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Administrative Assistant Resume Examples
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Administrative Assistant Resume Example (Text Version)
[Your Name]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number LinkedIn]
Resume Summary
[Insert your summary here. This should be a brief statement highlighting your core qualifications and career goals.]
Summary of Qualifications
- [Insert qualification #1]
- [Insert qualification #2]
- [Insert qualification #3]
- [Insert qualification #4]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 1]
[Type of] Skills
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
- [Add relevant accomplishment or responsibility related to Skill 2]
Education
[Degree Earned]
[High School Name, Location]
[Graduation Date or Estimated Graduation Date]
- [OPTIONAL: Add relevant coursework or academic achievements]
- [OPTIONAL: Add any honors or awards received]
Work History
[Job Title #1 | Club or Employer Name #1]
[Location, Year]
[Job Title #2 | Club or Employer Name #2]
[Location, Year]
How to Format a Administrative Assistant Resume
An impressive admin assistant resume needs a strategic resume format and relevant experience to maximize your qualifications. Use a formal resume layout with 1-inch margins, easy-to-skil bullet points and clear resume headings for the following sections.
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Professional header and contact info
Include your name, contact information and a professional email address.
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Compelling summary statement
A brief resume summary or objective highlighting two relevant administrative skills or accomplishments backed by hard evidence.
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Highlight your skills
Create a dedicated section to showcase hard and soft skills specific to administration, like file organization, office management or communication.
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Emphasize your work history
List your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include job titles, company names, dates of employment and key responsibilities and achievements for each role in a bullet list.
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Supporting education section
Detail your educational background, mentioning any relevant degrees, diplomas or certifications obtained.
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Additional sections
You can add resume sections for licenses, certifications, industry memberships or unions, awards, volunteer experience or spoken languages.
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How to Impress With an Administrative Assistant Resume Summary
Hiring managers can spend as little as six seconds reviewing your resume — adding an impactful resume summary to your administrative assistant’s resume can compel them to spend more time with it.
Start with a solid opening sentence
That highlights your years of administrative experience and enthusiasm for the open position or employer.
Follow up with one or two key accomplishments
Or skills related to organization, communication or multitasking.
Use evidence like quantifiable achievements
To help hiring managers understand your qualifications.
Be brief but impactful
Keep this introduction to two or three sentences. Your work history and cover letter will allow you to elaborate on these skills and accomplishments.
Strong and weak Administrative Assistant summary
“Highly organized and detail-oriented administrative assistant with 5+ years of experience supporting executives and managing office operations. Proficient in calendar management, travel coordination, and document preparation. Adept at handling confidential information and maintaining a professional atmosphere. Proven track record of streamlining processes and improving efficiency.”
Why it works:
This candidate shares their experience and highlights their discrete ability to handle confidential materials and manage calendars, travel arrangements and office operations. This introduction would persuade a hiring manager to consider them for information-sensitive roles related to law, government or private homes.
“Skilled administrative assistant with experience in various office tasks. Good at multitasking and communication. Worked with executives and assisted in office duties.”
How it fails:
The poorly written example is vague and lacks specific details. It leaves employers with little information about the applicant’s qualifications and fails to make a strong impression. This job seeker can improve their resume by adding specific information, such as budget management. They could explain budget numbers, accrued savings, or the number of vendor contracts they manage.
PRO TIP:
If you’re new to the job market, changing careers or coming back for a lengthy work gap, use a resume objective. This introduction pitches transferable administrative skills and downplays your lack of recent, relevant experience. Only use the resume summary if you have over three years of administrative experience.
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How to Highlight Your Administrative Work History
If you use a standard, timeline-based format like the chronological resume or hybrid resume, the work history section of your resume is the most detailed part. Hiring managers use this to track your employment history, dedication to former employers and daily responsibilities. To make the most of your administrative assistant resume, use the following tips.
Begin with your most recent job
And work backward, adding detailed breakdowns of your responsibilities under easy-to-skim bullet points.
Add relevant experience
Like managing schedules, coordinating meetings, or handling mail and emails.
Use unique
Professional words to describe your contributions and previous responsibilities.
Use quantifiable achievement
To highlight relevant skills, software knowledge or efficient process improvements with proof.
Tailor the information
To the administrative assistant job description, emphasizing experiences that align with the role’s requirements.
Strong and weak Administrative Assistant work history
Administrative Assistant | Apple
New York, NY | June 2018 – Present
- Managed executive calendar, scheduled meetings and coordinated travel arrangements, resulting in increased efficiency and on-time appointments.
- Streamlined document organization and file management system, reducing retrieval time by 30%.
- Assisted in planning and executing corporate events, ensuring seamless coordination and successful outcomes.
- Responded to phone inquiries and directed calls to appropriate personnel, enhancing customer service experience.
- Prepared reports, presentations and correspondence with high accuracy and attention to detail.
Why this administrative assistant resume sample works:
A good example details the job seeker’s achievements, demonstrating their organizational, communication and problem-solving skills. It quantifies their impact, such as reducing retrieval time by 30%, which adds credibility to their accomplishments.
Administrative Assistant | Apple
New York, NY | June 2018 – Present
- Assisted with various tasks in the office.
- Managed calendars and scheduled meetings.
- Helped with event planning and preparation.
- Responsible for answering phone calls and emails.
How it fails:
Although this administrative assistant highlights essential office management skills, it needs to add specific situations or complex office structures to help hiring managers measure their performance under pressure. Hiring managers are likelier to choose a candidate who describes how many people they assist, specific duties they tackled or what specialized tools they can run, like Outlook, Trello or Dropbox.
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How to Write an Administrative Assistant Education Section
Although most administrative job openings don’t require an advanced degree, you can elevate your administrative assistant resume by adding the following career-related degrees, programs or certifications.
1Add administrative degrees, if applicable.
List your highest level, such as a degree or diploma, at the top of the education section. Include the name of the degree, the school or institution, location and graduation date. Add your high school diploma or GED if you’re applying right after graduation.
Education formatting example:
- Bachelor of Science in Business Administration | UCLA, Los Angeles, CA | May 2021
- Associate of Business Administration in Business Writing | Long Beach City College, Long Beach, CA | May 2019
2Mention relevant coursework, especially in file or time management.
If you’re finishing your program, left before you could earn your degree, or have less than three years of formal administrative experience, you can highlight relevant courses related to typical administrative assistant responsibilities.
Relevant coursework formatting example:
Relevant Coursework:
- Introduction to Office Management, Sept 2021
- Business Communication, January 2021
- Digital Workshop — Computer Applications, Sept 2020
3Highlight certifications.
Applying for certifications is another way to highlight your administrative progress because they demonstrate knowledge of specialized programs or skills. List these under your highest degrees.
Certifications formatting example:
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) | International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) | July 2020
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification | Microsoft | August 2021
PRO TIP:
Keep your education section relevant by only adding administrative-specific information. If you completed an associate degree or higher and have three years of experience, delete your high school diploma.
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15 Helpful Administrative Skills for Your Resume
Your administrative skills include interpersonal and technical skills. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most requested soft and hard skills to help your administrative assistant resume triumph over other candidates. Place these under a dedicated skills section or sprinkle them throughout your resume sections.
Soft skills
- Communication
- Time Management
- Adaptability
- Problem-Solving
- Team Collaboration
Hard skills
- Office Management
- Calendar Management
- Data Entry
- Document Preparation
- Travel Coordination
Technical skills
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Database Management
- Virtual Meeting Software (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet)
- File Organization and Digital Filing Systems
- Internet Research
PRO TIP:
Use a skills-based resume like the functional format if you have less than three years experience, multiple work gaps or a recent career change into administration.
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20 Administration-Related Action Verbs
Use action verbs in your administrative assistant resume to convey dynamism and impact. Start bullet points with strong verbs like “managed,” “coordinated,” or “organized” to showcase your proactive approach and highlight accomplishments, making your resume more engaging and compelling to potential employers. Here’s a sample list of power words to help you start:
- Assist
- Coordinate
- Delegate
- Enhance
- Facilitate
- Generate
- Initiate
- Manage
- Organize
- Prioritize
- Resolve
- Schedule
- Streamline
- Support
- Track
- Update
- Verify
- Write
- Excel
- Yield
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Additional Resume Sections
Although the following resume sections aren’t standard, consider adding them based on specific administrative assistant job openings and your unique job search.
Use a Cover Letter to Express Yourself
A resume is a concise overview of your skills and experience — a cover letter expands on this foundation. Add a cover letter to share one or two examples of how you excelled in similar roles or how your skills match a company’s needs. Use this sample as a guide, or visit our helpful resources to boost your application.
Administrative Assistant Resume FAQ
How do I format my administrative assistant resume?
Opt for a clean, professional layout with clear headings and bullet points to enhance readability. Use a standard font like Arial or Calibri and maintain consistent formatting throughout. Visit our list of our top professional resume templates to help you get started.
Should I include references on my administrative assistant resume?
Having a set list of references is responsible, but don’t add them to your resume. Use this space to summarize your qualifications and land an interview. You can share a separate references page after interviews when hiring managers ask for them.
How do applicant tracking systems affect my administrative assistant resume?
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) scan resumes for keywords and relevant experience. Tailor your resume to match job descriptions, use industry-specific terms, and avoid complex formatting to increase visibility and chances of passing ATS screening.
Is it important to quantify achievements on my administrative assistant resume?
Yes! Quantifying achievements with numbers or percentages not only adds credibility and demonstrates your positive work impact but also helps hiring managers measure your suitability for a job opening.
Gabriela Barcenas
CPRW, Career WriterGabriela is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches and has worked in the career industry for more than seven years providing comprehensive guidance on resume writing and job search strategies for individuals across diverse career paths. She holds a bachelor's degree in English and creative writing and is passionate about helping job seekers present their professional story effectively through well-crafted resumes and cover letters that demonstrate their value, skills, and experience to potential employers. Some of her work has been featured on JobHero's resume examples career center.