Administrative Assistant Resume Examples
Beat the competition for your job hunt using our administrative assistant resume examples. We give you section-specific resume tips and tricks to help you land a great administrative assistant role!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative Assistants resume
summary examples
Studies have shown that a hiring manager spends an average of seven seconds looking at each resume.
The best way to keep their attention is with a well-written professional summary. Since it lives at the top of your resume beneath your contact information, it’s the bit of important info they read about you. So, make it count!
A professional summary is two-to-three sentences sharing your top administrative assistant skills or achievements.
However, if you have under two years of experience as an administrative assistant, it’s better to use an objective statement. An objective statement explains what you hope to achieve in the role.
We’ll provide examples of both professional summaries and an objective statement to help you understand which might work better for you!
Good example:
“ I am an experienced Administrative Assistant with a proven track record of delivering results. I possess excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment. I have a strong background in data entry, customer service, and project management, and have successfully completed a wide range of administrative tasks for various employers.”
Why this example passes:
- Feature candidate’s success statistic to grab attention. Numbers add detail about how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
- Shows career length, 11 years.
- Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
Bad example:
“ Experienced administrative assistant with a passion for helping others. Possesses strong organizational and communication skills. Looking to leverage my experience to contribute to a team.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify administrative assistants’s performance
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.
The fastest way to write your
professional summary
The last thing you want is to miss out on a job because you didn’t apply in time. That’s why you should check out our Resume Builder. It’s automated and offers prewritten text to help you write an excellent professional summary! You can complete your entire resume in 15 minutes!
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Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
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Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
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All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
While our builder is the best tool for writing a great resume, we also offer professional resume-writing services where one of our resume experts will work with you to create a strong administrative assistant resume!
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See what they’re saying about us on Trustpilot.
Administrative Assistants resume work
experience examples
For most administrative assistant roles, it’s crucial for hiring managers to see what you’ve achieved in the work experience section. The better you sell your job history, the more they will want to hire you. Overall, this is one of the most critical resume sections to nail to write a good resume.
Good example:
Rolling Meadows Middle School I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current
- Assisted with daily administrative tasks, such as data entry, filing, and scheduling appointments
- Maintained organized records of office supplies and equipment
- Answered and directed incoming calls, emails, and other correspondence
- Provided support to executive staff, including managing calendars and coordinating travel arrangements.
Why this example passes:
- Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this administrative assistants delivers: 4% improvement and a class size of 20-25.
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- References specialized value cahier provides with “individualized lesson plans.”
Bad example:
Emily Dickinson Elementary I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present
- Answered phone calls and emails
- Maintained filing system
- Assisted with daily administrative tasks
- Scheduled meetings and appointments
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.
Administrative Assistants resume skills examples
Here are 18 sample skills for administrative assistants:
- Research
- Microsoft Word
- Time Management
- Schedule Management
- Scheduling
- Contract Negotiations
- Executive Presentations
- Meeting Minutes
- Data Entry
- Records Management
- Customer Service
- Workflow Planning
- Quality Assurance
- Account Management
- Client Relations
- Project Management
- Administrative Support
- Database Management
You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
Most administrative assistant resumes have five standard sections: contact information, objective statement or professional summary, work experience, skills and education. Adding extra sections is acceptable if they help show that you’re the perfect candidate.
Here are some examples of optional administrative assistants resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- References
- Additional skills
- Languages
- Certifications
- Professional skills
- Soft skills
- Photo
- Overview
Additional sections are an excellent way to add personality to your resume. Still, you should only include them if the information is relevant to the job. Good additional resume sections that administrative assistants should consider adding “Training and Certifications,” “Awards” and “Computer Skills.”
Examples of resume formats
The way its sections are organized or laid out is called a resume format. There are three main types of formats: chronological, functional and combination. Which one you should use depends on how much administrative experience you have. Seasoned professionals should use a chronological resume, people without much experience should use a functional layout, and anyone between should use a combination format.
Your experience is the biggest factor in determining which resume format to use. If you’re still uncertain, combination formats are a safe bet because they give equal focus to your work experience and skills.
How to choose a resume format
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Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time administrative assistants who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career administrative assistants.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for administrative assistants with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to pick a administrative assistants resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!
Don’t forget your administrative assistants cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
Good communication skills are necessary for anyone applying to an administrative assistant role. That’s why you’ve got to ensure your cover letter is strong!
Your cover letter should explain how you heard about the role and why it appeals to you. It should do more than repeat the details of your resume; it should bring them to life with a story.
If you want help in that challenge, check out our Cover Letter Builder! It’s a fully-automated tool that will walk you through the writing process step-by-step and even suggest text you can use!
Otherwise, use our administrative assistant cover letter examples if you’re still brainstorming what to write. They can inspire you!
For design help, check out our cover letter templates library. It’s got 15+ preformatted cover letter designs you can use for your document!
To create a great document from scratch, we also feature a complete guide on How to Write a Cover Letter.
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