Tips for Writing a Better Office Manager Job Description

1. Place the job description section appropriately.

The resume format that you use may impact where you put the job description section. For a chronological resume, you’ll typically put it higher up, typically directly below your resume objective or resume summary. On a functional resume, you’ll place it lower on the page. It depends on what you’re trying to emphasize and de-emphasize.

2. Label your job description section.

Next, label your job description section appropriately. In most resumes, you’ll see it as “Work Experience,” “Work History” or “Employment History.” If you’re using a resume builder, this label may be built-in, making it even easier to draw attention to.

3. Outline the job simply.

The first step to writing the actual description is to outline the job. Include the job title you held, the company you worked for, the years you worked there and the location where the job was. This helps the hiring manager understand your job timeline, which is especially helpful if you have many past jobs and many years of experience.

4. List up to 5 bullet points per job position.

Next, you’ll want to list bullet points indicating what you did for business administration. This is where you have a place to shine through your achievements and accomplishments. Identify the top 3 to 5 requirements that your job required you to perform. Here are a few examples to help you get started:

• Spearheaded implementation of new bookkeeping structures.
• Introduced Microsoft Office cloud services across the entire office for easier document sharing.
• Provided administrative support to 50+ individuals.
• Ordered office supplies and ensured office equipment was consistently functioning properly.
• Discussed time management and multitasking with office staff, and created a streamlined workflow with effective methods of onboarding new employees.
• Facilitated communication between human resources and general office administration.
• Maintained expense reports in a self-created filing system, including general expenditures, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and invoicing.
• Encouraged general office efficiency within the office environment, including all kinds of office functions.
• Created new office policies with input from staff members.
• Developed PowerPoint presentations for shareholders every quarter.

The best way to make your bulleted accomplishments stand out is to begin each sentence with a strong verb.

5. Use action verbs and targeted keywords.

When you look at the list above, you’ll notice that they all start strong with a resume action word like spearheaded, facilitated and maintained. Action words are critical for your job description section because it creates a sense of movement within your resume. Additionally, look through the business office manager job posting that you’re applying for so you can see what qualifications/keywords the hiring manager listed. These keywords will also help your resume get past applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan most resumes to select the most qualified candidates. You want to highlight both your soft skills and your technical skills.

6. Include a key achievement subsection if applicable.

If there’s one especially standout achievement that you accomplished at a specific job, it may be worth it to add a key achievement section. This will often include a metric of some kind, such as, “Improved administrative staff efficiency by 23% within 2 years.” You want to use the key achievement section only if you have one or more decisive achievements to include.

7. List all jobs in reverse-chronological order.

You’ll need to repeat this process for each of the jobs that you want to include in your resume. Typically, the perfect resume will include around 10 years of experience. If you have more than 10 years of experience, you may want to relegate earlier experience to your LinkedIn, so a hiring manager can still see it if they want.

8. Make sure all parts of the application process are equally strong.

Be sure the remaining parts of the resume are effectively written. This includes your education and skills sections. . Although your resume job descriptions are powerful, you’ll still need to create a great office manager cover letter and application to go along with your general resume. You want to ensure a recruiter sees your potential and calls you to schedule a job interview. You can use the ResumeNerd resume builder to create an excellent resume from start to finish.