Administrative Assistant Resume
"No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another."
Administrative Assistant Resume – Samples & How-To Guide
Looking for resume help as an Administrative Assistant? Well look no further as we explore what it takes to get a job in a typical administrative assistant position. Most administrative assistants are the central hub and key resource for ensuring office operations are managed, organized and maintained. As this role entails multitasking between different support functions, the primary expectations of an administrative assistant can range from the following routine functions, but not limited to:
- Answering incoming telephone calls
- Arranging and scheduling meetings for management
- Establishing and organizing filing systems and documents
- Planning and coordinating travel arrangements
- Maintaining databases and spreadsheets
- Scheduling and coordinating special events
Administrative Assistants continue to primarily perform responsibilities in an office setting but can also work remotely as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), full-time employment opportunities in this field are most common in the following industries:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Government
- Legal
- Medical Offices
Administrative Assistant Education & Certifications
To become an entry-level administrative assistant, you may be surprised to know that most roles only require a high school diploma or equivalent. Most high school graduates gain the necessary skills to adequately perform most daily administrative duties when learning programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. In more technical industries – such as the medical or legal industry – some administrative assistant roles may require additional training in industry-specific software and skills to perform their duties effectively.
There are also certifications to potentially pursue if you’ve chosen a career path as an administrative assistant. The more renowned certifications include the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) which is issued by the International Association of Administrative Professionals’ as well as the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS).
Taking the CAP exam requires you to have at least 4 years of experience working as an administrative professional and it’s generally recommended you prepare for the test three to six months before taking it. It’s a three hour long in-person exam in multiple-choice format.
As you might have guessed, the Microsoft Office Specialist certifications test your skills in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. There’s a separate exam and certification for each program, and if you’re able to earn all three, you are awarded the MOS certification. You can take these certification exams by going to Certiport, which is a company partnered with Microsoft to oversee and run these test centers. Each exam is 90 minutes and does require a fee to take.
While these certifications may certainly help you advance your career as an administrative assistant, these certifications are by no means necessary for most administrative type jobs. Being certified in this particular field is actually far less than other fields such as nursing, accounting, and finance. Before deciding to spend your time trying to obtain these certifications, you should really do some research on whether or not the administrative jobs require you to be certified to begin with.
Administrative Assistant Work Experience & Resume
You will want to highlight and begin your resume with a summary of your overall experience including past work experience, volunteer work, educational experience, and relevant skills. If you have little to no experience, you should consider mentioning the relevant college courses you’ve taken and starting your resume with an objective statement to clarify your goals.
When including past related work, volunteer, and educational experience, be sure to start with your most recent experience and highlight 3 to 5 of your achievements (i.e. responsibilities, kudos, awards, etc…) to reflect your abilities and capabilities as a valuable addition to the office team you are looking to join.
Factoring in all the general expectations of an administrative assistant, your resume should highlight your strong organizational, detail-oriented, multi-tasking and communication skills.
Administrative Skills
- Complying with Protocols and Standards
- Computer
- Customer Service
- Customer Service
- Filing
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- Office Equipment
- Oral and Written Communication
- Presentation
- Public Relations
- Quickbooks
- Receptionist
- Typing (25+ WPM)
- Writing Skills
Soft Skills
- Accurate
- Analytical
- Attention to detail
- Cordial
- Critical Thinking
- Detail Oriented
- Multitasking
- Multitasking
- Organization
- Personable
- Strong-communicator
- Time management
- Well-mannered
- Well-Spoken
Job Duties
- Answering calls
- Appointment Scheduling
- Arranging travel
- Client Relations
- Dealing with clients
- Faxing
- Greeting Customers and Visitors
- Maintaining office records and files
- Managing Documents
- Office Administration
- Preparing Conferences and meetings
- Recordkeeping
- Scheduling
- Supply Ordering
- Transcribing
One way to set your resume aside from other potential administrative assistant candidates (including those with experience), is to emphasize your skills or work experience related to the type of industry the company operates within. For example, if you’re applying as an administrative assistant for medical office, you’ll want to highlight your experience in providing clerical and administrative support to members of a medical office team and any related education and/or training in this area.
Feel like your resume needs more work? A professional writer from a resume service may be able to help
Administrative Assistant Interview Process
Once you are selected for an interview, be prepared for it to be conducted in-person or over the phone. An interview is the vehicle for you to showcase your experience and interest as an administrative assistant. During the interview when answering questions, be prepared to provide clear and concise responses using the STAR method:
SITUATION: Describe the situation or task that you needed to accomplish. Keep in mind this example can be from a previous work, volunteer or school experience.
TASK: Provide details on the goals or benefits you were looking to achieve
ACTION: Demonstrate how you responded and the actions you took to address the situation at hand
RESULT: Describe the outcome of your actions and what was accomplished in the end – highlight your personal contributions to the result
For your interview, be prepared to also answer behavior-based questions:
Tell me about a time when you were faced with a problem while helping someone where multiple possible solutions was identified. What was the problem and how did you determine the course of action to take? What was the outcome of the you made?
- Tell me about a time when you had to take a risk, made a mistake, or failed at a task you were assigned to complete? How did you respond, and how did you grow/improve from that experience in general?
- Tell me about a time where you took initiative as the lead?
- Tell me about a time when you needed to motivate team members or individuals to achieve a task assigned to you to manage?
Before your scheduled interview, be prepared to ask common interview questions to learn more about the role and to further express your enthusiasm and interest as an administrative assistant.
Throughout the interview process, always remember to present yourself in a professional manner and clearly communicate and market your skills and qualifications regardless if you have related work and/or education experience as an administrative assistant.
Here’s the text version of the sample resume:
123 Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90001
Home: (123) 456-7890 | Cell: (123) 456-7890
Flexible and hardworking administrative assistant who excels at multitasking and following instructions to achieve company goals and meet necessary deadlines. Unwavering and always looking forward to bringing his best self to the table each and every day. Very willing to relocate.techniques.
- Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
- Adobe Photoshop CC, Premiere Pro CC
- QuickBooks
- SAP, Oracle
- Overlooked the receptionist team and delegated responsibilities to each member according to company needs
- Acted as liaison between company and 3rd party business partners and affiliates
- Worked closely alongside the director of media management to provide administrative assistance and track analytics for company’s marketing department
- Setup presentations for office meetings
- Screened job applicants during the early stages of the hiring process
- Received and directed visitors according to company policy and guidelines
- Trained 5 receptionists and employees by preparing them for their roles and educating them on company specific
- Recorded and managed office expenses
- Posted and managed over 10 job postings that were listed in online job searching sites
- Answered, screened, and directed incoming phone calls while providing basic information as needed
- Received and sorted any necessary correspondences
- Prepared and processed weekly expense reports and presented them to management
- Scheduled and ensured the preparation of company meetings and group events
- Maintained company records, databases, and spreadsheets in adherence to company protocol
- Performed clerical duties such as filing, photocopying, faxing
- Managed the ordering and inventory of office supplies
- Scheduled and managed patient appointments throughout the day
- Greeted patients at the desk and forwarded their scheduled appointments
- Manned the phones, answered patient questions, filed patients’ private information, and resolved complaints
- Handled medical paperwork and administrative duties
Bachelor of Science in Marketing, May 2012
Minor: Accounting
Cum Laude, GPA: 3.52
Administrative assistant job positions unfortunately receive tons of job applications per job opening. The more competition, the harder it is for you to stand out from the crowd and secure job interviews. If you need additional resume help, consider working with our team of professional resume writers who are willing to put in the time and effort into making sure your resume is in tip-top shape.