How to Write the Best Administrative Assistant Resume: A Complete Guide with Examples

The administrative assistant is not just someone sitting at the lobby counter, meeting visitors and answering calls. He controls the production process, monitors the company's property, settles conflicts, and checks the staff's work.

Currently, there are more than a dozen areas of Administrative Assistant work. Such an employee is required in cafes and beauty salons; he can be seen in the hotel lobby and trading floor.

But in whatever field you are looking for a job in this specialty, you will need a qualified Administrative Assistant resume.

Fortunately, in this article, you will find all the necessary recommendations to complete it! We will describe in detail how to do this correctly.

Let's start by presenting a fully finished sample administrator resume - and then we will analyze each of its sections. Go!

Admin Resume Sample

John Emad

Restaurant administrator

Phone: +7 91555-555-555

Email: [email protected]

City: Dubai

Date of birth: January 1, 1991

Dedicated and detail-oriented administrative assistant with 5 years of experience providing support to busy offices and teams. Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suite, with excellent communication and time management skills. Seeking a position as an administrative assistant where I can utilize my skills and experience to support the smooth operation of a busy office.

Employment: full time

Key responsibilities:

• Communication skills
• Organizational skills
• Attention to detail
• Computer skills
• Time management skills
• Customer service skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Teamwork

Work experience:

June 2011 — Feb 2022

IL Forno Italian Restaurant

Administrator

Job responsibilities:

• Answering and directing phone calls, taking reservations, and answering customer inquiries
• Scheduling and coordinating meetings and events
• Managing and maintaining a customer database and contact lists
• Organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files
• Assisting with the preparation of marketing and promotional materials
• Managing email and correspondence
• Assisting with the preparation of financial and business reports
• Maintaining inventory of office and restaurant supplies
• Assisting with the hiring and training of new staff
• Handling customer complaints and concerns
• Assisting with the implementation of new policies and procedures
• Maintaining a clean and organized work environment.

Education:

September 2007 — June 2011

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, XYZ University (2020)

Additional education:

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), International Association of Administrative Professionals (2022)

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification (2021)

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, ABC Company (2019)"

Additional Information:

Foreign languages:

English: Fluent

Arabic: Native

Related links:

• Resume Headline: Best Headlines to Use in 2023-Drjobpro.com
• Work Experience on A Resume: How to Format for Maximum Impact?-Drjobpro.com
• Resume Photo: Yes, or No?-Drjobpro.com
• 8 Samples of Career Objective for Resume

Key Guidelines for Writing an administrative assistant Resume

A resume is a document that tells the employer about your value as a candidate for a position. Work experience, education, skills, and other information must be appropriately listed. The administrative assistant should work hard on his Resume - even if he still has little or no work experience.

💡 Fact: the position of an administrative assistant almost always involves working with documents. A competent and beautiful resume is your opportunity to demonstrate that you have mastered this skill by 100%.

So, what are the basic guidelines for writing the Resume of an administrative assistant?

The main characteristic of this document is brevity and informativeness. Showcase what is interesting to your future boss. All experience relating to other areas does not need to be indicated.

A resume should always be current and updated. It is essential to show your career progression - for example, if you have grown from a receptionist to an administrative assistant.

Your resume should not exceed 2 pages. Keep this Fact in mind as you write your work CV. The employer spends only a couple of minutes reading each Resume.

Pay special attention to the "About me" section  (Resume summary). It describes your work achievement.

Admin Assistant Resume

Structure and Format

To create an excellent quality resume, knowing what its formats will be helpful. There are only three of them: chronological, functional, and mixed. Among them is the most popular one, and one suitable for candidates without work experience. Let's find out how they differ!

Chronological. The most common format. You can find dozens of resumes in each company's database with a chronological structure. This format differs in that the length of service is indicated here in reverse order. That is, the top line is the last place of work, the second line - by the previous one, etc. Such a resume suits applicants with more or less significant work experience.

Functional. Here the leading role is played by education and special skills, achievements in studies, and industrial practice. As you already understand, we are talking about candidates without work experience - this format is preferable for them.

Mixed. This format mixes the first and second structures, and there are no strict rules here. Suitable for those who have had a career gap, are starting work in a new position, or want to emphasize their personal qualities. In a word, only you can decide how to use this format.

Title and contact information

So, we decided on the format; the design is already ready. Let's start filling out a resume! And the first thing to fill in is the title. In addition to your name and surname, you need to indicate the position here.

📌 Tip: since the profession of admin assistant exists in many areas, it is better to specify your direction immediately. For example, write " admin assistant " and "office administrator."

Let's look at examples

Good headline template

Real estate administrator

Bad headline pattern

Experienced, punctual, and balanced administrator

Although the samples describe one person, they are entirely different. Everything is clear in the first case; in the second, there is a lot of unnecessary information, but there is no main thing. It is essential that the reader immediately understands in which area you are looking for a job. This will save everyone time.

Go ahead and provide contact information. Nothing extra is needed here. Only:

• City ​​of residence or work;
• One contact phone number;
• One email.

Next, let's move on to the photo.

Since an administrator's job involves publicity, including a high-quality photo on your Resume is essential.

However, for this, it is enough to take into account a few points 👇

• The photo must be in color
• There should be no one else in the picture except you.
• Clothing - business or casual, but not too open
• A smile will be beneficial because you have to communicate with people

📌 Tip: if you have a good photo from a previous job, you can use it. So you immediately show yourself in a familiar working environment.

"About me" or Resume summary: how to fill it in correctly

In this section, you do not need to list your work experience and responsibilities. This is the place for your achievements, which will show what a cool and necessary employee you are. It is essential that the information be expressed briefly ( 3-6 sentences ) and, if possible, in numbers.

Let's look at examples

An example of a good Resume Summary

Highly motivated and organized administrative assistant with over 5 years of experience supporting busy offices and teams. Proficient in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and customer relationship management software. Strong communication and time management skills, with a proven ability to prioritize and multitask effectively. Seeking a challenging and rewarding administrative assistant position where I can utilize my skills and experience to support the smooth operation of a busy office.

An example of a bad Resume Summary

I am a hard worker who is looking for a job as an administrative assistant. I have some experience in this field and am good at answering phones and doing paperwork. I am also good at following instructions, and I am a fast learner.

Well, these samples speak for themselves. The first is about concrete achievements, and the second is about lots of watery words and no certainty. Achievements are not mentioned at all, but information about hobbies is superfluous here.

Experience in admin assistant CV

Any administrative assistant resume template includes this section. Your previous job and the skills you gained in it are something that an employer is highly interested in. In case you have at least some work experience in the position you are looking for, we recommend sticking to the chronological structure.

Here you need to specify the following:

• The name of the company or organization where you worked;
• Period of your work there;
• Your job responsibilities.

What to write if there is no work experience?

First, this has never been a problem for people who want to build a good career. We all start from somewhere, and there is no need to be afraid of this process.

Secondly, in case of a lack of experience, a functional resume format can be used. Indicate your achievements in studies, work experience, and participation in trainings or master classes. In a word, everything will show you as a developed and competent person.

Let's look at examples of filling this section:

Administrative Assistant, ABC Company (2020-Present)

• Provided administrative support to a team of 10 sales professionals, including scheduling appointments, managing email and correspondence, and organizing and maintaining files.
• Assisted with preparing marketing and promotional materials, including creating flyers and social media posts.
• Scheduled and coordinated meetings and events, including booking venues and arranging travel.
• Maintained inventory of office supplies and assisted with the hiring and training new staff.

Receptionist, XYZ Corporation (2018-2020)

• Answered and directed phone calls greeted visitors, and managed the front desk.
• Assisted with preparing financial and business reports, including tracking expenses and creating budget reports.
• Assisted with implementing new policies and procedures to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Maintained a clean and organized work environment.

Education in administrator resume

The job of administrative assistant does not always require specialized education. For example, an administrative assistant in a clinic does not involve treating people - but you have to receive calls, schedule doctors, and meet patients. Communication skills, organizational skills, and a desire to learn are much more important in this position.

On the other hand, the crust of a specialized university will be credited to you when applying for a job.

📌 Tip: if you have received education in another field, it will be helpful to complete specialized courses. Also, to advance in a career, you should pay attention to training seminars- you can also find plenty of them. Today, they can also be accessed online.

Let's see the option to fill in the "Education" section

Education

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, XYZ University (2020)

Additional education

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), International Association of Administrative Professionals (2022)

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification (2021)

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, ABC Company (2019)

Skills in an administrative assistant resume: what is the difference between Hard skills and Soft skills

Hard skills are taught in schools and universities, and you can get a certificate or diploma. These include, for example, knowledge of a computer program, working with documents, and knowledge of laws.

Soft skills - personal qualities, such as resistance to stress, the ability to work in a team, efficiency, and punctuality. They are more challenging to train, although many trainers and coaches take up this task today.

Let's see what set of Hard skills and Soft skills is relevant for

Hard skills

• Meeting guests and customers
• Handling incoming calls and mail
• Advising clients on company services
• Organization of personnel work
• Filling out documents
• Organization of corporate events
• Maintenance and control of cleanliness and order
• Junior staff training

Soft skills

• Empathy
• Time management
• Organizational skills
• Sociability
• Ability to resolve conflicts
• Stress resistance
• Initiative

What else can you include in an administrative assistant's Resume? Filling out additional sections

We are close to completing the Resume! The main information is in place - and now it's time to add not the main but interesting information about you. What is included?

Computer skills and certifications

Working on a computer is an integral part of administrative assistants. Depending on the specifics of the field, they work in programs for restaurants, and the hotel business, with databases, charts, etc. There are practically no useless programs in this position. So feel free to list any tools you own.

For example, Power Point is useful for colorful presentations, CorelDRAW is for drawing hotel business cards, and Quik can create great videos for a clinic or beauty salon.

Foreign languages

Great skill for an administrative assistant. Wherever you work, there is always a chance that a foreign client or visitor will contact you.

Some More Important Recommendations for Your Administrative Assistant Resume

We congratulate you - your Resume is ready! 👍 All that's left to do is tweak and improve something to make it perfect.

• Check the text for errors. You can use one of the spell-checking services.
• Get rid of abbreviations. Perhaps your Resume will be read by a manager or director unaware of some subtleties.
• Ensure to include only relevant experience, one of interest to the employer. You do not need to talk about your entire work history if it is unrelated to a vacancy.
• Read the job description properly before sending your Resume. It contains keywords and phrases you can use in your Resume or interview.
• Save your Resume in pdf format. So it will open correctly on any device.

Cover letter: why is it important

This is very important for an administrative assistant because business correspondence is a required skill in this profession. By writing, you immediately show that you own it with a bang.

Fortunately, you can easily find the latest administrative assistant opportunities worldwide with us. Choose the country, insert your data and apply today!