What To Include On An Administrative Resume + Administrative Skills

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Table Of Contents

Learn about the important requirements, skills, and keywords that should be included in an administrative resume.

Administrative roles encompass clerical positions, assistants, and other workers that help ensure a business operates efficiently. These jobs are often listed as office manager, administrative director, or administrative coordinator.

Regardless of the position title, employers look for specific qualifications to show that a candidate can handle such a tedious role. You need a resume showing your skills to let a hiring manager know you’re up for the challenge. Keep reading to learn what to include on an administrative resume. 

If you need resume help, we recommend working with a resume writing service. When you're happy with your resume, start applying for new roles on ZipRecruiter.

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Administrative Resume Example

Samuel Hopkins

samhopkins@email.com

+1 (875) 619 3611

Experience

Administrative - Tapper Place, San Francisco, CA

03/2019 - Present

  • Intermediate experience in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access is essential
  • Experience managing teams of varying tenures and abilities
  • Track record as a trusted advisor and sounding board with both peers and senior management
  • Well-versed in MS Office, specifically PowerPoint
  • Some knowledge or experience with insurance billing or collections
  • Experience in proactively managing and prioritizing a large number of simultaneous assignments
  • SAP experience processing Expense Reports, Purchase Orders, Payment Requests

Administrative - Wesser Group, San Francisco, CA

10/2015 - 12/2018

  • Community College student services experience (academic advising, financial aid, tutorial, and transfer services)
  • Experience managing a departmental budget, preferably grant funded
  • Proficient and accurate word processing skills with knowledge of proper formats of NIH grants and fellowships, correspondence, bibliographies, manuscripts
  • Patience and perseverance to communicate and work effectively with a variety of personalities in a demanding environment
  • Demonstrated experience with purchasing practices and procedures, including contacting vendors, obtaining and negotiating prices

Education

UW Stevens Point

Skills

  • Experience prioritizing and managing multiple competing deadlines and requests from multiple sources simultaneously

Join The Break Community

  • Knowledge of best practices and accreditation criteria related to institutional evaluation, educational program evaluation, assessment, and educational research
  • Proficient in data retrieval and query report writing
  • Planning and organizational skills
  • Data analysis skills
  • Interpersonal skills

What Is Unique About An Administrative Resume?

An administrative resume is unique because it highlights your ability to handle various administrative tasks and responsibilities. It should detail your experience coordinating office operations, managing communications, and providing administrative support to a team.

Before you create your resume, thoroughly review the job description and company website to learn more about what makes them unique; tailor your resume to your findings. 

When you're ready to apply for administrative positions, check out the best job posting sites. These sites are the most common places that employers list job openings.

What Should Be Included On An Administrative Resume?

Several components make up a well-rounded resume. Below are descriptions of the most common sections administrative roles include on their resumes. 

Resume Header and Contact Information

Begin your resume with your name, professional title, and contact details, including your phone number, email address, and professional social media profiles. Make sure your contact information is up to date so that hiring managers can quickly contact you.

Some resumes separate this information by putting it in the actual header of the document, but there are many different ways you can design it. A summary is another option to include in this section: a summary of your professional skills and career objectives. 

Work Experience

The next section on your resume should be your work experience. In it, list your previous administrative roles in reverse chronological order. You start with your most recent position, including the job title, company name, and employment dates.

Underneath each work experience, focus on accomplishments you can provide statistics for and highlight any projects or initiatives you contributed to. If you don’t have relevant jobs, pick out past positions where you completed administrative work and stress that in this section. 

Education

Education is key to securing an administrative job. Provide information about the degrees you’ve earned, listing each with the following details: 

  • Type of degree
  • Name of the university 
  • Dates attended 
  • Relevant coursework and GPA

Professional Skills 

As an administrative professional, you are often the “mechanics” of an organization. When looking at candidates, hiring managers will be looking for a specific set of skills that fits with their office culture. Usually, they will specify this in the job description.  If you notice any, be sure to list them in the professional skills section of your resume. 

Are you curious about other jobs in administration? Check out our guide to the best jobs in administration.

What Should Be Left Off An Administrative Resume?

Before submitting an administrative resume, double-check for extraneous personal information like religious affiliation, marital status, or how many children you have. You can also leave off any information about your hobbies (unless relevant to the job) and references. 

Important Job Skills For Administrative Roles

  • Experience in office management 
  • Able to coordinate meetings, manage a calendar, and maintain accurate documentation 
  • Strong organizational skills 
  • Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks 
  • Customer service skills 
  • Event planning and coordination experience 
  • A willingness to learn new skills or concepts 
  • Comfortability working with budgets and financial tracking 
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills 

Wondering what other things to add to your resume? Our best skills for resume guide might help.

The Bottom Line

Crafting an administrative resume involves tailoring your skills to the position you’re applying for. Not only does analyzing your experience increase your chances of landing the job, but it also prepares you for the interview. You’ll be more well-versed in your accomplishments, showing a hiring manager that you’re a good fit for an administrative job.

If this sounds overwhelming, you might consider seeking a resume-writing service to write and format a resume for you. It’s also important to stay updated on what positions are available. Check ZipRecruiter for the latest administrative job listings!