If you’ve got a knack for keeping everything and everyone organized and want to be the heartbeat of an office, you should learn how to write an administrative assistant resume. That way, you can use your skills and personality while helping an organization thrive. We’ll share what you need to know to craft a winning resume so you can write yours today!
If you are looking for an administrative assistant job, start your search on ZipRecruiter! ZipRecruiter is free to use and you can apply to jobs with a single click!
What Is Unique About An Administrative Assistant Resume?
An administrative assistant resume shares many similarities with resumes for other positions. However, in this case, you tailor the document with the specific role in mind, which increases your odds of grabbing a recruiter's or hiring manager’s attention.
For more details about an administrative assistant role, check out our administrative assistant job description.
What Should Be Included On An Administrative Assistant Resume?
Your administrative assistant resume should include several sections. We'll break each of them down here.
Name and Contact Details
Your name should be the first thing the resume reviewer sees, so write it prominently at the top of the page. Then, list your phone number and professional-sounding email address immediately below it. That way, it’s easy for the recruiter or hiring manager to contact you.
Resume Objective or Summary
A resume objective or summary is your first opportunity to wow your reader. If you’re a newer administrative assistant, include a skills-focused resume objective. But, if you’re a more seasoned administrative professional, write an achievement-focused resume summary. In either case, this section should only take up a few lines, so be concise!
Here’s an example of each:
Resume Objective
Business administration student skilled in report writing, event planning, and using Quickbooks. Pursuing an administrative assistant position with ABC Corp to use my skills to support the management team.
Resume Summary
Sr. Executive Administrative Assistant with 15+ years of experience supporting a C-suite and a Bachelor’s degree in communications. Saved my most recent employer an average of $25,000 per year through process improvements and vendor negotiations. Managed a team of 4 junior administrative support personnel.
Experience
In this section, you should list your work experience in reverse chronological order, which means your most recent role goes first. As you describe your experience, use action words, quantified achievements, and required skills listed in the job advertisement. That way, your next employer can see what you’ve previously accomplished — and what you can do for that organization.
Here’s an example:
Sr. Administrative Assistant
ABC Corp, May 2018-present
- Managed the calendars and email inboxes of 5 executives at a Fortune 500 company.
- Handled a travel budget of $500,000 per year.
- Wrote 5 weekly reports, 1 for each executive.
- Saved the company $50,000 per year by switching caterers.
- Saved the administrative department 3 hours per week by automating accounts receivable follow-ups.
- Trained and supervised 2 junior administrative assistants.
If you don’t have much (or any) traditional work history, use this space to share about volunteer roles, freelance projects, or internships. You can still follow the example above for formatting and inspiration.
Pro Tip: If you’re light on relevant professional experience, try highlighting the transferable skills you gained throughout your career. For example, if you worked as an insurance salesperson for five years, you honed your organizational, interpersonal, and communication capabilities.
Education
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In this section, you should showcase your highest education level. If you’ve got some experience under your belt, you can keep the entry short by only including your degree, school name, and the year you graduated. But, if your career is just beginning (or you’re changing professional gears), it’s a smart idea to briefly add relevant coursework, internships (if not previously discussed), and activities.
Here’s an example of the latter:
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, 2021
XYZ University
- Relevant coursework: Financial Accounting, Principles of Business Communication, Organizational Effectiveness
- Served as secretary for the school’s community service club
- Graded 50 assignments per week as a teacher’s assistant
Pro Tip: List pertinent certifications, such as the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), here, too. Be sure to include the name of the credential, the accrediting institution, and the expiration date, if applicable.
Skills
Here’s where you should put a spotlight on your most relevant abilities. You should present the information in a bulleted list. Your list should contain fewer than ten skills (to avoid overwhelming the reader) and reflect the competencies required per the job advertisement. Keep reading to see a selection of skills for your resume you may want to include!
Awards
This optional section is where you can briefly brag about your career accolades. For example, if you won The Best Administrative Professional Award or The Most Valuable Player Award, you should list that here.
Related: Best Jobs In Administration
What Should Be Left Off An Administrative Assistant Resume?
Your administrative assistant resume should only include relevant and compelling information that will convince a recruiter or hiring manager to schedule an interview with you. That means any other details should get left off the document.
For example, if you’ve been an administrative assistant for many years, you can safely omit your experience as a cashier from two decades ago. And, there’s no need to mention your interest in classic cars (unless, perhaps, you’re applying for a position at an auto dealership).
Formatting Tips For An Administrative Assistant Resume
Keep these best practices in mind as you write your administrative assistant resume:
- Keep the document to one page, if possible. Recruiters and hiring managers are always busy and may not review additional pages.
- Put the most relevant details close to the top of the page. That way, your reader is more likely to see them and feel compelled to review the rest of the document.
- Leave a lot of white space between sections. Your reader will be grateful that they don’t have to skim through a dense wall of text.
- Use bullet points. Doing so will make your information appear organized and easier to read.
- Use a reader-friendly font. There’s nothing worse than making a recruiter or hiring manager squint to determine what you’re trying to say.
- Avoid using icons or flashy colors. Applicant tracking systems often don’t process icons correctly, and bright colors could be an eye sore and make it difficult to print your document.
The bottom line: You want your resume to be professional-looking, easy to digest, and tailored specifically to the position and company you’re targeting.
Important Job Skills For Administrative Assistant Resumes
Here are some of the most important job skills you can include on your administrative assistant resume:
- Communication
- Foreign language fluency
- Transcription or note-taking
- Report writing
- Phone etiquette
- Appointment setting
- Travel and event planning
- Calendar management
- Email management
- Document and file management
- Typing speed (in words per minute)
- Inventory management and supply ordering
- Vendor negotiation
- Bookkeeping
- Billing
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Office equipment operation (fax machine, scanner, etc.)
- Software proficiency (Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Quickbooks, etc.)
- Customer service
- Training or supervising junior employees
- Emotional intelligence
- Discretion
Remember: Use the job description as a guide for which skills to feature in this section and throughout the rest of your resume.
Related: How To Become An Executive Assistant
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, you now feel confident that you can write an administrative assistant resume. But, if the process still feels daunting, or you want an extra set of eyes on your work, we encourage you to partner with one of our selections for the best resume writing service. Then, visit ZipRecruiter to find an exciting administrative assistant opportunity near you!
