If you want to land an administrative role with a big company, then you will need a great administrative assistant resume. Here’s how to write one.
What to Include in Your Administrative Assistant Resume
Administrative Assistant Resume
Job seekers looking to take on an administrative assistant role need to be competent in a range of basic technical skills, as well as people skills and organizational skills. Whether you are creating and managing customer files or making travel arrangements for senior members of staff, this role requires you to keep a number of plates spinning. Your resume should prove to hiring managers that you are capable of doing so.
What Is An Administrative Assistant?
- Data entry (e.g., entering financial data to QuickBooks)
- Filing
- Answering phone calls
- Taking notes and meeting minutes
- Coordinating meetings
- Creating PowerPoint presentations and reports
- Preparing and circulating memos
- Taking inventory of and ordering office supplies
There are a number of hard (technical) and soft (intangible) skills involved in this kind of role. It is important that you know which skills to list on your resume and how to list them if you want to make the right impression. Consider using a ResumeNerd resume template to help create a stand-out resume.
Top Skills For An Administrative Assistant Resume
The precise set of administrative skills that are best for your resume will depend on a number of factors as well as the job description you intend to apply for. Generally speaking, the skills most likely to help your professional resume past applicant tracking systems (ATS) and impress human resources are:
- Written and verbal communication
- Problem-solving
- Research skills
- Customer service
- Time management
- Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel
- Office management
- Project management
- Calendar management
- Data entry and analysis
- Filing systems
You will also need to have a basic understanding of how to use common office equipment such as printers and copiers.
Administrative Assistant Resume Example
How to List Administrative Skills on an Administrative Assistant Resume
As is often the case, how you present your administrative assistant skills in a resume is important. While the majority of your skills will be listed in your resume skills section, there are numerous ways that you can list and prove your skills on a resume. Here’s where (and how) to list your administration skills:
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In your resume summary
Your administrative assistant resume summary is a brief overview of your qualifications, so it should showcase the most important skills and experiences you have. Your resume summary should either be a few sentences or a few bullet points. If you lack professional work experience, consider a resume objective statement that focuses on skills and your career goals.
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In your work experience section
Your work history will be of huge importance during your job search, so make the most of it. Your work experience section should hold up to ten years of relevant experience; for each previous job you’ve had, mention achievements that prove your skills. For example, if you worked as an office assistant, then you could give examples of times when you used organizational and filing skills. Be sure to use action verbs (e.g., “Managed,” “Organized,” “Scheduled”) to really catch the recruiter’s attention.
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In your education section
Your education will have a strong role to play in getting you a new job. Even if you do not have a degree in business administration, you can focus on how you honed skills like report writing and data analysis. List your top education credential (e.g., college degree) here, as well as any certifications that apply to the role (e.g., certification in Microsoft Office).
If you use these tips, then you will have a better chance of landing a great administrative assistant role. Remember to list all of your hard skills, soft skills, and any special skills that you have. If you want to showcase professional certifications to prove your skills, then you can do so, but you should create an additional section on your resume to do so.
