Administrative Assistant Resume Example
Administrative assistants can work in many different industries, including law, healthcare, retail, banking, tech, and so forth. They are generally responsible for answering phone calls and emails, greeting and directing visitors, managing schedules, creating memos and other written communication, making travel arrangements, and otherwise assisting an individual or a team that needs efficient, organized support.
Writing a powerful administrative assistant resume can help you demonstrate your skills and experience effectively to potential employers. You can showcase your strengths easily by preparing a resume that is well-organized and easy to read.
This article will cover which sections to include on your administrative assistant resume as well as examples and some tips for writing a successful resume.
Resume Sections To Include
Employers will be scanning your resume quickly, so you’ll want to organize your resume clearly and present your information in labeled sections to make this easier for them. Be sure to include these sections:
Header
Start by writing your full name across the top of your resume. This should be the biggest text on the page. Then add your contact information, including your phone number, a professional email address, and your customized LinkedIn URL. You can also add your address or just your city and state if you’d like to.
Resume Objective or Summary
Next, craft a resume objective or a resume summary as the introductory section of your resume. Use a resume summary if you already have some experience as an administrative assistant. In your summary, mention how many years of experience you have as well as your most impressive skills, traits, and qualifications.
If you do not have any experience as an administrative assistant, use a resume objective. Outline your career goals and showcase your transferable skills, relevant education details, and so forth.
Here’s an example of a resume summary:
Summary
Certified Administrative Professional with 6+ years of experience as an administrative assistant in the financial and investment industry. Seeking to leverage stellar organizational skills and extensive experience to join the Portland Financial team as a senior administrative assistant.
Work Experience
Then list your work experience. Include your job title, the name and location of the company that you worked for, and the dates that you worked there. Add 3-5 bullet points under your past positions and outline your job duties, achievements, and biggest wins in each of your roles. For example:
Work Experience
March 2018 - Present Administrative Assistant, Mammoth Investing, Portland, OR
- Provide administrative support for 8 senior executives
- Manage individual and office schedules, coordinating meetings, events, and conferences
- Trusted with $500,000 annual budget to make all travel arrangements for senior executives
June 2015 - March 2018 Administrative Assistant, Bend Investment Partners, Bend, OR
- Greeted and directed all visitors, increasing satisfaction rating by 30%
- Answered all incoming calls
- Verified and processed 40+ new client applications each week
Education
Add your education information next. For each entry, list the degree or diploma that you earned, the name and location of the school you attended, and your graduation date or years of attendance. If you are in college or have already graduated from college, you do not need to include your high school information. But, if high school is your highest level of formal education, you can include those details.
Expert Tip
If you have at least a few years of work experience, you don’t need to include any extra details about your education. However, if you don’t have much work experience, you can add your academic highlights to flesh out your resume. For example, you might list your GPA (if it’s above a 3.5), relevant coursework, Latin honors, awards and accolades, and so forth.
Here’s an example of a simple education section:
Education
2011 - 2015 Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Hard Skills
Hard skills are technical abilities that are usually fairly job-specific, and they are easy to learn, define, and assess. Most hard skills for an administrative assistant will likely be related to office management, scheduling, and so forth. Here’s an example of a hard skills section:
Hard Skills
Type 75+ WPM
- Microsoft Office
- Google Workspace
- Intuit Quickbooks
- Scheduling
- Office Management
- Event Coordination
Soft Skills
Soft skills are intangible and more difficult to teach and measure. Soft skills are sometimes also referred to as interpersonal skills or qualities. Many employers are now looking for candidates who possess strong soft skills, since it’s much easier to teach someone how to use a specific scheduling program than it is to teach someone how to be a good communicator. Here’s an example of a soft skills section:
Soft Skills
- Communication
- Organization
- Customer Service
- Time Management
Optional Resume Sections
Finally, you can include optional resume sections, such as certifications, languages, hobbies and interests, volunteer work, and so forth. However, only add these types of extra sections if you have space left over on your resume - it should be no more than one page if you have less than 10 years of experience and no more than two pages if you have more experience than that.
Here’s an example of a certifications section:
Certifications
CPR/AED, January 2022
American Red Cross
Certificate: Personal Assistant Specialist (CPAS), May 2016
CPAS Certifications
Certified Administrative Professional, July 2015
Administrative Professional Institute
Tips for Writing an Administrative Assistant Resume
Here are three key tips to keep in mind as you write your administrative assistant resume:
Use Reverse Chronological Order
The reverse chronological resume format is the most popular and the easiest for employers to scan quickly. For the vast majority of job seekers, this is the most effective resume format. To use it, list all of the entries in each resume section (including your work experience, education details, certifications, etc.) in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent point and working backwards in time from there.
Tailor Your Resume to Each Job Opening
Using a generic resume can seem like a good way to save time when you are applying to multiple jobs, but taking the time to tailor your resume to each job opening can actually significantly boost your chances of scoring an interview.
Start by reading the job description carefully to identify the specific language that the employer uses to describe what they are looking for in an administrative assistant. Then use that same language when describing your skills and qualifications to show that you took the time to read the job posting and customize your resume. This will show employers that you are taking the job application process seriously and it will help your resume pass automated applicant tracking system (ATS) scans.
Quantify Your Achievements
Finally, be sure to quantify your achievements whenever possible. Use numbers and data to add specificity and credibility to your accomplishments. This might mean that you outline exactly how many schedules you managed, the dollar amount of the travel budget you worked with, how many phone calls or clients you dealt with each day, the percentage by which your efficiency reduced company cost or time expenditures, and so forth.
Key Takeaways
Crafting an administrative assistant resume that is organized, efficient, and easy to read will show potential employers that you are qualified and a good fit for the position that you are applying for. Be sure to include a header, a resume summary or objective, your work experience, your education details, your hard and soft skills, and any relevant optional resume sections that you have space for. Use a reverse chronological format, tailor your resume to each job that you apply for, and quantify your achievements whenever possible.
