The job market for administrative professionals is quite competitive, so it is important to have a professional-looking resume when applying for a position. You resume should clearly state the kind of job you are seeking as well as highlight key aspects of your professional background and skills relevant to performing administrative support services.
Resume Template for Administrative Assistants
Using a resume template can make the task of preparing a resume a lot easier for administrative professionals. If you're ready to start creating your resume, use the customizable template provided here as a starting point.
Click the image below to download the PDF template to your computer, using this helpful PDF guide if you need help. Edit the template to highlight your unique background and skills and use the commands in the tool bar to save and print the document.
Deciding What to Include
Employers want to know that you can perform the duties of the jobs they advertise. In addition to including a specific objective and giving details about your educational background and work history, highlight the skills and qualifications that uniquely qualify you to work as an administrative assistant when writing your resume.
Skills and abilities that make administrative professionals valuable to businesses and nonprofit organizations include:
Computer Skills
The ability to use a computer and popular office software programs is essential. Many administrative assistants use word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs on a daily basis. Some companies require their employees to use special e-mail software to keep track of all electronic mail.
Communication Skills
Administrative professionals need to have strong communication skills. This job requires constant contact with managers, visitors, people from other departments, customers and outside consultants.
Administrative assistants need both oral and written communication skills. The oral communication skills are valuable for answering questions, providing information and resolving conflict.
Written communication skills are necessary for developing memos, writing e-mail messages, creating sales materials and developing customer correspondence.
Multitasking Ability
Administrative assistants must have the ability to juggle multiple responsibilities and perform well under pressure. These professionals often face busy days full of projects, phone calls and meetings.
Interruptions from visitors, package carriers, postal workers and other employees often interfere with project work. An administrative assistant must be able to manage competing priorities to complete all projects on time and ensure that the needs of managers and customers are met in a timely manner.
Specialized Skills
Some administrative assistant positions require more in-depth skills than others. Executives often hire administrative assistants to handle their business affairs. An executive administrative assistant must have the ability to deal with prominent business leaders and coordinate important meetings without making mistakes.
Some administrative assistants have specialized duties based on their hiring departments. An administrative assistant in the marketing department, for example, may need skills in developing brochures or doing desktop publishing.
More Example Resumes
The template provided here is just one format option for your resume - there are plenty of others. You may want to review other resume formats to see if there is a style that better fits your background and personality. A general free blank resume form may be a good place for you to start.
Places where you can find other examples specific to administrative assistants include:
- Resume Genius offers a free resume sample for someone who wants to work as an administrative assistant. The sample shows you how to document your work experience, skills and education for potential employers.
- SampleResumeTemplates.com has an administrative assistant sample resume that varies slightly from other examples. This sample uses bullet points and skill groupings to highlight the applicant's skills.
- Susan Ireland, the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume, offers several administrative assistant sample resumes on her site. Susan Ireland's Resume Site has samples for administrative assistants, executive assistants, administrative assistant position in an academic setting and more.
Important Job Search Tool
Your resume is an important part of seeking employment with any company. Because many employers receive hundreds of resumes in response to their job advertisements, recruiters need some way to separate the good candidates from the ones without the required skills and experience.
A well-written resume that highlights your administrative skills shows employers that you meet or exceed the basic qualifications to work as an administrative assistant. A resume that is formatted properly and free of errors also shows that you can produce professional documents, an essential skill for an administrative assistant.
