Table of contents
- Entry-level office assistant resume example
- Experienced office assistant resume example
- More office assistant resume examples
- Choose the right resume format for your office assistant resume
- How to write an office assistant resume in 5 simple steps
- Add a cover letter
- Key takeaways for your office assistant resume
- Commonly asked question about resume writing
Entry-level office assistant resume example
What makes this a great office assistant resume sample?
- It’s well-organized. A resume needs to be easy to read and quick to scan for information. Because of its simple layout, this resume conveys information efficiently.
- It’s goal-oriented. This candidate is less experienced, so a career objective that focuses on goals and development was a smart choice.
- It’s functional. Because this candidate has minimal experience, focusing more on skills than work history is a good way to play to his strengths.
Experienced office assistant resume example
What makes this a great office assistant resume sample?
- It’s action-oriented. Active verbs like “conducted,” “managed” and “scheduled” give this resume a sense of energy and momentum.
- It uses numbers. Numerical data is a great way to make your achievements stand out. Instead of saying what you did, show potential employers how big of an impact you made.
- It showcases soft skills. Sure this candidate is experienced, but even with 10 years as an office assistant under her belt, she wouldn’t get anywhere without her soft skills. Problem-solving and critical thinking are just as important as software proficiency and typing speed.
Choose the right resume format for your office assistant resume
To land the job you want, you need to get the right information in front of a recruiter. How do you accomplish that? By selecting the right resume format.
- Experienced applicants should consider a chronological resume format to highlight work experience and a strong career progression.
- Applicants with little to no experience should consider using a functional resume format.
- Midlevel applicants with three to five years of relevant experience benefit from a combination resume format to showcase a balance of skills and work experience.
Visit our guide to learn more about how to format a resume to highlight your candidacy.
Select an appropriate office assistant resume template
While every resume template will have the same basic sections — a professional summary or resume objective, skills, work history and education — you can customize the look and feel of your resume by selecting the right template.
If you’re targeting a career as an office assistant in a creative field, you might like our creative resume templates. Or, for more conservative roles, take a look at our template library for modern resumes that pair style and professionalism, or simple templates that stick to the basics.
How to write an office assistant resume in 5 simple steps
While there are some basic rules for writing a great resume, top candidates for competitive office assistant jobs know that the key to getting noticed is to write a resume that is specific to the industry and the role they seek.
STEP 1
Study the office assistant job description
Having a well-crafted office assistant resume that is customized with appropriate keywords is essential to showcase to employers that you possess the required skills and capabilities to excel in the role.
Also, many employers run resumes through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that screen out unqualified candidates based on preset keywords. If your resume doesn’t contain the right keywords, your resume might be screened out before a real human even gets the chance to see it. To make your resume ATS-friendly, you should target specific keywords to show that you’ve got what your potential employer is looking for.
You may be asking yourself, “Each job is different. How do I know which keywords to use?”
Don’t worry — you probably already have the answer.
While every office assistant role is different, the job ad will almost always be chock-full of keywords to use. These keywords tell you what the hiring department is looking for, as well as what their ATS will screen for if they use one.
For example, if the job description for the office assistant role you seek asks for strong communication skills, experience managing calendars and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, you’ll want to be sure to use those exact words in your office assistant resume. Look for opportunities in your professional summary, skills section and work experience section to highlight these skills. Make sure you’re honest about what you can do, but it never hurts to emphasize the things that your potential employer is looking for.
Tailoring your resume to fit the job listing might seem like a lot of extra work, but it often only amounts to rewording a few snippets to match the necessary keywords. You’ll get the hang of it quickly.
STEP 2
Write a professional summary or resume objective
Depending on your level of experience, your office assistant resume should include either a professional summary or a resume objective to start. Think of this section as your resume profile, where you provide potential employers with a summary of your most relevant skills and experience and some professional highlights.
Candidates with less experience should choose a resume objective, which focuses on your goals for the future. Applicants with more experience in an office assistant role should use a professional summary, which describes your career accomplishments.
Here are some strong examples for your office assistant resume:
Office assistant professional summary example:
Highly skilled and results-driven office assistant with seven years of proven expertise in efficiently managing a 90-person office for a leading SaaS (Software as a Service) company. Adept at coordinating complex administrative tasks and streamlining office operations to enhance overall efficiency and productivity. Demonstrated proficiency in utilizing various office software and tools to support seamless communication, data management and project coordination. Possessing excellent organizational abilities, strong attention to detail and a dedication to providing exceptional customer service. A proactive team player with a track record of delivering outstanding support to executive management and fostering a collaborative work environment. Seeking to leverage my experience and expertise to contribute to the continued success and growth of a dynamic organization.
Office assistant resume objective example
Dedicated and motivated recent graduate with valuable internship experience, seeking an office assistant position with growth potential. Eager to apply strong organizational and communication skills to contribute to the smooth functioning of office operations. Proven ability to handle diverse administrative tasks, coupled with keen attention to detail and a passion for delivering excellent customer service. Proactive and adaptable team player excited to contribute to the success of a dynamic organization and embrace opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
STEP 3
Highlight your most relevant office assistant skills
Regardless of your experience level, hiring managers will be looking closely at the office assistant skills you choose to list. A resume for an office assistant should list skills within the resume skills section and scattered throughout the professional summary (or resume objective) and work experience section.
A great resume must consist of a mix of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the measurable skills needed to perform a job. These skills are more technical and usually come from experience. Soft skills, on the other hand, are less technical, making them difficult to measure. Your soft skills are the behaviors and personality traits that help you do your job well. Below, we provide a side-by-side list of hard and soft skills to help you learn the difference.
Hard and soft skills for an office assistant resume
Here is an example of a strong office assistant skills section:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Highly organized
- Excels in scheduling using various calendar software
Pro Tip:
A great office assistant needs lots of strong soft skills. Don’t overlook the innate skills that make you an excellent office assistant. After all, skills like communication and organization are the backbone of the office.
STEP 4
Write a strong office assistant work experience section
While the required background and experience will be different for each role, the key to getting noticed is writing a work experience section that demonstrates what you will bring to the table.
Here is an example of a great office assistant work experience entry:
Office Assistant, Anchor Stationery Co.
Philadelphia, PA
January 2019 – Present
- Assist with the management of daily administrative tasks in a fast-paced stationery company, handling an average of 50 inquiries per day and ensuring seamless office operations.
- Maintain efficient file organization and document management, optimizing accessibility and retrieval of crucial information for a team of 20 employees.
- Support the sales team by preparing sales materials, creating product catalogs and coordinating client communications, contributing to a 20% increase in sales within the first quarter.
- Manage inventory levels and track stock. Successfully reduced stock discrepancies by 25% through effective inventory control measures.
- Assist in planning and executing company gatherings and promotional events supporting brand visibility and community engagement.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, fostering open communication and ensuring smooth interdepartmental coordination.
- Utilize Microsoft Office Suite and other software to generate detailed reports, draft correspondences and maintain accurate records on a weekly basis.
- Adapted to new tasks and challenges, demonstrating a proactive and flexible approach to support overall company objectives and receiving recognition for outstanding performance in quarterly reviews.
Pro Tip:
Make your credentials pop by using action words, data and metrics to capture the attention of a hiring manager.
STEP 5
Showcase your education and training on your office assistant resume
To be hired as an office assistant, you’ll need to show employers that you have the required education and training. Top candidates for this role often list a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree, however neither are strictly required and many office assistants have only a high school diploma.
How to list your office assistant education:
Education:
Associate of Arts Communications
Riverview Community College Philadelphia, PA
Pro Tip:
No certifications are standard requirements for an office assistant career, but they can be a big plus. If you’ve earned a professional certification, list it under education or in its own special section for certifications.
Optional sections for your office assistant resume
Awards and certifications
Adding accolades to your resume is a smart way to show off your abilities, achievements and qualifications. Awards emphasize exceptional performance or leadership, whereas certifications offer hard evidence of your expertise and abilities in a specific domain.
Including certificates and awards on your resume sets you apart from other contenders. They tell the employer you’re truly dedicated to your field and capable of making significant contributions to their organization — ultimately increasing your chances of landing the job.
How to list awards on your office assistant resume:
2021 Operational Excellence Award – Honored by regional manager of Anchor Stationery Co. Northeast region for outstanding office operations.
Projects
Projects are a great addition to your resume because they show you’re capable of using theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. It’s one thing to learn something in class — it’s another thing to put the ideas into practice.
Projects are also a tangible demonstration of the types of skills — from problem-solving and time management to teamwork and leadership — that are valuable to employers. Not only that but also a relevant project can highlight your long-standing passion and expertise in a given subject.
How to list projects on your office assistant resume:
- Event Coordination and Execution
- Successfully organized and executed three company gatherings, each attended by over 100 clients and employees.
- Coordinated two promotional events, resulting in a 25% increase in brand visibility and customer engagement.
- Process Improvement Initiatives
- Identified inefficiencies in administrative tasks and proposed solutions, leading to a 20% increase in overall office productivity.
- Streamlined data entry processes, reducing errors by 15% and improving data accuracy.
Languages
Fluency in languages provides an opportunity to demonstrate your cultural sensitivity and flexibility, traits highly valued in the modern interconnected job landscape. Multilingualism further enhances your communication skills, granting access to a diverse range of clients, customers, and partners, thereby unlocking prospects on the global stage.
Moreover, proficiency in multiple languages indicates exceptional cognitive agility and perseverance. In a scenario where two candidates are evenly matched in other aspects, the one with multilingual proficiency would undoubtedly hold greater appeal to potential employers.
How to list languages on your Office assistant resume:
- Fluent in English and Italian
- Proficient in German
Interests and Hobbies
Adding hobbies to your resume is appropriate only if they’re relevant to the job. They offer an opportunity to show your personality and meaningfully connect with a potential employer. Plus, they emphasize your transferable skills, like creativity or leadership — qualities you take from job to job.
Finally, hobbies and interests can demonstrate whether you’re the right culture fit for a company. They enrich your overall profile, showing the employer how you’re a unique and fully defined person.
How to list interests and hobbies on your office assistant resume:
- Passionate volunteer mentor for local youth group
- Avid reader
- Dedicated event planner and coordinator
Add a cover letter
Adding an office assistant cover letter to your application can help you stand out. Why? Because it gives you extra space to convince the employer that you’re the right person for the job. Learning how to write a cover letter might seem like a pain, but it is essential to making a good impression on your potential employer. Your cover letter is your chance to explain why your experience and skills listed on your resume make you a good fit. Writing a cover letter doesn’t have to be hard. Study our cover letter examples to learn how to express your unique candidacy in a compelling way and how to format your cover letter for success.
Or, if you want a job-specific cover letter in a matter of minutes, use our professional Cover Letter Builder. Our builder offers professionally written text suggestions for every section based on the information you provide, plus it formats the letter for you in a template of your choice.
Hailey Brophy is an experienced writer with a diverse career in digital publication. She is passionate about using her unique skills and experiences to help job seekers find the information that they need to succeed.
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