Administrative Assistant Resume Template Example

To craft an effective administrative assistant resume, you must show hiring managers you have the skill set to support and manage their company’s office operations across multiple departments. We’ll help you craft a resume that highlights your multitasking expertise and meticulous attention to detail with expert tips, strategies, and examples.

How To Write an Administrative Assistant Resume

Using a premade resume template will make writing your resume effortless. Your administrative assistant resume should include these sections:

  • Contact information
  • Profile
  • Key skills
  • Professional experience
  • Education and certifications

Contact information

At the top of your resume, provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Double-check that all of your information is current so hiring managers can easily schedule an interview.

Example

Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code

Profile

Your profile is the opening statement of your resume. In just a few sentences, it informs hiring managers of who you are, how much experience you have, and what makes you qualified for the role. It should emphasize your administrative expertise and highlight specific skills the employer is looking for. For example, if a company needs someone proficient in Google Workspace, mention that here.

Example

Proactive and detail-oriented administrative assistant with over eight years of experience in dynamic office environments. Demonstrated success in optimizing office efficiency, overseeing procurement processes, and ensuring financial accuracy. Microsoft Office specialist with a track record of supporting front offices in both postsecondary and innovative educational settings.

Key skills

Whether helping customers or managing interdepartmental communications, you rely on a well-rounded skill set to provide clerical support. It takes technical proficiency and interpersonal abilities to be a successful administrative assistant. When writing your resume, include both hard and soft skills that align with the job you’re applying for.

Common hard and soft skills for administrative assistants

Hard Skills Soft Skills
Bookkeeping Adaptability
Calendar management Attention to detail
Customer service Critical thinking
Data entry Dependability
Database management Initiative
Email management Leadership
Meeting coordination Organization
Phone system management Professionalism
Spreadsheets Team collaboration
Typing speed Time management

Resume writer’s tip: Use specific action verbs

When writing your professional experience section, it’s best to start your bullet points with action verbs. These words help frame your job descriptions as accomplishments and concisely illustrate your contributions in past roles. Instead of stating, “I was responsible for,” over and over, use action verbs to communicate your point instantly. Use some of the words below as you write your administrative assistant resume:

Action Verbs
Administered Coached
Collaborated Communicated
Coordinated Enhanced
Executed Facilitated
Implemented Managed
Organized Prioritized
Resolved Streamlined
Synchronized  

Professional experience

In your professional experience section, demonstrate to hiring managers your past success in previous admin roles. Describe your job duties and achievements, highlighting anything that aligns with the requirements of the job you’re applying for. Emphasize your proficiency in specialized software and your knack for multitasking.

Example

Administrative Assistant, Altitude Learning, Frisco, TX
May 2018 – present

  • Spend 50% of work hours actively participating in classrooms, providing valuable support to teachers and assisting with daily routines
  • Leverage organizational skills to balance administrative tasks, including scheduling, managing inquiries, and handling paperwork
  • Answer 80 calls daily, achieving and maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rate
  • Adapt to dynamic student-parent situations, collaborating with teachers and staff for the overall success of school operations
  • Onboarded 12 new staff members, providing training on office procedures and protocols
  • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information for a secure and compliant environment

Administrative Assistant, University of Texas Dallas, Richardson, TX
August 2015 – April 2018

  • Utilized procurement software to prepare, review, submit, and receive purchase orders for the Jonsson School of Undergraduate Advising and external partners
  • Carried out cost-effective supply management strategies, reducing office supply costs by $5,000 in the second year
  • Coordinated travel arrangements and prepared reimbursement vouchers for staff
  • Improved access control processes, reducing processing time for daily Emergency Call Tracking System (eCATs) by 18%, enhancing building security and efficiency

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

When describing your contributions to previous employers, using numbers is a great way to show tangible results. This gives hiring managers insight into the value you could bring to their administrative team. Use dollar amounts or percentages when discussing budget management and cost savings. For example, you could highlight the number of calls you handle in a day or the number of people you’ve trained.

Do
  • “Answered 80 calls daily, achieving and maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rate.”
Don’t
  • “I was responsible for answering phone calls and providing excellent customer service.”

Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application

Employment for administrative professionals is projected to see a 10% decline over the next 10 years. As demand shrinks, competition will only get tougher. If you want a chance to land the best admin job, tailor your resume. Adjust your skills and qualifications so they align with the requirements for each position you apply for.

Consider the industry you’re looking to work within. Suppose you have extensive experience in health care settings. If you’re applying for an administrative assistant job with a tech company, you’ll need to translate your skills accordingly.

Resume writer’s tip: Highlight your leadership capabilities

Out of the 2.78 million administrative professionals actively employed, prove to hiring managers that you offer more than the minimum requirements of the job. Do this by featuring any leadership abilities you may have. Were you responsible for heading a diversity and inclusion initiative? Have you led a team of administrative staff members? Throughout your administrative assistant resume, describe times you’ve taken the lead and were proactive in your work.

Resume writer’s tip: How to choose the best resume format

Admin assistants with years of experience would do best with a reverse chronological resume. This approach draws the most attention to your work history, emphasizing your extensive background in administrative roles. Hiring managers can quickly see you’re an established professional with plenty of experience.

However, if you’re at the entry level or transferring from another occupation, the combination format would work better. This resume combines both chronological and functional styles, offering a more balanced resume with a focus on key skills. Any transferable skills you bring from previous unrelated roles are more of a feature than a side note.

What if you don’t have experience?

You can create a strong, compelling administrative assistant resume even without an extensive background in the field. Whether you’re applying for your first job or making a career change, focusing on your transferable skills and achievements is your best strategy. Highlight skills like organization, time management, communication, and leadership throughout your resume.

Think about the times you’ve managed projects, coordinated events, collaborated with others, or worked in customer service. If you’re proficient in commonly used office software, emphasize your knowledge of relevant technologies. No matter your experience level, there’s always something you can refer to with a little creative thinking.

Education and certifications

Start with your highest level of education, listing relevant degrees or diplomas. In addition to your academic background, include certifications that could help you stand out from other applicants. As you list these items, specify the degree or certification name, institution, and date of completion.

Example

Education

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Business Administration, September 2011 – June 2015
Texas College, Tyler, TX

Certifications

  • Certified Administrative Professional, IAAP, 2020
  • Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft, 2018

Administrative Assistant Resume Template Text Example

Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn
City, State Abbreviation zip code

Profile

Proactive and detail-oriented administrative assistant with over eight years of experience in dynamic office environments. Demonstrated success in optimizing office efficiency, overseeing procurement processes, and ensuring financial accuracy. Microsoft Office specialist with a track record of supporting front offices in both postsecondary and innovative educational settings.

Key Skills

  • Customer service
  • Data entry
  • Google Workspace
  • Organization
  • Team collaboration
  • Time management

Professional Experience

Administrative Assistant, Altitude Learning, Frisco, TX
May 2018 – present

  • Spend 50% of work hours actively participating in classrooms, providing valuable support to teachers and assisting with daily routines
  • Leverage organizational skills to balance administrative tasks, including scheduling, managing inquiries, and handling paperwork
  • Answer 80 calls daily, achieving and maintaining a 95% customer satisfaction rate
  • Adapt to dynamic student-parent situations, collaborating with teachers and staff for the overall success of school operations
  • Onboarded 12 new staff members, providing training on office procedures and protocols
  • Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information for a secure and compliant environment

Administrative Assistant, University of Texas Dallas, Richardson, TX
August 2015 – April 2018

  • Utilized procurement software to prepare, review, submit, and receive purchase orders for the Jonsson School of Undergraduate Advising and external partners
  • Carried out cost-effective supply management strategies, reducing office supply costs by $5,000 in the second year
  • Coordinated travel arrangements and prepared reimbursement vouchers for staff
  • Improved access control processes, reducing processing time for daily eCATs by 18%, enhancing building security and efficiency

Education

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Business Administration, September 2011 – June 2015
Texas College, Tyler, TX

Certifications

  • Certified Administrative Professional, IAAP, 2020
  • Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft, 2018
Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.

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