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As a personal assistant, you play a crucial role in providing essential support to executives and individuals in various professional settings. Your responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks, including managing schedules, coordinating meetings and travel arrangements, handling correspondence and organizing important documents. Your exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail make you a wizard when it comes to meeting the dynamic needs of your role. Now, all you need is a resume that works as hard as you do!
With the help of some easy-to-follow instructions on how to write a resume and some excellent resume examples for reference, the task can be much simpler than you think.
Here, you’ll learn exactly what you need to know to write an impressive resume for a personal assistant in a matter of minutes.
Keep reading to learn more about:
- Examples of personal assistant resumes for applicants with and without experience.
- What makes a personal assistant resume example great.
- Tips and tricks for writing personal assistant resumes.
- What to include in every section of your personal assistant resume.
- How to choose the right resume template and format for the role.
Want a professional resume generated in just a few minutes? Try our professional Resume Builder for step-by-step help writing every section.
Personal Assistant Resume Examples
What makes this a great personal assistant resume sample?
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It uses simple visuals.
Nailing down the right resume design can be tricky, but for candidates at the start of their careers, it’s often best to go with something basic and professional that makes your qualifications easy to understand at a glance.
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It focuses on skills.
The functional format is a great fit for entry-level resumes because it showcases transferable skills instead of reserving most of its space for experience, which might be lacking from candidates in the early stages of their careers.
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It uses active language.
Just because this resume shows off more skills than experience, doesn’t mean the candidate shouldn’t use active verbs to convey momentum and impact. Terms like “conducted” and “collaborated” show the real-life impact of this candidate’s skills.
What makes this a great personal assistant resume sample?
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It showcases experience.
This candidate has been a personal assistant for more than 10 years, so emphasizing experience is a great way to play to his strengths.
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It uses numbers.
Numerical data shows the concrete effect that this candidate’s efforts have had on previous roles. They also demonstrate his ability to assess his own performance.
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It lists languages.
This candidate has intermediate knowledge of a second language. Listing this skill demonstrates his mental agility and communication skills.
Choose the right resume format for your personal 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 should consider 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 personal 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.
A career as a personal assistant is fairly open-ended. If you’re targeting a job as a PA in an artistic field, like fashion or interior design, then a creative resume template is appropriate. For most other personal assistant roles, a modern resume template will do the trick!
How to write a personal assistant resume in 5 simple steps
While there are some basic rules for writing a great resume, top candidates for competitive personal 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. Stand out from the crowd by following these steps!
STEP 1
1. Study the personal assistant job description
A well-written personal assistant resume is more likely to succeed if it makes use of keywords from the job listing in order to stand out. Let’s examine how keywords can help you succeed.
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, you’ll be eliminated before a human ever sees your resume. To make your resume ATS-friendly, you need to be sure that you have the keywords that the ATS is screening for.
You may be asking yourself, “Each job is different. How do I know which keywords to use?”
Don’t worry — if you have a job listing in mind, then you already have all the information you need.
While every personal assistant role is different, a good job ad should tell you everything you need to know about which keywords to add to your resume. The key to success is to study the job description and pay close attention to word choice.
For example, if the job description for the personal assistant role you seek asks for proficiency with scheduling software, calendar management, Microsoft Office Suite and video conferencing software, your chances of success will be higher if you take care to use those exact words. Don’t list any skills unless you actually have them, but if your skills match the keywords then take advantage of that!
It may sound like a lot, but once you get used to the process, it should only take you a few minutes to do and will get your resume better results than if you don’t tailor it.
STEP 2
2. Write a professional summary or resume objective
Depending on your level of experience, your personal 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 states your transferable skills and your career goals. Applicants with more direct experience in a personal assistant role should use a professional summary, which outlines your skills and experience and highlights some of your most notable professional accomplishments.
Here are some strong examples for your personal assistant resume:
Personal assistant professional summary example:
Highly skilled and dedicated personal assistant with seven years of experience providing exceptional support to executive-level professionals at a prominent marketing firm. Adept at managing complex calendars, coordinating extensive travel arrangements and organizing high-level meetings and events. Possessing strong communication and interpersonal abilities. Excels in acting as a reliable liaison between executives and external stakeholders. Proficient in various software tools, including Microsoft Office Suite, email clients and task management applications, ensuring streamlined operations and optimal productivity. Proactive problem-solver and multitasker, eager to leverage expertise to enhance the productivity and effectiveness within a dynamic organization.
Personal assistant resume objective example:
Detail-oriented and motivated individual seeking an entry-level personal assistant position. Eager to apply strong organizational skills, time management abilities and communication expertise in a professional setting. Skilled at learning new software, managing complex schedules and communicating effectively. Committed to providing reliable support to executives and contributing to the smooth operation of daily tasks. A quick learner with a positive attitude, ready to adapt and grow within a dynamic work environment.
STEP 3
3. Highlight your most relevant personal assistant skills
Regardless of your experience level, hiring managers will be looking closely at the personal assistant skills you list. Skills for a personal assistant resume should be added to your resume skills section and peppered into your professional summary (or resume objective) and your work experience section.
It’s critical that you provide employers with a solid mix of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the measurable skills needed to perform a job. These skills are easily taught in a classroom. Soft skills, on the other hand, are nontechnical, making them difficult to measure. They are 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 see the difference between the two.
Hard and soft skills for a personal assistant resume
Here is an example of a strong personal assistant skills section:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite
- Skilled at managing busy schedules to optimize productivity
- Concise and detailed communicator
- Enthusiastic social media coordinator
Even for jobs that don’t require interacting with the public, soft skills are important to list. Employers seek out candidates who already possess these skills because they are difficult to teach.
STEP 4
4. Write a strong personal 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 personal assistant work experience entry:
Personal Assistant, Cloverhill Pharmaceuticals
Cleveland, OH
November 2021 – March 2023
- Coordinated executive schedules, managed calendars and arranged 150+ meetings and conferences.
- Organized complex travel arrangements for the CEO and executives, including international trips.
- Screened and managed 200+ emails daily, ensuring prompt responses and efficient communication.
- Maintained confidentiality and handled sensitive information, earning the trust of high-profile clients.
- Prepared and edited various documents, presentations and reports for internal and external use.
- Assisted in event planning and execution for corporate functions, managing up to 500 attendees.
- Managed office supplies and vendor relationships, resulting in a 15% cost reduction.
Provided administrative support to a team of 20 employees, fostering a productive work environment.
Make your personal assistant experience pop by using action words, data and metrics to capture the attention of a hiring manager.
STEP 5
5. Showcase your education and training on your personal assistant resume
To be hired as a personal assistant, you’ll need to show employers that you have the required education and training. Personal assistants usually rely more on experience than schooling, but this can vary depending on the industry and the specifics of the role. In general, a high school diploma is all that is necessary for a personal assistant.
How to list your personal assistant education:
Education:
High School Diploma
Tungsten High School
Cleveland, OH
Certifications:
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
If you have professional certifications or special training, add them to your resume. You can include them in your education section or add a special section to your personal assistant resume.
Optional sections for your personal 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 personal assistant resume:
2021 Employee of the Year – Awarded by Empire Marketing Associates in recognition of exceptional performance.
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 personal assistant resume:
- Executive Schedule Optimization: Streamlined and optimized the CEO’s calendar by implementing an efficient scheduling system, reducing time conflicts by 30% and ensuring adequate time for important tasks and meetings.
- Travel Management Overhaul: Led a project to revamp the travel management process for the executive team, resulting in a 20% decrease in travel-related expenses through strategic vendor negotiations and advanced planning.
- Digital Document Organization: Spearheaded the transition to a paperless office environment by digitizing and organizing five years’ worth of documents and files, enhancing accessibility and reducing document retrieval time by 40%.
Languages
Languages give you a chance to showcase your cultural awareness and adaptability, two qualities highly prized in today’s globalized job market. Being multilingual also expands your communication abilities, giving you access to a wider variety of clients, customers and stakeholders, and opening the door to international opportunities.
Additionally, knowing multiple languages suggests you have impressive mental agility and determination. Ultimately, all else being equal, if a job opening comes down to two candidates and one of them lists multiple languages on their resume, the multilingual candidate will be more attractive to the employer.
How to list languages on your personal assistant resume:
- Fluent in English
- Proficient in Spanish and Italian
Interests and hobbies
Adding hobbies to your resume is appropriate as long as 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 are a unique and fully defined person.
How to list interests and hobbies on your personal assistant resume:
- Passion for interior design
- Published short story author
- Amateur photographer
Add a cover letter
Adding a personal 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 is essential because your cover letter affords you with an opportunity that you must take advantage of. Use your cover letter to add context to your resume and explain why you want the position and why you’re the best fit.. 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, which offers professionally written text suggestions for every section. Use the wording as-is or customize it to suit your needs.
Key takeaways for your personal assistant resume
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Follow our steps for a standout resume:
Take care to write all five sections of your resume in a way that is specific to the job you seek. Your professional summary, skills, work experience and education section should all contain information that is targeted to the job ad.
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Select the appropriate resume format:
Decide what you’d like to emphasize the most on your personal assistant resume — strong skills, an impressive work history or both — and then select the template that will help you put your best foot forward.
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Be specific to the role:
Use specific information from the job ad rather than generic resume filler when crafting your document. Again, a well-written job description will tell you the critical credentials you must emphasize on your resume.
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Include both hard and soft skills:
Being a personal assistant requires a mix of technical and personal skills to do the job well. Study our list of hard and soft skills to be sure that you include a balance of both types in your resume.
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Make your work experience section shine:
Accomplish this by using action verbs, data and metrics to show the impact of your work.
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Choose an appropriate resume template:
A resume template gives you the chance to express some individuality. Depending on the industry, a personal assistant may want to go with something modern or creative, but you can never go wrong with a simple template that sticks with the basics.
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Go the extra mile:
Including a well-written personal assistant cover letter can increase your chances of landing a job interview.
Commonly asked question about resume writing
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.
