Administration Assistant Resume Writing Guide
As an Administrator Assistant, you will be responsible for planning, organizing, and implementing the day-to-day administrative operations of a company or organization. You are the go-between for staff and management. In order to be successful in this role, it is crucial to have a clear grasp of the requisite knowledge of administrative management practices and techniques. Having to manage a large number of tasks or a high-profile position requires you to match your enthusiasm with the necessary skills to ensure its success. It is important that your resume effectively communicates the required skills for the job resources.
Administration Assistant Resume Formatting Tips
Customize Your Resume For You!– No two resumes are alike. Stay away from generic templates and write one that highlights your most relevant assets for each job application.
Use a simplistic style of writing. Employers do not want to read through tons of unnecessary words to understand what you are trying to say. Only include the most relevant information in your resume, and make it conversational.
Highlight Your Accomplishments! – Highlighting accomplishments on your resume not only allows you to emphasize your successes but also shows the employer that you are actively involved in all aspects of the job. Take time to reflect on the tasks that were achieved during your last job and highlight them with action verbs such as managed, coordinated, or designed for each position held.
Use Keywords– Keywords are what employers use to search resumes for a particular job role. Research shows that nearly 80% of employers utilize Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) when reviewing resumes, which means your resume must be formatted properly in order for recruiters and hiring managers to be able to effectively search through them. Using keywords that are relevant to the job will allow your resume to pop up in the searches, and increase your chances of getting an interview.
Get personal! – Make sure you add a professional headshot of yourself on the top of your resume and include any awards or special recognitions you have received. Make sure that you highlight any leadership roles and the contributions that you have made to your community. Adding a personal touch will make a lasting impression on employers and will help them remember you at the interview.
Be Specific– List down where each job was located and when you worked there. State the exact job title of each position held, including supervisory positions. List down all tasks performed for each position (Make sure to include details). Include an overview section of your educational background and professional certifications, if applicable for the position.
Administration Assistant Resume Summary Tips:
- Display any relevant education history, certifications, skills and experience at the beginning of your resume.
- Use relevant keywords to describe your skills and ensure that the language is easy to read.
- Wrap each job description with a header showing the company name, location and dates of employment. Use bullet points to include highlights and achievements made during each role you have had in the past 10 years or so (if applicable). Briefly explain any employment gaps between positions by displaying them in a concise manner after the previous jobs you held in chronological order. For example, if you had been employed for three years when changing career paths due to personal reasons, write: “This position was left due to family reasons. I resumed working in 2010 as ________ for the period of _______.
- If you hold more than one position, be sure to segment your employment by writing a brief description for each job held.
- Use your creativity to customize specific skills that can be used in your next job description. Focus on the skills that best describe what is required in each position.
Administration Assistant Resume Education Tips:
- Include all types of education at the top of your resume, following with some additional details below (if applicable). You may include a brief description after each degree or certification that summarizes how this has helped prepare you for your career and any relevant accomplishments or awards received during school time (if any).
- For education located at the top of your resume, consider displaying the name of the school, location and dates of attendance.
- For each degree, certificate, or qualification that you obtained, give a short description that provides relevant information about each achievement. Highlight any skills obtained during this time that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
- Depending on your level of education and experience, you may wish to include extra sections below your academic experiences on your resumes, such as computer skills or language skills acquired – but make sure not to overdo it!
Administration Assistant Resume Work History Tips:
- This section should be organized by most recent job first and then work backward to your earliest job. Organize the jobs in reverse chronological order (latest first).
- Start each description by describing the company name, followed by the city and state information. If you held a position for a while, include dates of employment for each position at the bottom of each job description. In between, write a brief summary of your role, including any special projects or duties you may have undertaken.
- Under each company listing, include an additional header, plus any relevant keywords as for any skills or achievements obtained during your time there (if applicable).
- For each job, include the name of the company, city, and state; a brief two or three-sentence summary; and dates of employment (if applicable).
- When describing qualifications for your particular industry, follow this format: Company Name – Location – Title. For example ABC Corporation – Palo Alto, CA – Administrative Assistant. If you have more than one position at a company, then list them out in reverse chronological order with the most recent first.
Administrative Assistant Resume Skills Tips:
- This section is a catch-all for all of your skills and expertise, regardless of where they appear in your resume (such as the cover letter or you would include them in the summary).
- Organize the sections by category. For example, if you do most of your work on the computer, then one section could be titled Computer Skills.
- For each skill, name the company and skill title (if applicable), followed by a brief reference description outlining which industry or niche it relates to; skills you developed during your time at that company; and task list.
- For ongoing, current skills, be sure to include the company name and describe the current role and responsibilities.
- Don’t forget to include PC-based skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and a list of software you used with a brief description of each.
Top 10 must-have Administrative Assistant Skills:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills. If you aren’t a person who is comfortable speaking on the phone, prepare to be assigned to the phone.
- Time management skills and an excellent work ethic are essential. It is very important that the Administrative Assistant maintains a positive attitude, always be willing to learn new tasks, and provides excellent customer service. A strong work ethic, as well as a positive attitude, will make you an indispensable asset available for every project manager and associate in your company or organization.
- Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Excel is a must for administrative assistants. If you aren’t familiar with this, you may want to consider taking a class or participate in an online course (available from your local library).
- Have experience doing desktop publishing, including graphic design/layout and design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. This is very helpful if you are assigned to create marketing materials or product catalogs.
- The ability to maintain efficient records regarding customer accounts and items ordered is very important for any administrative assistant.
- Strong knowledge of word processing software is helpful, and if you have some experience with desktop publishing tools (such as Adobe InDesign or Quark Xpress), then you will have many new exciting career opportunities available to you.
- A proven ability to multitask, prioritize, plan and organize are all required skills for a top-notch administrative assistant. These skills are very important for every administrative assistant because he/she may be assigned to all types of projects that are both routine and non-routine in nature (some related to general office duties as well as external projects unrelated to the company).
- You must be able to use complex computer programs, including the company’s database, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. You must also be familiar with the web.
- Excellent written and spoken communication skills are an absolute requirement for any administrative assistant. Your ability to communicate in a friendly yet professional manner with people of all ages is very important because you will be in constant contact with many people at your job. You must have excellent listening skills as well as good phone etiquette so that clients feel comfortable speaking with you about any questions or concerns they may have.
- Most companies want the Administrative Assistant to have excellent time management skills. In addition, you must have the ability to manage your own workload as well as be able to delegate tasks so that other professionals in the office are able to complete their work.
Tips to write an Administrative Assistant Resume with no experience:
- create a great cover letter that gives a “complete picture” of your skills and abilities.
- highlight the great experience you have in administration, clerical work, customer service, etc.
- Review your resume for errors and typos – and if you still have questions about an area, or anything at all, contact us!
- Think about your goals for a career in administration: this is a great way to show employers that you are motivated and enthusiastic about the field!
- Give us a REAL reason why you want the job.
- Write a great summary of qualifications that lists the most relevant abilities and skills
- Add your own information and accomplishments, showing employers just how you would add value to their organization!
- Give examples of previous work experiences, so employers know just what they could expect from you as an employee!
Key Takeaways:
– Include your strong points and make a good “first impression”
– Do not take up the majority of the resume with irrelevant information that does not support your case for getting an interview.
– Leave plenty of space at the bottom to write in your contact details
– Use spell check!
– Consider removing personal comments, such as hobbies and interests unless they are directly related to the job you’re applying for (i.e – something like being a member of professional associations or volunteering).