Administrative assistants play an essential role in an office, performing duties to support office administrators. They are often the backbone of an organization and keep the office running smoothly. They perform tasks such as answering phones, scheduling appointments and meetings, ordering office supplies, sending emails, preparing documents, and more.
Working as an administrative assistant—and acting as the glue holding a successful office together—can be a rewarding career with great long-term benefits.
An administrative position can be a stepping stone to an advanced position within a company, such as operations or project management. It’s a great way to show your initiative to management. Because administrative assistants are needed in almost every office environment and industry, there are many opportunities to start a career as an administrative assistant. However, there’s also a lot of competition looking for the same position, so it’s vital to stand out to land the position you want.
Experience isn’t always required if you have the skills and attributes the organization is looking for. Here’s how to stand out from the crowd and land an administrative assistant position.
Creating a Powerful Resume
Your resume is your face and voice before a hiring manager decides if they want to meet you, so it’s very important to make sure your resume is tailored. There are certain skills they will be looking for in their administrative assistant, which you will want to include in your resume. However, you can be sure almost all of the applicants will have these skills listed as well so you want to customize your resume for every company you apply to. Read the job description and take out key points and incorporate them into your resume. There are many free resume templates online that will give you a professional look and are quick and easy to use.
Here are some basic resume tips and best qualities to emphasize when applying for an administrative assistant job:
Attention to detail: Even the smallest overlooked detail could wreak havoc in an office.
Strong organizational skills: Hiring managers are looking for candidates with strong organizational skills. This means having strong attention to detail, being proactive, and creating systems to help streamline office processes.
Outstanding time management skills: With handling schedules, calendars, meetings, and ordering supplies, time management skills are vital to keeping things running as planned.
Creative problem-solving skills: You will be faced with many challenges and being able to quickly overcome them and problem solve will be key to success.
High level of personal integrity: You will be working independently and have access to confidential information. Having a high level of integrity and discretion will be crucial.
Excellent communication skills: You will need to communicate daily, sometimes using multiple channels, including in-person, over the phone, and in writing. Employers are looking for candidates with strong communication skills and high emotional intelligence.
Expert in planning and coordinating schedules: You will need to quickly and accurately plan meetings and coordinate many administrators’ schedules. It’s crucial to be able to multitask.
Great people skills: Being upbeat, positive, happy, and easy to work with could be the reason you get hired over someone that may have more experience or skills than you. Sometimes personality is the make-or-break factor for a hiring manager.
Ability to grasp new concepts quickly: You will get new tasks handed to you often, so having the ability to quickly learn and apply will ensure they could hand you a project and consider it done.
Strong work ethic: Employers look for individuals with a strong work ethic. These are workers who arrive on time, stay focused, and work toward the company’s overall goal, even when nobody’s watching.
Your administrative assistant resume should have at least five sections. They will include:
Header including contact information
Professional summary
Skills
Work experience
Education
If you don’t have any on-the-job experience, you could include other things like:
Successful completion of a computer skills course
Proficiency in MS Office, with exceptional knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint
Skilled in using office equipment, such as printers, fax machine, and scanners
Additional skills that could be valuable, like bilingualism, course completions, and certifications
Practical understanding of Google Docs
Knowledge of task and project management tools such as Basecamp, Trello, and Smartsheet
Once you apply for the position you’re seeking, you may be eager to follow up a day later. However, it’s recommended to wait about a week then follow up with a polite email.
10 Interview Tips for Aspiring Administrative Assistants
1. Practice interview questions: Before the day of the scheduled interview, re-read the job description to identify the skills and qualities the employer is looking for in candidates. Then rehearse the common questions as much as possible so you can clearly and confidently answer the questions they ask during the interview.
2. Be punctual: First impressions are everything which makes showing up on time very important—arriving a few minutes before the scheduled interview is ideal. Punctuality shows you are dependable and reliable. Arriving early will also give you a few minutes to calm your nerves and get a drink of water so you walk into the interview calm and ready to show them why they want to hire you.
3. Wear professional attire: You can do a little research to determine what kind of attire is acceptable to the companies hiring managers. However, even if the company you are interviewing for has a casual dress code, it is recommended to dress professionally for the interview. This can help you deliver a great first and lasting impression.
4. Arrive prepared: It is important to arrive prepared with a few copies of your resume, a pen and notepad for taking notes, identification, and any other requested documentation.
5. Pay attention to body language: Your body language is just as important as your answers to questions. Studies show that handshakes play a crucial role in first impressions. A firm handshake while making eye contact and smiling will show your confidence. During the interview, sit up straight, avoid fidgeting, speak clearly and make eye contact while talking or listening.
6. Think before you speak: Before you answer a question, take a few seconds to think and gather your thoughts so you could respond with a great answer and avoid mistakes
7. Point out your soft skills: Soft skills are what enable you to get along with others and fit in an organization. It could be a hiring manager’s deciding factor to hire a candidate or not regardless of their skill level. Soft skills include your attitude, personality, flexibility, time management, manners, and motivation. These are also great attributes to include in your cover letter.
8. Ask questions: Ask important questions at the end of the interview. This could be questions related to the position that you developed beforehand or questions that have come up during the interview. Asking questions shows you are truly interested, and it will give you additional opportunities to impress the hiring manager.
9. Know your worth: Be sure to highlight specific ways in which you, as an administrative assistant, would make your future boss’s job easier and help contribute to their success. Address your accomplishments and any strong qualities you have that would help you stand out from others. If you have held a position as an administrative assistant in the past highlight ways in which you contributed to their success.
10. Show gratitude: Before leaving the interview, thank the hiring manager for taking their time to interview and consider you for the position. You can also send them a thank you note by email or mail afterward to remind them of your passion for the position you interviewed for and why you are the best candidate for it.
Summary
Landing an administrative assistant position will take a little work and planning. Because there’s some kind of administrative assistant role in most offices, there are many job opportunities. And because of the high demand for administrative assistants, it’s also a competitive job market, which means you will need to have an exceptional cover letter, resume and interview to stand out from the competition. Being punctual and prepared for your interview will help you make a good first impression. Don’t be discouraged if you lack experience—some companies are just looking for the right candidate that fits in with their company culture not necessarily based on experience.
Keeping an administrative assistant job long-term will take a strong work ethic, passion for helping people and impeccable communication and time management skills. Being an upbeat, positive, people-person that works hard to get all the day-to-day tasks completed on time is what will make you irreplaceable.
Apply today to start your path of becoming an exceptional administrative assistant!
Sources:
https://templates.office.com/en-us/resume-tm02919464
https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/27-most-common-job-interview-questions-and-answers.html