grab the reader’s attention immediately. Consider sharing a compelling anecdote or a concise summary of your qualifications to draw the hiring manager in.

Step 2: Highlight Your Qualifications 

In this section, delve into your qualifications for the administrative assistant role. Mention your relevant education, certifications, and any specialized training. Emphasize how these qualifications make you a strong candidate.

Step 3: Showcase Your Skills 

One of the key aspects of your personal statement is showcasing your skills. Administrative assistants need a diverse skill set, including communication, organization, time management, and multitasking. Provide specific examples of how you’ve demonstrated these skills in previous roles.

Step 4: Express Your Enthusiasm 

Your passion for the role should shine through in your personal statement. Explain why you’re enthusiastic about being an administrative assistant and how your enthusiasm translates into exceptional performance.

Step 5: Tailor to the Job 

Customization is key. Tailor your personal statement to the specific administrative assistant job you’re applying for. Mention the company’s values, mission, and how your contributions will align with their goals.

Step 6: Conclude with a Strong Call to Action 

Wrap up your personal statement by expressing your eagerness to contribute to the organization’s success. Invite the hiring manager to get in touch, and thank them for considering your application.

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• Crafting the Perfect Administrative Assistant Cover Letter

Your administrative assistant’s cover letter complements your personal statement. It provides an opportunity to expand on your qualifications and demonstrate your written communication skills. Here’s how to create an effective cover letter:

Introduction: Addressing the Hiring Manager 

Begin your cover letter with a professional salutation, ideally addressing the hiring manager by name. Express your interest in the administrative assistant position and briefly mention where you found the job posting.

Body: Expand on Your Qualifications 

The body of your cover letter should elaborate on the qualifications and skills mentioned in your personal statement. Use specific examples to demonstrate how your experience aligns with the job requirements.

Company Fit: Demonstrating Alignment 

Explain why you’re drawn to the company and how your background makes you a perfect fit. Mention the company’s values, culture, and mission, showcasing your commitment to becoming an integral part of their team.

Closing: Reiterate Your Enthusiasm

In the closing paragraph, reiterate your enthusiasm for the administrative assistant role and your eagerness to contribute. Thank the hiring manager for their time and consideration, and express your hope for the opportunity to interview.

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Crafting an exceptional administrative assistant personal statement and cover letter requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a compelling application that sets you apart from the competition.

Remember, your personal statement is your chance to shine, so make it count. Stand out from the crowd, demonstrate your fit for the role, and leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager. Your dream administrative assistant position awaits!

Q1: What is an administrative assistant personal statement?

An administrative assistant personal statement is a brief but powerful introduction to your job application. It highlights your qualifications, skills, and why you are the ideal candidate for the administrative assistant position.

Q2: Why is the personal statement important in a job application?

The personal statement is your opportunity to make a strong first impression on the hiring manager. It sets the tone for your application and can help you stand out from other candidates.

Q3: What should I include in my personal statement?

Your personal statement should include a brief summary of your qualifications, relevant skills, and a compelling reason why you are the perfect fit for the administrative assistant role.

Q4: Can you provide an administrative assistant personal statement template?

Yes, we offer an administrative assistant personal statement template in our blog. It will guide you in creating a well-structured and effective personal statement.

Q5: How can I tailor my personal statement to a specific job application?

To tailor your personal statement, carefully review the job description and requirements. Highlight the skills and qualifications that align with the specific job, and explain how you can contribute to the organization’s success.

Q6: What are some key skills that should be mentioned in an administrative assistant personal statement?

Important skills to mention include communication skills, organizational skills, time management, multitasking abilities, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and previous administrative experience.

Q7: How long should my administrative assistant’s personal statement be?

Your personal statement should be concise, typically no more than a few paragraphs. Aim for clarity and impact rather than length.

Q8: Can a well-written personal statement improve my chances of getting hired as an administrative assistant?

Yes, a well-crafted personal statement can significantly improve your chances of getting hired. It demonstrates your enthusiasm and qualifications, making you a standout candidate.

Q9: Should I address the hiring manager by name in my cover letter?

Whenever possible, address the hiring manager by name in your cover letter. It shows that you’ve done your research and adds a personal touch to your application.

Q10: What’s the best way to conclude my administrative assistant personal statement?

Conclude your personal statement by expressing your eagerness to contribute to the organization’s success. Invite the hiring manager to get in touch, and thank them for considering your application.

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Table of Contents

• • Why Your Administrative Assistant Personal Statement Matters
• • Crafting Your Administrative Assistant Personal Statement
• • Crafting the Perfect Administrative Assistant Cover Letter
• • Conclusion

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Administrative Assistant Resume Summary with Examples

An Administrative Assistant resume summary provides a brief outline of your skills and qualifications. It shows employers and hiring managers a general overview of your capabilities, helping them to quickly decide if you’re the right candidate for the role. This article shares some examples of effective Administrative Assistant resume summaries to help you write your own resume summary.

What is a resume summary?

A resume summary is a short explanation of your skills and experience as they relate to an open role. You’ll usually add a summary at the top of your resume, right below your name and contact information. That way it’s one of the first things an employer reads. 

Resume summaries are usually two to three sentences or statements. This makes it easy for hiring managers to read quickly to decide if your skills and experience match their needs. To make your resume summary more appealing, you can tailor it for each job you apply for. 

Administrative Assistant resume summary examples 

Here are some various Administrative Assistant resume summaries based on a candidate’s experience, career focus and best qualities: 

General summary

Example: ‘Hardworking and versatile Administrative Assistant with proven organizational skills and thorough knowledge of corporate policies and procedures. Excellent communication and people skills with extensive strategic planning capabilities.’

This example showcases the applicant’s versatility and knowledge in areas essential for office management.

Intermediate summary

Example:  ‘Experienced Administrative Assistant with 5+ years of experience working in a multinational firm. Detailed knowledge of business terminologies and standard practices. Committed and passionate with a focus on professionalism.’

This summary shows the applicant’s experience in a demanding work setting. It also showcases skills that could be valuable in any office environment.

Versatile summary

Example: ‘Multifaceted Administrative Assistant with an extensive background in a variety of office administration duties. Works well in high-pressure settings with minimal supervision in both leadership and team roles. Especially effective at fielding phone calls, coordinating with clients and serving as the liaison between different branch offices.’

This example highlights the applicant’s versatility and the ability to handle multiple roles. It also details a few specific examples of skills that would be useful in any Administrative Assistant position. 

Financial experience summary

Example: ‘Capable and knowledgeable Administrative Assistant with more than five years of experience working in a financial office. Thorough working knowledge of securities and investment practices. Consistently recognized for proven capability in office administration, record keeping, preparing reports and performing customer-oriented tasks.’

This summary showcases the applicant’s knowledge in the financial industry, which is useful when applying for jobs in the same related field. 

Skills and education summary

Example: ‘Administrative Assistant with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a solid background working in different human resources firms. Well-organized and able to multitask while maintaining a high level of professionalism and attention to detail. Expert level proficiency in all MS Office applications.’

This example mentions the applicant’s educational and professional background, both of which are relevant to an Administrative Assistant position. It also details hard and soft skills that are useful for the job. 

Practical skills summary

Example: ‘Experienced Administrative Assistant with extensive knowledge in office management software. Proven office and personnel management skills, with equal ability in lead and support roles. Competencies include record keeping, document management, personnel support and report presentation.’

In this example, the applicant focuses on technical and practical skills that are helpful in any Administrative Assistant position.

Summary with professional goals

Example: ‘Business Administration graduate with drive and initiative, thorough attention to detail, with excellent time management and task prioritization skills. Seeking an Administrative Assistant position in a globally competitive firm with ample opportunity for professional growth and career advancement. Committed to performing all tasks with the highest level of professionalism and competence.’

This summary emphasizes the applicant’s desire to be a valuable member of the workforce.

Career change summary

Example: ‘Law firm secretary looking to further career by working as an Administrative Assistant. Possesses drive, ambition and an extensive skill set that includes file and document management, inventory and supplies processing, record keeping and more than five years of experience in an executive support role.’

This example showcases relevant experience, as well as potentially useful skills for Administrative Assistants. 

Essential skills summary

Example: ‘Detail-oriented and quality-focused professional with proven interpersonal and communication skills. Seeking Administrative Assistant position at Target Media where I can apply extensive experience in administrative functions. Advanced computer software knowledge, archiving and record-keeping skills and general office management capabilities.’

In this example, the applicant describes the essential skills they can bring to the organization. 

Administrative skills summary

Example:  ‘Committed Administrative Assistant with expert level proficiency in Microsoft Office and 70 wpm typing speed. Looking to secure the Administrative Assistant position at Skylar Enterprises to utilize my professional management skills and extensive clerical experience.’

This summary combines technical skills with more practical skills that are equally essential for administrative functions. 

Education-focused summary

Example:  ‘Highly-motivated and organized individual seeking to use a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration in the service of Blaze Marketing as Administrative Assistant. Solid background in office administration, with excellent multitasking, report presentation and document-keeping skills.’

This summary makes it clear that the applicant has the educational and professional background needed to excel as an Administrative Assistant.

Senior-level summary

Example: ‘Dedicated Administrative Assistant with eight years of experience in leadership roles with strong communications and interpersonal skills. Looking for new opportunities to further grow into the role of an Administrative Assistant. Certified MS Office professional with the ability to manage multiple tasks with a high level of professionalism.’

This example showcases extensive experience and explains the applicant’s goal in applying for an Administrative Assistant position. 

Industry-specific summary

Example:  ‘Dedicated and focused individual with proven capability in office administration seeks a position as an Administrative Assistant in an industrial supply firm. Knowledge in office management best practices and especially capable of handling high-volume tasks with an exceptional level of accuracy. Bringing more than five years of experience to ensure more efficient office functions and personnel performance.’

In this example, the applicant exhibits relevant skills and knowledge, as well as the ability to handle high-pressure situations. 

Career advancement summary

Example:  ‘Office Assistant with a wide range of applicable skills seeks professional growth and career advancement opportunities as an Administrative Assistant. Excellent clerical skills and the ability to oversee and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Focused and detail-oriented with the drive and commitment to become a valuable contributing member of the Pinnacle Marketing workforce.’

With this summary, the applicant highlights the skills that are necessary for someone who wishes to advance from Office Assistant to Administrative Assistant. 

Similar background summary

Example: ‘Experienced Clerk and Secretary with proven time management and communication skills seeks position as an Administrative Assistant at a fast-paced and industry-leading firm. Competencies include advanced office management skills, ability to handle multiple tasks, inventory control and administrative support.’

This summary describes experience in similar roles. The candidate also explains transferrable skills that are useful for Administrative Assistant roles.

How to Write a Good Personal Statement for a Job in Administration

• Administrative Jobs
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Personality Traits to Become a Secretary

How to write a resume for a school principal position, how to write a cover letter to reapply for my current job.

• How to Briefly Describe the Type of Career Opportunity You Are Seeking
• Good Examples of Why You Would Like to Work for an Employer

Landing an administrative job provides an exciting opportunity to use your leadership skills. Knowing how to write a personal statement for an admin job in school or business settings can give you a strong advantage in the hiring process. When drafting a personal statement for an admin job in school or any other organization, think of it as a homework assignment for writing a captivating commercial or a great campaign ad. All good advertisers know that their product must match the needs and interests of the buyer. In your case, you must offer specific examples of the qualities you possess that align perfectly with the main duties of the administrative position you are seeking.

A personal statement on a curriculum vita (CV) or online job application is a brief but interesting synopsis of who you are and what you can do for the organization.

Tailor Your Statement to the Job

Your personal statement must convince the reader as to why you are an ideal match for the administrative job. Demonstrating that you are highly qualified is not enough. Study the job ad, and speak with colleagues who are familiar with the organization for clues as to the type of person and leadership style preferred. For instance, the school board may be hoping for a fiery principal who can be a change agent; or, perhaps the board seeks an excellent communicator. If you are that type of leader, emphasize those specific qualities when writing your personal statement. Communicate a sense of who are and what you value. Do not simply restate your resume; emphasize the qualities they look for that you possess in abundance.

Highlight Your Leadership Style

Enthusiastically explain your leadership style and philosophy. You can write your personal statement in bullet points or in paragraph form directly below your name and contact information. You do not need to include a heading. Examples of bullet points for a business administrator could include descriptors such as “dynamic, results oriented leader who sets the highest standards possible for myself and my team.” Depending on your personal preferences, you may prefer to write a paragraph in narrative form.

I am a visionary leader with a collaborative management style. Education has been my lifelong passion. Nothing is more rewarding to me than creating inclusive and accessible learning environments, where all children feel valued. My extensive classroom experience, administrator license and special education background make me an ideal fit for the assistant principal job.

Showcase Your Qualifications

First impressions are powerful, so use your personal statement to dazzle a hiring manager. There should be no question that you can do the job if given the chance. For instance, when writing an effective executive assistant personal statement, start by making a list of what makes you a competitive applicant in relation to the position. Consider the work setting and the type of person who is most likely to fail or succeed. An efficient but unfriendly receptionist may not have what it takes to be the public face of the company, for instance. If the ad seeks an outgoing organizer for an admin job, mention directed related qualities in your executive assistant personal statement.

I am a friendly, high-energy professional who anticipates what the boss needs, sets priorities, communicates effectively and organizes meticulously.

Share Your Career Objectives

A good personal statement lets the employer know why you are seeking a new job. Mention that you are looking for a position that offers new challenges and additional responsibilities. You don't want to give the impression that you are unhappy with your current situation or just after a better paying job. Administrative roles require ambition, drive and self-motivation. For instance, the best personal assistant personal statement examples state that you are wanting to learn and grow as a professional.

I am a highly organized, efficient secretary, striving to take my career to the next level. I seek a position as a loyal personal assistant where I can utilize my organizational abilities and communication skills to the fullest.

• Resume Principal: Jobs Search Letters for Educators
• The National PTA: Position Statement - The Principal, The School's Educational Leader
• Hopedale Public Schools: Personal Statement and Letter of Intent

Mary Dowd holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s in counseling and student affairs from Minnesota State Mankato. Helping students succeed has been her passion while serving in many areas of student affairs and adjunct teaching. Currently she is a dean of students at a large, public university. Dr. Dpwd’s writing experience includes published research, training materials and hundreds of practical online articles.

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• Administrative Assistant with no experience Resume Example

Resume Examples

• Common Tasks & Responsibilities
• Top Hard & Soft Skills
• Action Verbs & Keywords
• Resume FAQs
• Similar Resumes

Common Responsibilities Listed on Administrative Assistant with no experience Resumes:

• Answering and directing phone calls
• Greeting and assisting visitors
• Sorting and distributing mail and packages
• Scheduling appointments and meetings
• Filing and organizing documents
• Data entry and record keeping
• Ordering office supplies and maintaining inventory
• Assisting with basic bookkeeping tasks
• Coordinating travel arrangements
• Providing general administrative support to other team members

Speed up your resume creation process with the AI-Powered Resume Builder . Generate tailored achievements in seconds for every role you apply to.

Administrative Assistant with no experience Resume Example:

• Implemented time-saving processes involving ordering and tracking office supplies, resulting in more efficient inventory management leading to cost savings.
• Demonstrated proactive phone answering behaviors, logging and directing up to 20 calls per day with an average answer speed of 8 seconds.
• Composed professional emails and documents using MS Office, providing a foundational layer of communication and documentation for the whole organization.
• Improved ability to manage and prioritize daily tasks, resulting in a better time management system and ensuring that all demands were met within deadlines
• Developed effective strategies for filing systems that resulted in a higher degree of organization and accuracy of documents
• Supported team members with complex scheduling tasks, managing calendar and appointment settings to ensure on-time attendance
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Attention to Detail
• Microsoft Office Expertise
• Telephone Etiquette
• Customer Service
• Organization
• Document Preparation
• Inventory Management
• Filing Systems
• Presentation Preparation
• Verbal and Written Communication

Top Skills & Keywords for Administrative Assistant with no experience Resumes:

Hard skills.

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Data Entry and Management
• Calendar Management and Scheduling
• Customer Service and Communication
• File Management and Organization
• Email Management and Correspondence
• Travel Arrangements and Expense Reports
• Meeting Coordination and Minutes
• Reception and Front Desk Operations
• Basic Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Research and Information Gathering
• Proofreading and Editing

Soft Skills

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills
• Organization and Attention to Detail
• Time Management and Prioritization
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
• Customer Service and Client Relations
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Professionalism and Work Ethic
• Multitasking and Efficiency
• Technology and Computer Skills
• Confidentiality and Discretion
• Positive Attitude and Enthusiasm

Resume Action Verbs for Administrative Assistant with no experiences:

• Prioritized
• Communicated
• Coordinated
• Corresponded

Generate Your Resume Summary

Resume FAQs for Administrative Assistant with no experiences:

How long should i make my administrative assistant with no experience resume, what is the best way to format a administrative assistant with no experience resume, which keywords are important to highlight in a administrative assistant with no experience resume, how should i write my resume if i have no experience as a administrative assistant with no experience, compare your administrative assistant with no experience resume to a job description:.

• Identify opportunities to further tailor your resume to the Administrative Assistant with no experience job
• Improve your keyword usage to align your experience and skills with the position
• Uncover and address potential gaps in your resume that may be important to the hiring manager

Complete the steps below to generate your free resume analysis.

Related Resumes for Administrative Assistant with no experiences:

Junior admin assistant, entry level data entry, beginner admin assistant, entry level virtual assistant, administrative assistant intern, entry level administrative assistant, administrative aide, entry level executive assistant.

Administrative Assistant Resume [2024] - Guide & Examples

Like the look of Jeremy’s resume? Create your own professional administrative assistant in minutes with these easy-to-update templates here.

Administrative Assistant Resume Writing Guide

Administrative Assistant? Congrats – you’re a total office hero.

A recent survey of more than 600 managers in the U.S. and Canada revealed that administrative assistants save their managers eight hours of work time each week.

With this kind of impact, it’s no wonder that 75 percent of managers told that same survey the responsibilities of administrative assistants have increased in the past five years. 

The beauty of these roles is how they give you a chance to work with almost every part of a business and build relationships with colleagues across teams and departments. 

In many senses, they act as a career stepping stone within that company and beyond.

Sounds great right, but what exactly do administrative assistants do? 

• Doing administrative and clerical tasks (such as scanning or printing)
• Preparing and editing letters, reports, memos, and emails
• Running errands to the post office or supply store
• Arranging meetings, appointments, and executive travel
• Answering phone calls and taking messages
• Maintaining folders on servers
• Recording meeting minutes
• Liaising with teams and units
• Tracking petty cash
• Covering reception

You can use the list above to help you brainstorm duties and tasks for the Work Experiences section of your resume (more on that – and our tip to reframe tasks as achievements – soon). 

A great Administrative Assistant is a little like a Swiss Army Knife; able to solve a range of problems with the right tool at the right moment. 

Does that sound like you? 

If you need to create a modern and professional resume to showcase your skills for a role like this, this guide will take you through:

• How to present your contact information
• How to write a strong resume summary
• The 23 hard and soft skills hiring managers want
• Highlighting administrative assistant achievements

Let’s delve into why Jeremy’s resume works so well and how you can use the same features to make your own resume shine too. 

Looking for a resume example for a different position? Check out this list:

• Office Assistant Resume
• Executive Assistant Resume
• Consultant Resume
• Accountant Resume
• Bookkeeper Resume
• Business Analyst Resume
• Financial Analyst Resume
• Bank Teller Resume
• Banking Resume
• Career Change Resume

1. How to present your contact information

Let's get this out of the way quickly, because you know your own contact information better than we do. 

Include your email address, phone number, and location in the header of your resume. 

Drop the street address and city info, though. If you have a professional website, blog, or well-maintained LinkedIn profile, add them to showcase your skills and experience. 

2. How to Write a Strong Administrative Assistant Resume Summary 

Let’s start with a really important part of all resumes – the summary. 

Your summary is where you highlight your skills and how they can bring value to the employer. 

Let’s look at Jeremy’s resume. 

See how he describes himself as ‘technologically savvy’ and ‘goal-oriented?

This lets employers know he will be able to get up to speed quickly on any special technology they use and that he’s committed to getting tasks finished. 

Jeremy also writes that he’s ‘driven’, ‘motivated’ and ‘skilled in prioritizing tasks independently’. 

It’s great that he’s highlighted his ability to complete tasks without supervision, because administrative assistants are regularly delegated tasks by supervisors and managers across different teams. 

Above all, Jeremy’s summary is specific. 

If you compare the specific and vague summaries below, you can see immediately which one is more appealing. 

Emotionally intelligent and computer-savvy Administrative Assistant with an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. Strong interpersonal skills and a lifelong focus on supporting others and helping them shine.

Administrative Assistant seeking to use her skills and experience to benefit an organization that is making the world a better place.

Check out our writing a resume summary guide , if you want more help with this part.

3. The 23 Hard and Soft Skills That Hiring Managers Want

What about your skills?

Our editor has three different Skills sections to choose from: Skills, Hard (Technical) Skills, and Soft Skills. 

Note: By clicking on Layout in the top menu, you can choose the “ Custom Layout ” and have a drag & drop feature to adjust the sections as you need.

It’s best to include a general Skills section and then choose between Hard or Soft Skills based on the needs of the job. 

Administrative assistants need a lot of soft skills to shine in these roles. Here’s some that you may want to highlight on your own resume. 

• Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, SharePoint
• Database management
• Calendar management
• Quickbooks and Xero
• Proficiency with photocopiers, scanners, and projectors
• Accurate data entry
• Inventory and supply management
• Editing and Proofreading
• Billing and record-keeping
• Business Knowledge
• Communication (written and verbal)
• Prioritization and problem-solving
• Organization and planning
• Research and analysis
• Attention to detail
• Customer service
• Phone Etiquette
• Emotional Intelligence
• Responsibility
• Teamwork and delegation
• Management and training
• Flexibility and efficiency

4. Highlighting Administrative Assistant Achievements

When you're customizing your resume to best fit a company and its job advertisement, it can become easy to slip into using the listed tasks and responsibilities to summarise your own past duties. Avoid this – because it’s a missed opportunity. 

Think of your work experience section as less of a list of ‘things you did’ for a past employer and more like a summary of your biggest achievements and contributions while at that employer. 

Look at how Jeremy does this.  

He highlights how he managed a senior HR director’s schedule, planned company events, and even designed surveys while he was working at Melmark. 

Note: If you are looking for inspiration or need help, you can click on “ Tips ” in the left menu of our editor.

Here’s some better (and bad) examples to help you craft your own:

• Developed policies that saved the company 500 hours a year.
• Trained two interns in office tasks which later became full-time employees.
• Maintained appointment calendar for 12 conference rooms.
• Unlocked the office each morning.
• Made travel arrangements.
• Wrote letters and emails.

Ready to create your administrative assistant resume now? 

Suggested reading:

• Best Skills to Put on a Resume
• How to Optimize your LinkedIn Profile to Complement Your Resume
• How to Start a Cover Letter - 4 Tips for the Perfect Opening

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13 Administrative Assistant Resume Examples for 2024

• Administrative Assistant Resume
• Admin Assistant Resumes by Experience
• Admin Assistant Resumes by Role

Writing Your Admin Assistant Resume

Emma had spent the past few years working hard in NYC, building skills and qualifications as an administrative assistant, but one day she realized she really wanted to move back home to spend more time with her mom. Proud of her progress so far, Emma began looking online for jobs in her hometown and quickly realized she’d need to build a resume that reflected everything she’d learned.

“Where do I begin?” she stressed, whipping up a quick set of search results—including our useful resume tips , which caught her eye immediately. Thanks to her understanding of how to combine large and small tasks for peak organization, she was able to quickly develop a resume and generate a cover letter to impress!

With some determination and our hefty stock of administrative assistant resume examples at hand, soon you can be following up with your brand-new boss, just like Emma!

Administrative Assistant Resume Example

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Metrics are just numbers that provide evidence for your claims. They’re easy to read and great at demonstrating your abilities, so try to include numbers wherever you can.
• You can include how many people you collaborated with, how much you improved revenue, and how many staff calendars you managed, to name a few.
• Words like “Microsoft Office Suite,” “Quickbooks,” reporting,” and “organization” are great for assuring employers you’ve got the chops for your future administrative assistant role.

Senior Administrative Assistant Resume

• Luckily for you, there are many Word resume templates and Google Docs resume templates out there—just make sure you have a backup resume on hand in case the employer needs several copies with different layouts.
• Action verbs like “coordinated,” “prepared,” and “maintained” do an effective job demonstrating ownership within your senior administrative assistant resume .

Administrative Assistant II Resume

• Unlike a resume objective, a summary paragraph is a two-to-four-sentence overview of your achievements and successes in the field. 
• If your resume summary is strong enough, it can be the selling point of your entire resume, so it’s well worth spending extra time to make sure this section of your resume is perfect. 
• Focus on including a mixture of different types of metrics, including percentages, dollar values, and hard numbers (such as the number of executive schedules you managed, or the time you saved by streamlining invoicing systems).

Entry-Level Administrative Assistant Resume

• For example, did you lead a club? Volunteer somewhere? Complete a group project while in your classes? There are many options to showcase your leadership abilities!
• If you’re still working out  how to write a resume , just know it’s okay to include non-relevant work experience on your entry-level administrative assistant resume . No matter the role, it can still highlight soft skills like responsibility, time management, and document preparation.

Administrative Assistant No Experience Resume Example

• In your administrative assistant no experience resume, give precedence to achievements such as solving customer issues over the phone, boosting customer satisfaction, accelerating problem resolution, etc.

HR Administrative Assistant Resume

• Now’s the time to radiate a modern and fresh vibe with the Elegant template! Use colors that catch the eye of any reader at first sight. Next, secure the job by adding all the digital HR tools like BambooHR, JazzHR, and Google Workspace to stay ahead of the competition!

Construction Administrative Assistant Resume Example

• Flourish your construction administrative assistant resume with bullet points like “Managed site operations for a $10M+ infrastructure project” and “slashing misalignment errors by 13%” to highlight your ability to supervise large-scale projects and keep important metrics like misalignment errors at a minimum.

Real Estate Administrative Assistant Resume

• Draw attention to your abilities to solve client problems, streamline office operations, bring new business, and so on.

Executive Administrative Assistant Resume Example

• That’s where metrics come in! Include the number of people you worked with or the number of clients you assisted so employers know your experience.
• Change the font, color, and layout to match your preferences and content. Some templates allow for more work experience while others focus more on other sections, so choose accordingly.

Medical Administrative Assistant Resume

• We’d recommend  formatting your resume  using reverse-chronological order to show your most current role first. That way, your future employer sees your most relevant abilities.
• Include your specific experience verifying information, performing billing responsibilities, and recording data. 

Administrative Assistant/Receptionist Resume

• If you’re applying for a company with a casual culture, use vibrant colors, like pink and purple. If you’re applying to work as a criminal defense law firm receptionist, you’d better stick with more professional colors like navy or gray.
• The goal is always to catch an employer’s attention in a good way, and color is a bright, fun way to do that! Whatever color you choose is up to you, but consider your employer when picking out shades. 
• Hard skills (aka specific technical capabilities and training) are more valuable to highlight and easier to quantify, so include them when you can.
• Keywords like “bookkeeping,” “Asana,” and QuickBooks” are great examples of technical skills.

Administrative Coordinator Resume

• Resumes distill everything about you into one page, so you need to organize all your career details into clearly defined sections with headers.
• Make sure you include skills that can be relevant depending on what you read in the job description. For example, workspace management software is relatively universal, so if you’re already familiar with Google Workspace, you’ll likely adapt quickly to Microsoft Office Suite.

Administrative Associate Resume

• Here’s a tip: highlight your achievements in light of the  administrative assistant job description . Look for repeated keywords and phrases that match your experience, then include them on your resume.
• Want to include more skills but don’t know how? Try adding a  hobbies section to your resume  to highlight some of your abilities outside of work. Pick relevant pastimes that might interest the employer (and give you something to talk about during the interview).
• Instead of just saying, “collaborated with department staff to source job candidates,” try adding details like the total number of job candidates you hired, or the number of departments you worked with.

Related resume guides

• Front Desk Receptionist
• Office Assistant
• Receptionist

As an administrative assistant, you’re the person who keeps the day-to-day operations running smoothly. You’re trusted to act as the face of the company for visitors, and you understand the importance of organization. But you might not realize just how important it is to perfect your resume. Your resume is the first thing hiring managers will look at, so ensure it demonstrates your aptitude for the job.

In this section, we’ll dive into four of the main tips we have for improving your resume, including: 

• Administrative assistant skills
• Formatting your administrative assistant resume
• Quantifying your previous impact
• Customizing your resume for each job

1. Include your administrative assistant skills wisely

If you’re unfamiliar with how hiring managers filter applicants, you may be tempted to overlook the skills section on your administrative assistant resume. But, after learning about ATS, you’ll never make that mistake again.

Hiring managers use the ATS, or applicant tracking system software, to narrow their applicant pool. The ATS works by filtering keywords (usually in your skills section) on your resume and matching them to pre-selected words prioritized by recruiters.  Your resume will be rejected if you don’t have enough matching keywords.  

This system works well when there are a lot of job applicants, but it’s understandably a pain for you, the applicant, to deal with. That’s why it’s important to utilize a skills section that incorporates the right  resume skills . You can do this by focusing on the  administrative assistant job description .

Read this small excerpt from a job description and see if you can pick up on the most relevant skills for this particular administrative assistant job. Then, read ahead to see if your skills list resembles ours: 

Optics Fusion is a fast-growing company seeking a self-starter administrative assistant who can recognize tasks that need completion with minimal supervision. The ideal candidate will thrive on interacting with clients and the public while displaying a high degree of professionalism. Must be comfortable working in fast-paced environments and dividing attention between many day-to-day operational tasks. Computer-savvy assistants are encouraged to apply! 

Compare the list of skills you wrote down from this job description with ours :

• Scheduling and organization
• Communication
• Process automation
• Independent worker
• Detail-oriented
• Health insurance
• Computer software

The job you apply for may or may not have similar skill preferences, but there will typically be a common thread of recurring keywords.

Some of the following admin assistant skills will likely pop up in job descriptions:

• Microsoft Office
• Data analysis 
• Financial reporting
• Google Calendar 
• Answering calls
• Multi-tasking

2. Pick the best resume format

Like your skills section, your resume format is important for determining whether the ATS will properly read and file your resume. Aside from the ATS, formatting your resume properly will make it easier for recruiters to read your administrative assistant resume.

To this end, we suggest using  reverse-chronological formatting , with your most recent work experience listed at the top of your resume. This will help hiring managers quickly evaluate your most relevant and (likely most impressive) work.

These are a few other critical elements for your resume formatting:

• Page Length:  Keep your resume to  exactly  one page: no more and no less. 
• Bullet Points:  Bullet points are a useful tool to break up large pieces of text when you’re describing your work experience. Aside from making your resume more visually appealing, they’ll also make writing these sections much easier. 
• Icons/Images:  Have you considered adding icons or images to your resume? Don’t! Recruiters and the ATS both dislike them. 
• Job Title:  Customize your job title for every position to which you apply. It shows that you care enough about the position to put in the extra effort, and hiring managers will appreciate it. 
• Objective/Summary:  If you include one of these, you’ll want to ensure it’s customized (more on this in the next section).

Should you bother with a resume objective or summary?

You might notice that we just hinted that resume objectives and summary statements are optional. While it’s true that they’re not an essential element of an administrative assistant resume, there are a few specific circumstances when they might be helpful. Let’s demystify these optional sections and determine when to consider including one of them on your resume. 

A  resume objective  is a customized two to three-sentence opener typically included toward the top of your resume. In the visual example below, notice how the objective briefly covers the job title, the company name you’re applying to, and why you’re applying to the specific job. We recommend including an objective only if you’re just starting your career or transitioning to another field.

Let’s go over a few of these statements, including both poor and strong examples of each: 

• This is a poor example of an objective. It’s vague and doesn’t mention anything specific that would help the hiring manager. If you’re unwilling to customize your statement, you shouldn’t include an objective. 
• This objective is much better. It’s highly specific, mentioning years of experience, a particular job title, the company name, the candidate’s skills, and how they will contribute to the company. 
• This makes a horrible first impression. Note the misspelled words and abbreviations used. Remember: a good summary/objective can improve your chances of getting hired, and a bad one can do some damage. Do you think a hiring manager would want to hire this applicant?
• Do a little research on the job to which you’re applying. This applicant used their summary statement to demonstrate knowledge about the clinic they’re interested in working for, which hiring managers will appreciate. 

3. Measure your admin assistant work with metrics

Many admin assistant applicants tell us they find it difficult to write their resumes in a way that displays confidence and job capability. Often, the problem is that they’re not quantifying their job impact with metrics (numbers).  Metrics are the easiest way to provide measurable insight into your work performance . As an administrative assistant, there are many areas in which you can include numbers on your resume. Read below for some of the best ways to leverage metrics from your previous roles: 

• Number of people:  It’s a good idea to mention the size of the companies you’ve worked for, including staff size and customer base. 
• Efficiency improvements:  Have you streamlined policies or systems? Orchestrated the switch to a new type of admin software? Has your work saved a significant amount of time? 
• Scheduling:  How many meetings do you schedule per week? Of how many executive calendars are you in charge? Do you set up appointment reminders for clients, and, have these reminders reduced the rate of late/missed client meetings? 
• Billing:  Do you process customer/patient/insurance billing? If so, how much money are you charged with managing? Do you compile expense reports? 

Now that you’ve thought through areas of your job from which you can pull metrics, read through these sample work experience bullet points to get a little more inspiration:

• Met 95% of project deadlines by mitigating all engineering hurdles and roadblocks
• Provided remote troubleshooting to customers over the phone with a 90% success rate, resolving calls in less than 7 minutes
• Managed 3 essential projects that facilitated more than $5 million in annual revenue

4. Modify your resume for each admin assistant job

We’ve mentioned it a few times, but it’s so important we’ll repeat it:  you must customize your resume for each job to which you apply . After all, administrative assistants have widely varying job responsibilities, and you should take the extra step to best align your resume with the specific job for each application you submit. Fortunately, you don’t have to change your entire resume, but let’s go over the areas you should customize: 

• The objective/summary:  Without a doubt, if you include a resume objective or summary statement, you’ll need to customize it. Focus on highlighting relevant skills for the position, and mention the company name. One warning—always tailor this section before you submit your application. Please don’t be the person who forgets to change the company name before submitting it to multiple jobs!
• Skills:  Customize your skills section by referencing the job description. Usually, hiring managers are upfront about the desired skills required for the job. 
• Job description bullet points:  You can alter your job description bullet points to emphasize different types of administrative assistant jobs. For example, highlight your efficiency and time management for jobs that require multi-tasking and the ability to work in a hectic environment. Other positions, such as medical assistant jobs, may be more concerned about billing, policy compliance, and patient privacy. 

Administrative assistant resume

• Focus on covering key areas such as your computer and software literacy, customer relations, scheduling, financial reporting, billing, internal communication, and hiring. 
• If the job description mentions that some aspects are more important than others for the role, you can emphasize them more heavily. 

Entry-level admin assistant resume

• For example, you may want to highlight your ability to get along well with others, your organizational skills, and your ability to stay organized. 
• This savvy entry-level candidate absorbed excess white space with a metrics-packed internship.

Executive admin assistant resume

• Executive administrative assistants typically work on more complex, higher-stakes administrative issues. Demonstrate your increased work responsibility. 
• You need to format your executive resume using the reverse-chronological format, which will best showcase your career growth. 

Medical admin assistant resume

• Focus on highlighting your capacity to manage insurance billing and claims. 
• Do you have an understanding of electronic medical records (EMR)? If yes, you should consider including it on your resume. 
• Demonstrate your understanding of important skills for admin assistants specific to the medical field. 

Notice this applicant’s mention of keyword skills like HIPAA and EMR.

Senior admin assistant resume

• Ensure you showcase skills that set you apart from less experienced administrative assistants. 

Our parting advice for your admin assistant resume

You should be proud of yourself for taking your resume seriously! You’ve made it to the end of this guide, and you’re on the right path to creating your best, most professional administrative assistant resume yet!

Let’s review the four main tips we’ve covered in this guide as a quick recap.

We’ve discussed how to build your skills section, how to format your resume for the ATS, how you can add metrics, and why you should modify every administrative assistant resume you submit.

With these tips in mind, upload your resume to our free  resume checker  to see how your masterpiece can be improved with our AI-powered tips. If you’re thinking about starting your resume from scratch, try our  resume builder , where you can begin the process with built-in AI-powered tips and proper formatting. 

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• 11 Best Administrative Skills...

11 Best Administrative Skills for Your Resume (With Examples)

11 min read · Updated on February 15, 2024

Discover the top administrative skills to make your resume stand out

Having strong administrative skills means you're able to plan events and projects, manage time, and keep things organized and running like a well-oiled machine. It also means you come to the table with the ability to communicate and engage with the customers, clients, and stakeholders of a company. 

Though administrative skills are necessary for jobs like Administrative Assistants, Receptionists, and Office Managers, they also add value to virtually any position across the various industries you might find yourself employed in. Since they're highly valued by employers, it benefits you to ensure you highlight sought-after administrative skills on your resume. 

In this post, we cover:

What administrative skills are

Why administrative skills on resumes are important

Some of the most in-demand administrative skills for resumes

How to highlight administrative skills on resumes

Where to include administrative skills on resumes

Administrative skills defined

Administrative skills are a series of qualities that, when combined, allow you to help manage a business or department or run an office. They include both hard skills, like knowing how to use a specific software application, and soft skills, like communication and problem solving. Examples of essential administrative tasks might include communicating with employees, filing, running reports, calendar management, and answering client questions. 

Why administrative skills are important to employers

People with strong administrative skills tend to be reliable self-starters with the ability to organize and manage time well. With a diverse skill set, they're valued by employers because they help organizations to maintain productivity and keep things running smoothly - they're a cornerstone of a company's success.  Any successful business will not only have administrative staff with strong administrative skills on their resume, but will also have other employees throughout the organization that apply these types of skills in their various jobs.

Administrative skills are also some of the most transferable skills between industries and job types. Administrative skills required for a role in the marketing sector would be applicable and transferable to the energy sector, for example. 

What are some of the most in-demand administrative skills for resumes?

When it comes to administrative skills on resumes, there are many that can make you stand out to hiring teams. Here are 11 of the top administrative skills to consider for your resume, and why they're important. 

1. Communication

Communication - both verbal and written - is a daily requirement for virtually any position. Those in administrative positions often need to communicate in different forms with a variety of people, both internal and external to the business, from employees and executives to clients and contractors. 

2. Microsoft 365

We're all familiar with certain Microsoft 365 applications, like Microsoft Word and Outlook. However, those with solid technical administrative skills on their resume tend to be knowledgeable in how to use all applications in the suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, and OneDrive. 

3. Organization

With the many plates employees often have spinning all at once, it's vital they hone in on the administrative skill of organization. In fact, it's one of the most important administrative skills to ensure things run smoothly within a team, department, or business. When you're organized, you tend to have good time management and planning skills as well, which are also sought-after administrative skills on resumes. 

4. Problem solving

We're constantly solving problems every day, including at work. A good problem solver identifies the problem, proposes solutions, chooses the best solution, and implements the it. Strong problem solvers support business continuity, innovation, and inspiration, making it a highly valuable administrative skill on resumes.  

5. Scheduling

Though essentially all employees have to maintain their schedules, administrative positions, in particular, often have the daunting task of keeping up with several schedules at once. In addition to calendar management, Administrators often have to coordinate and schedule meetings, travel arrangements, and events for the teams or individuals they support, making scheduling a vital technical skill to have.  

6. Flexibility

Change is the only constant, as they say, which requires flexibility. Employees need to be flexible to successfully adapt to changing priorities, demands, and requests. Without flexibility, work can be more stressful and productivity can take a hit.  

7. Working well under stress

Tight deadlines, quick turnaround times, multiple requests, several projects all at once, and day-to-day tasks can feel like a lot for any employee. Being able to work well under stress is necessary to stay on top of things without becoming overwhelmed, which can slow things down. When you work well under stress, you also tend to be good at multitasking, another valuable administrative skill. 

8. Customer service

For positions that are customer and client facing, strong interpersonal and customer service skills are necessary administrative skills. This is especially true for service and support-oriented positions. 

9. Teamwork

Though administrative professionals tend to be on point to keep things operating as needed, they do so as part of a team. The same goes for individual contributors who, while being responsible for their own tasks and activities, contribute to the department and generally work as part of a team to accomplish department and organizational goals and objectives. 

10. Detail orientation

When you're managing calendars, sharing business information, planning events, or drafting presentations, you must pay attention to the details to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Mistakes in these areas can be costly - if not in terms of dollars, in terms of added stress and lost time. As such, employers want to know they can trust you to adequately cross all the t's and dot all the i's when they hire you to do a job, making attention to detail an in-demand administrative skill.    

11. Event coordination

Administrative professionals, in particular, are often responsible for planning events of varying sizes. Coordinating company events, holiday parties, staff meetings, and more can all fall under the administrative umbrella. What's great about highlighting event coordination skills is that you're showing several other administrative skills at the same time, including organization, communication, multitasking, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Additional administrative skills for resumes 

The above list is just a launching point to help you get started with your own list of administrative skills to include on your resume. Below are some additional hard and soft skills often found on administrative resumes to provide even more inspiration.

Administrative hard skills for resumes

Office equipment use

Database management

Videoconferencing

Expense reporting

Google Docs

File management

Administrative soft skills for resumes

Decision-making

Interpersonal skills

Prioritization

Active listening

Critical thinking

Open-mindedness

How to highlight administrative skills on your resume

Make a list of your administrative-related skills and accomplishments. Using this post as inspiration, sit down and thoughtfully list all of the administrative skills you possess. From there, make a list of all of the administrative duties and responsibilities you've held, as well as any work accomplishments related to administrative skills you've applied or positions you've held. 

Refer to the job description. Review the job description you're interested in and highlight any administrative skills and experience required. Then, compare that to the list you created based on your work history. Be sure your resume includes the administrative skills and experience you have that align with the job description. This is a great way to incorporate keywords into your resume to pass an employer's applicant tracking system , or ATS, and grab the attention of hiring managers.

Showcase soft and hard (technical) skills throughout your resume. For maximum benefit, highlight both hard and soft administrative skills throughout your resume. Hard skills are measurable and learned skills, whereas soft skills are intangible and difficult to measure, though vital for job success. We discuss where and how to include hard and soft skills in the next section. 

Highlight soft skills through on-the-job accomplishments and achievements. Unlike with technical skills, you don't want to merely list soft skills on your resume. Instead, you want to show off your soft skills through the achievements you choose to highlight. For example, consider the following:

Oversaw and coordinated a 5-hour corporate event for 1,000 employees, showcasing the executive team and highlighting employee achievements and milestones for 2023

This achievement highlights organization, time management, attention to detail, critical thinking, and creativity administrative soft skills, to name a few. 

Where to highlight administrative skills on your resume

Now that you know how to come up with administrative skills to include on a resume, where can you incorporate them? Any of the following are excellent options:

Resume Summary

Skills or core competencies section.

Experience section

Certifications section

Additional sections.

Your resume summary , that sits just below your contact information, is where you can pack a punch to entice resume readers to keep reading. Here are a couple of examples of how to include administrative skills in your resume summary:

Administrative professional example

Administrator with over 5 years of experience working with C-suite executives to navigate organizational challenges and provide solutions to maintain business continuity and operations. Managed up to 15 calendars at one time using effective scheduling, time management, and organizational skills. 

What are some of the administrative skills this summary speaks to? How about:

Communication

Organization

Problem solving

Time management

Stress management

Multitasking

Non-administrative individual contributor example

Focused engineering professional with 10 years of experience in the oil & gas sector. Leverages solid problem-solving skills to address concerns in high-stakes environments, with the flexibility required to adjust priorities and maintain productivity. Organized and led a $2M pipeline construction project to upgrade pipeline requirements, meeting current industry standards. 

Some of the administrative skills that this summary highlights include:

Prioritizing

Flexibility

Attention to detail

It can be beneficial to include a Core Competencies section just below your resume summary to showcase your technical skills, as well pertinent soft skills. For example:

Core Competencies

Customer Service | Microsoft 365 | Quickbooks | Research | Scheduling   |   Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) | Oracle Applicant Tracking System | Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) | Event Coordination

Alternatively, the hard skills listed could all also go under a Technical Skills section near the end of your resume:

Technical Skills

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)   |   Microsoft 365   |   Quickbooks   |   Research   |   ATS Proficiency   |   Event Coordination   |   Scheduling

Avoid being repetitive and listing the same skills in both a Core Competencies and Skills section - only choose one of the two if you don't have different skills to include in each list.

Work Experience section

Another section to highlight your stellar administrative skills is in the Work Experience section. Here's an example that showcases focus, stress management, communication, filing, organization, switchboard management, time management, and more, all in just three bullet points!

Receptionist

ABC Company, Houston, TX

July 2021 - Present

Managed switchboard for three office buildings housing over 750 employees

Answered client questions regarding products and services, handling a high call volume of 40 to 50 calls per day

Spearheaded development of a new filing system for improved organization of client cases related to issues and concerns

If you hold any administrative-related certifications, you can choose to include them in a Certifications section on your resume. Relevant certifications not only showcase acquired administrative skills and knowledge, but also indicate your dedication to professional development. 

Examples of in-demand administrative certifications are:

Microsoft 365

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)

Administrative Assistant Certification (CAA)

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification (MOS)

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)

Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence (PACE)

Finally, some might choose to highlight administrative skills on their resume by including additional sections, such as:

Volunteer Work

Hobbies & Interests

Extracurricular Activities

Special Projects

Including additional sections on a resume can benefit those who have gaps in administrative work experience, skills, or education.

Top tip: why not check out our Office Administrative Assistant resume example ?

Administrative skills = valuable assets for any resume

Whether you're applying for an administrative position or any other type of position, administrative skills on resumes add value and tend to stand out to hiring managers. Now, you're equipped with some of the most in-demand administrative skills to include on your resume, as well as advice on how and where to incorporate them. With these tips, you'll be landing those interviews in no time! 

Are you representing administrative skills on your resume appropriately? Why not submit it for a free resume review to find out?

Recommended reading:

How to Use a Reverse Chronological Resume Format

How to Check if My Resume is ATS-Friendly for Free

How to Show Promotions on a Resume (with Examples)

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

See how your resume stacks up.

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You and Your Career /  Guide to preparing for the Personal or Executive Assistant job search / Building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants

Chapter four →

Building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants

How to write a personal assistant and executive assistant resume with examples and templates., a good cv should always be the first step on the long walk to a new assistant job..

The details in your CV reflect your experiences. But a well-crafted resume will help you stand out from the crowd (and trust me, these days, there is a crowd).

Looking through the various job boards for Assistants, plenty of opportunities exist. But where to start? This chapter will show you how to start building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants. Let’s look at what we are going to cover:

The details you need to add to your Assistant resume

Personal and Executive Assistant CV template

The keywords to help you land your next assistant role.

The key hard skills to include on your Personal or Executive Assistant CV

How to adjust your CV depending on the Assistant role

The details you need to add to your Assistant’s resume.

Start as you mean to go on when building a brilliant cv for personal and executive assistants..

Your name should be at the top of your CV; this is slightly obvious, but you would be surprised that some people forget to do this!

Below your name, write a short personal statement that spells out the skills and attributes you have acquired during your career. These are the keywords that recruiters will use to select your CV and match it to the job you have applied for.

Place your personal statement at the top of your CV so that you are selling yourself from the moment your potential employee picks up the piece of paper with your name on it. This is important when building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants.

Here is an excellent example of a personal statement for a Personal or Executive Assistant CV:

I am a competent, highly organised and confident individual with an enthusiastic and proactive approach to work. I have developed excellent management and interpersonal skills while working in busy commercial environments. I have an aptitude to communicate with people and am very flexible in my skill set. I am passionate about my career and take great pride in my work.

Don’t repeat yourself.

We recommend that you do not include your contact details on your CV because you will typically apply for the job online or through an agency, and you have to give them your details anyway.

Also, your details will be included if you write a cover letter or email, which should always accompany an application.

The same applies to other information that doesn’t need to be on the application, such as your age or health status.

Think of your CV as a list of your skills and achievements, a concise and well-written list but a list neither less.

Always start with your most recent job first and work your way backwards.

Generally, the most recent role should have the most information, but the detail should reflect how long you were in the role and the skills you gained there.

For example, if you were only working at your last company for a short period, your CV will not have as much detail as your previous employer, where you may have worked for twice the amount of time and did a more substantial role.

Make use of bullet points.

The CV has to be easy on the eye, it can be packed full of information, but it also has to be easy to read.

Write a small paragraph on the role and the company, then have a bullet point list of the tasks, skills and work below.

Don’t just copy your job description. Ensure you add colour to the role so the potential employer can get a flavour of how you work, what you like to do, and your skills.

What does your potential employer want in a new Assistant?

You will be filling a specific role and should tailor your CV accordingly. We will go into this later in the chapter.

Write a few versions of your CV that reflect your different skills so that if you apply for a role, for example, which involves lots of event planning, make sure the knowledge you have in that area comes through, the same with a board-level EA role.

Never, ever lie on your CV. If you know you can do the job you are applying for, then showing your skills in a way that will push you ahead of everyone else can only be a good thing.

Most applicants will send off a generic CV by tailoring their application. You will immediately jump ahead of the queue!

What makes you different?

When building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants and tailoring your CV to the specific role, you should also consider what will make you different from the other candidates.

You have a unique career history and will have the skills and attributes that no other candidates have. This is your brand, and you must be able to sell it to your potential employer.

Additional information and extracurricular activities

Do you have additional information on your CV that shows your background and personality? At the same time, please keep this to a minimum and put it after your work history. Include the following in this order:

• Professional qualifications – Anything relating to the job you are applying for will show interest in furthering your professional development.
• Education – Do put down where you went to school or university (your interviewer might have gone there too!) but do not put all your grades down. Instead, give an overview starting with your most recent qualification.
• Computer skills – Relate your skills to the job you are applying for. As an Assistant, we have to have excellent computer skills, so make sure this has been noted down on your CV.
• Interests and activities – Keep your interests professional! Do add a touch of your personality here too. Add any unusual hobbies if you have them. If you don’t, here is the place to make slightly more out of that time you went scuba diving, horse riding, or anything that you could talk about for 5 minutes at the end of an interview!

Last but not least, your CV should be no longer than two pages! So important when building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants.

If you need more help perfecting your CV, we have compiled a generic template for PAs looking to move into an EA role. We hope you find it useful!

CV Template for Assistants

Use this template to craft the perfect resume for your Assistant job search. 

Cover Letter Template for Assistants

Use this template to craft the perfect cover letter that promotes you.

The whole process may be daunting if you haven’t looked for a new role in a while. Firstly, you will probably have to apply to an agency first through an online application. You then have to cross your fingers, hoping that your CV passes through whatever keyword algorithm they have that matches your CV with your potential employer’s job spec.

This in itself can put anyone off applying for a new role.

But! Don’t let the keyword algorithm scare you! Get that CV out, dust off the cobwebs, and ensure you have the right keywords to land your perfect PA role. Starting building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants!

So many searches can be performed when trying to find that perfect candidate.

The requirements vary depending on what the employer is looking for, and there are pros and cons of doing extensive searches and more narrow searches.

When looking for an experienced Assistant for a more ‘traditional’ supporting role, recruiters often begin their search with the following:

(‘Executive Assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘Business Assistant’ or ‘PA’ or ‘Personal Assistant’) AND (‘Founder’ or ‘CEO’ or ‘Chairman’)

Depending on whether the opportunity is business or personal, recruiters may search the following:

(‘PA’ or ‘Private Assistant’ or ‘Household Assistant’) AND (‘Celebrity’ or ‘HNWI’ or ‘UHNIW’)

It is always a good idea when writing a CV that you state the position of the Executive that you supported and the industry. In addition to the above, recruiters will search for specific industries too:

(‘PA’ or ‘Personal Assistant’) AND (‘advertising agency’ or ‘Media Agency’)

Recruiters can add as many industry variations here in these brackets.

Similarly, they will also search for specific computer packages or languages or anything else that is a prerequisite for the position:

(PA or ‘Personal Assistant’) and ‘PowerPoint’ / (‘PA’ or ‘Personal Assistant’) AND (‘Spanish’)

Recruiters find that more and more clients with roles supporting at that very senior level ask for experienced EAs from top universities. So we need to search for academics as well as experience.

To search for candidates with strong academics, recruiters go about this two ways – searching for top educational institutions or searching for candidates for post-graduate qualifications.

When searching for candidates who have studied at the top educational institutions, we would search as below. This is an example search looking for candidates from the top universities across the UK and Europe:

(‘PA’ or ‘personal assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘Executive Assistant’) AND (‘The University of Oxford’ or ‘University of Cambridge’ or ‘Imperial College London’ or ‘University College London’)

When searching for candidates with top university degrees, recruiters might restrict the search further and look for candidates with first-class degree qualifications. Candidates will write this one of two ways on their CV: First class or 1 st class. So the search would look something like this:

(‘PA’ or ‘personal assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘executive assistant’) AND (‘University of Oxford’ or ‘University of Cambridge’ or ‘Imperial College London’ or ‘University College London’ or ‘Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich’ or ‘Heidelberg University’ or ‘University of Edinburgh’) AND (‘first-class’ or ‘1 st class’ or ‘first-class’)

This search does not necessarily produce the desired results every time, as there will be candidates who have perhaps worked at one of these institutions or have used the words “first-class” when discussing a particular skill set.

Advice to Assistants would be to write it as “1 st class” as this seems to be the most common way of displaying this qualification result. Using “first-class” (with the hyphen) potentially is too uncommon for all recruiters to include this in their search.

If, for instance, recruiters want Assistants with post-graduate qualifications, we would search for either “masters” or the specific abbreviation for a master qualification. There are many, but we would perhaps look for the most relevant ones: MA OR MSc OR MBA.

I would suggest candidates with post-graduate qualifications use the word Masters – perhaps in their profile when discussing their level of qualification – and the specific abbreviation for their type of Masters in their educational history.

They could also go one step further and use “post-graduate” in their CV.

A search for this would look something like this:

(‘PA’ or ‘personal assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘executive assistant’) AND (‘post-graduate’ or ‘post-graduate’ or ‘MA’ or ‘MSc’ or ‘MBA’ or ‘masters’)

(‘PA’ or ‘personal assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘executive assistant’) AND (‘academics’ or ‘principal’ or ‘professor’ or ‘educational’)

Alternatively, recruiters may look to pick the top institutions in a specific location, such as:

(‘PA’ or ‘personal assistant’ or ‘EA’ or ‘executive assistant’) AND (‘London School of Economics’ or ‘Imperial College London’)

The difficulty for recruiters with these searches is that they risk finding many candidates who have just studied at these locations.

So, if Assistants can make themselves stand out by using multiple keywords for their chosen industry, they have the opportunity to make themselves more visible.

The key for candidates is to try and include as many relevant keyword searches in their CV.

Job boards will often filter candidates by the most relevant first. It will either be done by this or filtered by the date you last logged in or registered.

The relevancy is based on a keyword search from the CV.

So, if an Assistant is seeking work in a particular industry – in this case, academics – they should try to include as many keywords in their profile as possible (such as ‘academics’ or ‘educational’ or ‘educational establishment’).

It’s key to make it clear in the profile that you are seeking work in your relevant industry (if that is the case), and that is one of the best areas of your CV to include these keywords.

Your second opportunity is within your Career History. For instance, rather than calling yourself an EA or PA, consider putting who you support (if this is industry-relevant), for instance, ‘PA to Professor’.

The key hard skills to include on your Personal or Executive Assistant CV.

We all know that it is getting more challenging to get your CV past the recruitment algorithms employed to filter applications, and we also know that we need our CV to stand out in a crowded market.

My advice has always been to tailor your CV depending on the role you should do. However, collating a good list of skills to add to your CV that you have developed over the years is also a good idea.

This way, you don’t have to write your CV repeatedly. You can, instead, drop and drag the required skills into your CV and hit send. I have collated a list of critical skills to include on your EA CV.

These typical hard skills will help you as a critical business asset in your organisation. I have also given an example of how you can phrase this skill in your CV to showcase the attributes that will make you a great employee.

Don’t have time to read all of our skills today? Download our list of skills for Executive and Personal Assistants to keep for your next job hunt!

• Accounting/Financials: Maintaining and managing budgets and expenses for complex projects and events and reporting on financials.
• Administrative Support: Overseeing all administrative processes, including ordering stationery, filing holiday requests and sick leave and providing administrative support to my Executive and department.
• Calendar Management: Managing complex calendars and scheduling requests. Full access and accountability for every detail in my Executive’s schedule, including attending meetings with my Executive.
• Collaboration Tools: Experience using collaboration tools, including Trello, Slack, Yammer, and GSuite.
• Correspondence: Dealing with all incoming and outgoing mail. Including processing telephone calls and requests.
• Creating and Maintaining Databases: Creating and maintaining all databases for my Executive and department, including our CRM system.
• Email Management: Managing and maintaining my Executive’s email correspondence, including answering emails on behalf of my Executive, prioritising emails, filing emails and scheduling time for my Executive to respond to emails.
• Errands: Running errands on behalf of my Executive to ensure they can concentrate on the organisation and its objectives.
• Event Planning: Experience managing complex events, including the company Christmas party, departmental team building events, off-site meetings, training and conferences and planning every aspect of the event, including budgets, objectives, themes, seating, and working with event suppliers.
• Foreign Language: Fluent in *language* in both written and verbal communications.
• Greeting Visitors: The first point of contact for all visitors arriving at the office, making a great first impression for my Executive.
• Handling Inquiries and screening calls: Managing every aspect of communication on behalf of my Executive, including handling inquiries, making decisions on what my Executive should be made aware of, and screening calls on their behalf.
• Information Management: Managing the flow of information across the department to ensure that my Executive has everything they need for their work while ensuring everyone who needs to be in the loop is aware and has what they need.
• Implementing Procedures: Experience implementing and maintaining procedures so that the Executive office runs smoothly.
• Maintaining Filing Systems / Recordkeeping: Maintaining all physical and digital filing systems. The first point of contact for filing queries within the Executive office.
• Managing Relationships with Clients: The first point of contact for all clients, attending client meetings and representing my Executive in all aspects of client relations and arranging activities for overseas clients and their partners.
• Managing Teams / Staff: Managing all aspects of my team, including career development, delegation, task management and guidance, training, providing feedback and solving any issues.
• Microsoft Office: Advanced Microsoft skills, including Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint and Word.
• Minute-taking: Taking complicated minutes in Committees, Board meetings, team meetings and meetings attended by my Executive and disseminating and maintaining minutes to ensure that actions are met.
• Onboarding Process: Managing the onboarding of new staff, including their critical meetings, arranging the correct equipment and starter packs, making introductions and touring the offices.
• Office Management: Advanced office management experience, including managing relationships with suppliers, maintaining records, and managing supplies and office equipment.
• Organising Meetings: Organising every aspect of team meetings, board meetings, stakeholder and client meetings and committees, including agendas, actions, minutes, board papers and confidential material and arranging complex meetings with multiple time zones and high-level participants.
• Preparing Reports: Prepare reports for my Executive and team, reading and disseminating the information into a bite-size report for my Executive. Formatting and preparing reports.
• Presentation Preparation: Preparing slide decks and presentation materials for my Executive’s speeches and public-speaking engagements.
• Processing Expense Reports: Processing all expenses for my Executive. Approving expenses for my Executive’s team and direct rep, maintaining expense reports, and liaising with the finance team.
• Project Management: Experience working on complex projects and project teams, managing projects from start to finish and supporting my Executive on organisation-wide projects. Awareness of project management tools including Scrum, Prince2, Six Sigma
• Proofreading: I proofread all documents sent out by my Executive and department, ensuring the correct grammar, spelling, tone, and message.
• Purchasing, sourcing and working with suppliers: Making decisions on which suppliers to work with, approving spend and managing relationships with third-party suppliers.
• Recruitment: Supporting all aspects of a recruitment drive, from working with HR and recruitment agencies to drafting job descriptions and participating in the interview process.
• Research: Researching so that my Executive is fully prepared for meetings, reading reports and complex documents, briefing stakeholders, and liaising with clients.
• Social Media Management: Managing and maintaining my Executive’s social media presence, adding posts and updating social media profiles.
• Strategic Planning: Working closely with my Executive to support the organisation’s strategic goals, objectives and priorities. Always aware of the strategic needs of the business and how my Executive fits into that framework.
• Taking Dictation: Advance dictation skills and experience using tools to process voice memos and voice-recorded notes.
• Travel Arrangements: Arranging every aspect of complicated global travel plans, including managing visas, flights, hotel and ls, and local ground transport. Experience working independently and with a travel management company to maximise travel plans with multiple flights and destinations. Experience travelling withExecutivestive and managing their trip from the local office.

How to adjust your CV depending on the role

Most of you know that you should have a few versions of your CV tailored to different types of roles, but you should also slightly adjust your CV depending on each position you apply for. Yeah, I know what you are saying!

This is a lot of work, right?

Yes, it is, but evidence suggests you have much more success getting past recruitment algorithms when you slightly adjust your CV to reflect the job description attached to the role. So how do we adjust a CV without too much extra work so that we get through to the interview?

Here are some examples of how to do just that.

Let’s use a current example of a description I saw posted for a role in London. Here is the text:

We are looking for a polished and experienced EA to join a tight and dynamic team, providing seamless support to the Chief Executive.

WHAT YOU’LL DO This is a varied role in a fast-paced environment, supporting at the top of the business. You will take responsibility for the professional and personal affairs of the Chief Executive, ensuring the smooth running of a high profile Private Office that is associated with the luxury industry. Duties will include: Extensive diary management, using Outlook Extensive inbox management Acting as Gatekeeper Building and maintaining database of contacts Events planning Ad-hoc private support, including personal travel arrangements, booking restaurants, property management Meet and greet of guests, representing at events WHO YOU ARE You will be a polished EA with proven experience, ideally in the luxury or hospitality industries. You will have excellent communication skills and telephone manner. You will be adept at working in a fast-paced environment and responsive to last-minute changes. You will have a strong work ethic and be willing to muck in with anything that is required. This is a small team that work cohesively together, so they are looking for a positive individual with a good sense of humour to fit in with their fun working environment.

The first step is this.

Look through the job advert and description and pull out the keywords for building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants .

If you are unsure what the recruiter is looking for, then use something like a word cloud generator to pull all of the keywords out of the text (I got this idea from an article in The Muse, which is brilliant).

Use something like TagCrowd , copy in the job description text, and see which words are prevalent throughout the text, and them to your CV.

Some of the keywords in this particular example were:

• Professional

Once you can see the keywords, it is much easier to put them directly into your CV; for example, you could add a ‘proven track record of high-level executive support and management in the luxury industry’ within your personal statement.

What are the essential requirements?

Make sure your skills match the critical requirements of the job description. It should be evident to the recruiter that you can do this job, ensuring the key elements appear at the top of the CV and are highlighted throughout your career history, experience and education.

What are your transferable skills?

If you are applying for a role that doesn’t precisely match your experience, it is always worth applying for if you want it. Just ensure you add some transferable skills that make up for anything specific.

Using our example, if you wanted to apply but don’t have experience using Outlook, you could write that you have experience managing diaries and emails. You could also write that you quickly learn new IT systems and software.

Transferable skills will always help you make up for any experience you might be lacking, and as Assistants, we are lucky because more of our abilities are transferrable.

Sometimes the job description can be pretty basic, and although the role might look okay, the company might be fantastic, so you want to apply anyway.

If that is the case, you should check out the company website, particularly look at their company culture page and again pull out keywords and phrases to add to your CV.

Soft skills, personality and team fit, are often as essential as your experience and hard skills, so adjust your CV to reflect the character they are after, not just the knowledge. In our case, they want a team player with a sense of humour who doesn’t mind getting stuck into things – make sure that is obvious on your CV.

Building a brilliant CV for Personal and Executive Assistants roles isn’t just about listing qualifications and demonstrating the skills important to the job. That’s why taking an online course like the Accelerate Your Assistant Job Search can be immensely beneficial.

With its easy-to-follow tutorials and step-by-step tips for building a career as a successful Assistant, it offers an invaluable resource for anyone serious about getting a new role in the Assistant industry. The course provides comprehensive guidance to make the right impression and land your dream job.

Next Chapter:

Covering letters and messages when applying for an Assistant role

Admin assistant CV example

Looking to secure a rewarding role as an admin assistant?

You’re going to need a well-written CV which showcases your varied administrative skillset.

Office support roles regularly receive hundreds of applications, so it’s vital to ensure that your CV stands out to recruiters.

I’ve put together this detailed CV writing guide, along with an example admin assistant CV, to help you land the best admin jobs out there.

Guide contents

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education
• Skills required for your admin assistant CV

CV templates 

The CV example above demonstrates how to put your experience across in a way which looks professional, is easy for recruiters to navigate and showcases numerous administrative skills.

Next, I’ll walk you through how to format and structure your own CV.

Admin assistant CV structure & format

Even if your CV is packed with impressive content, a sloppy format and lack of structure could completely shatter your chances.

Recruiters are busy people, and with hundreds of applications to read through, they don’t have any time to waste on hard-to-read CVs.

So, keep their needs in mind at all times, ensuring that your CV is easy to navigate and gentle on the eye.

Check out my simple yet effective CV structure and formatting tips below.

Formatting Tips

• Ensure your CV sections are clearly divided by using bold headings and borders, as well as leaving some white space between each section.
• When it comes to design, less is more. Stick to a clear and simple font and a subtle colour scheme.
• Your CV should be 2 pages of A4 or less – this gives you enough space to impress busy recruiters, without sending them to sleep.
• Utilise bullet points, lists and columns wherever possible, to break up large sections of text and allow recruiters to skim through the content.

Structuring your CV

The tried-and-test CV structure below will help you put forward all your essential information, in an organised manner:

• Contact details – These should always sit right at the top of your CV.
• Profile – A snappy summary of your experience, skills and qualifications, which highlights your suitability for the role.
• Work experience / Career history – Showcase your relevant experience, starting with your most recent role and working backwards.
• Education –  Note down your qualifications and certifications, especially those which are relevant to admin roles.
• Interest and hobbies – This is optional, but can be included if you have an interesting hobby which displays valuable transferable skills.

Now we’ll look through what to include in each CV section in more detail.

CV Contact Details

Your contact details should sit at the very top of the first page of your CV.

Stick to the basics, as recruiters simply need a way to contact you for an interview. For example:

• Phone number
• Email address
• Location  – Your vague town or city is enough, for example,  ‘Coventry’  or  ‘Brighton’.

There’s no need to share your age, date of birth, marital status or full address – it’ll only waste space.

Admin assistant CV Profile

Next, you need to write  a punchy and compelling CV profile – or personal statement if you’re a junior candidate.

This is an introductory paragraph which gives you a chance to sell yourself to recruiters and provides an overview of your relevant skills and experience.

It’s the first thing recruiters will read, so if it fails to impress them, they may well move straight onto the next application!

Tips to consider when creating your profile:

• Avoid including overused statements like “great team player” or “strong communicator”   and, instead, prove your ability by focusing on your hard skills and experience.
• In order to hold recruiters’ interest and entice them to read the rest of your CV, you need to keep it short and snappy – between 5 and 10 lines is perfect.
• For maximum impact, you should tailor your profile to the specific role you’re applying for. Re-read the job requirements and then to incorporate applicable skills and keywords into your profile.
• Don’t waste space by discussing your career goals or objectives – this type of information is best saved for your cover letter.

What to include in your admin assistant CV profile?

Where you have worked  – Whether you’ve worked in small offices or large corporate organisations, it’s important to sum up your work experience to date. Ideally, you’ll have some administration experience to your name, but if not, focus on drawing out transferable admin skills from part-time jobs, studies, placements or volunteer roles.

Qualifications  – Mention your highest relevant qualifications. Maths, English, IT and business qualifications can all be highly beneficial to administrative roles. If you’ve completed any vocational administrative or IT certifications/courses, make sure to include them, too.

Essential admin skills  – Highlight your relevant skills, especially those listed in the job description. This might include  written communication skills, diary management, customer service or data entry, amongst others.

System/software knowledge  – Generally, admin assistants are expected to be proficient in basic software packages and systems such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, so it’s important to showcase your IT capabilities.

Core skills section

Recruiters generally look at the top section of your CV first, so it’s important to hit them with impactful content from the second they set eyes on your CV.

So, to add impact, follow your CV profile with a snappy core skills section which highlights your key admin skills.

Split them over 2 or 3 columns and use bullet points – this way, recruiters can easily see your potential, even if they’re stuck for time.

Remember to target this section (as well as the rest of your CV) to the role you’re applying for.

Cross-reference your skills with the ones listed in the job requirements, then, position your matched skills right at the top of the list.

Work experience/Career history

Next, it’s time to give recruiters a more in-depth look at your work experience.

Start with your most recent position and work backwards.

You should focus the detail on your most relevant experience – ideally, admin or office support roles.

If you haven’t got any relevant experience, you should still give a round-up of your career history.

However, try to focus on transferable skills gained from your previous roles, placements, volunteer positions or personal projects which could be relevant to admin roles, such as customer service, IT or communication skills.

Structuring your roles

Your work experience section can get bulky, so it’s important to structure it in a way which allows for easy reading.

The simple 3-step structure below allows recruiters to gain a thorough understanding of your experience and impact, even if they’re just quickly scanning through.

Start with a brief overview of the role and workplace, describing the purpose of your role and who you reported to.

“Part of the business support team for a local publishing business, providing administrative support to a team of 10 and reporting to the administrator.”

Key responsibilities

Then, detail your day-to-day duties and responsibilities, making sure to mention the skills and software you used. Format this section with bullet points to allow recruiters to scan through with ease.

• Act as the first point of contact for email and telephone enquiries, responding professionally and providing information, referring to the administrator as appropriate.
• Undertaking general office tasks, such as filing, writing reports and creating presentations using Microsoft Office, and reordering supplies.

Key achievements

Lastly, finish off with 1-3 key achievements  made within the role, to prove the value you could bring to a future employer.

It might be a time your efforts helped to solve a problem, reduced wait time or boosted customer/client satisfaction.

• Created a new file storage process which allowed staff to access documents with more speed and accuracy.
• Solved all client queries within 24 hours, reducing wait time by an average of 40%.

Now it’s time to share your qualifications and certifications.

Begin with your highest or most relevant qualifications, whether that’s a degree, A-Levels or BTEC, making sure to detail dates of study and grades.

Be sure to add any vocational qualifications, such as a Microsoft Office Certification or First Aid , too.

Quick tip  – Unless you’re a school leaver, there’s no need to list every qualification in detail. You can lump them together, for example, “10 GCSE’s A*-D” , instead of listing each and every subject and grade.

Interests and hobbies

It’s completely up to you whether you include a hobbies  and interests section in your CV – they’re not usually considered a big factor in the hiring decision.

However, if you have interesting hobbies which relate to the skills needs in admin roles, you can consider including them.

For example, any hobbies which display good organisation, communication, time management, attention to detail or IT skills, could boost your application slightly.

However, generic hobbies like “going out with friends” aren’t worth including.

Essential skills for your admin assistant CV

Each and every role will require different skills, so make sure to cross-reference with the job description. However, the following skills are generally required for office support positions:

Business/office support  – General office support skills , such as dealing with customer enquiries, photocopying and printing, organising and filing paperwork, booking meetings, keeping diaries, recording minutes etc.

Customer Service  – Ensuring customers and clients have the best possible experience during your interaction with them and working to fulfil their needs to the highest standard.

Communications  – Handling incoming queries from customers and staff in a timely and professional manner, holding a friendly and professional positive attitude whilst interacting with customers, guests and employees.

Data entry and management  – Processing large amounts of data and updating/maintaining this information on computer systems.

Microsoft Office  – The ability to use a variety of software packages, namely the Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

Writing your admin assistant CV

If you follow this guide from start to finish, you should be left with a flawless admin assistant CV.

With a well-thought-out structure , savvy formatting tricks and plenty of impressive content, you’ll be well on your way to winning an interview.

Remember that your CV should be tailored towards the role you’re applying for, so pack it with skills which closely match the job description.

Good luck with your job search!