When you are seeking a job as an Office Assistant, it is essential to first check out a top-notch Office Assistant resume sample. You want to make sure your resume stands out from the rest by being both informative and compelling to read without bombarding the recruiter or hiring manager with irrelevant information.

Office Assistants can work in a variety of industries and also in small, medium or large companies. Other job titles you can look out for under the Office Assistant category include Administrative Clerk, Administrative Assistant, Clerical Aide, Clerical Assistant, Clerk, General Clerk, Office Clerk, Office Manager, Office Support Assistant.

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Office Assistant Resume Sample

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Office Assistant Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections

1. Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone Number, Email. Be sure to include alternative contact channels, as well as your LinkedIn profile.

2. Profile Summary: This introduction to your resume must make an impact on the reader. Include a broad overview of your background, years of industry experience and the industry sectors of interest. You should be specific and state which job you are applying to (1-3 sentences max).

3. Qualifications Summary: Provide accurate details about the certifications and qualifications you have completed with the institution, qualification name, and dates. Don’t forget to include qualifications you are currently completing too. For Office Assistant roles, a high school diploma is often the only requirement, but some job openings may need post-school certifications too. You may also want to list the short courses, workshops, and in-house training you have received to provide more credibility to your resume.

4. Relevant Office Experience: Clearly state your employment history by giving details regarding the last ten years of experience, up until your current position. Use punchy sentences with bullet points to list your most important office administration activities.

5. Other Employment Experience: This will consist of permanent work history outside of office duties, but still in an administrative environment or temporary and vocational jobs where you were involved in office duties. Only elaborate on these with job descriptions if you have less than five years of administration experience. Otherwise, just list job title company and duration as to make sure there are no gaps in your employment history.

6. Skills Summary/Key Skills: Incorporates keywords from the job posting and your specific skill set. This adds much-needed credibility to your resume.

7. Education/Licenses/Certifications/Relevant Coursework/Training: Start with post-school diplomas or accreditations if applicable. List any professional development courses, workshops or programs you completed that better prepared you to work as an Office Assistant such as database management, virtual filing systems, switchboard applications, conflict resolution techniques, office etiquette, and time management.

What to Highlight in an Office Assistant Resume

Regardless of your experience as an Office Assistant, there are a few vital things that recruiters and managers need to know about you to ensure that you are the right fit for their team.

Firstly, Office Assistants often double-up as receptionists answering telephones, directing calls, and taking messages.

The second aspect to highlight is the scope of your role in the office. Office Assistants are responsible for client support duties such as messaging distribution, scheduling appointments and sending information emails to clients. These duties may include answering inquiries and providing information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at the establishment. Often you may be required to play the role of a “human Google Maps assistant” to provide directions and addresses regarding the location of departments, offices within the organization.

Furthermore, an Office Assistant is responsible for operating office machineries such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers and PABX systems. In this section be sure to mention the systems and applications you are familiar with like Outlook, Calendly, Acuity, Zoom, Webex, VoIP, Clarity, and Agile CRM (these are mere examples).

Next comes the admin support duties such as maintaining and updating filing inventory, mailing, and database systems. This may include compiling, copying, sorting, and filing records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.

Office assistants are also responsible for opening, sorting, and routing incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.

Finally, ad-hoc duties such as preparing work schedules, managing calendars, and arranging appointments, running errands, buying groceries, typing minutes and proofreading documents may also form part of an Office Assistant’s daily tasks.

*Cool Tip for a stellar resume

You can really create an excellent first impression by creating a top 3 wow factor list and include this on the first page of your resume in a separate section. This wow factor is different from the accomplishments you will include later in your resume. Think about what you are most proud of or what you did in your career that had a definite positive impact. Now, describe the duty/action/project, then provide a result and then explain the benefit/value that followed.

For example:

Created a more efficient database with Word templates for most used company documentation like invoices, contracts, newsletters and proposals (this is the ACTION part).
The availability of these templates decreased document preparation time by 20% (this is the RESULT).
Because all the documents are not standardized, users spent less time in preparing proposals, and the templates ensured brand consistency and accuracy which improved client perceptions of our product (this is the BENEFIT/VALUE).

Make sure to include the following details:

The locations or regions you are willing to work in
Many Office Assistant positions require employees to work during weekends, holidays and for extended hours in the early evening if the company operates on 24hour schedules. You need to state your willingness to the outside of regular office hours or workweeks.
An Office Assistant needs to be on par with the latest office management technologies and applications for example: scheduling software (Calendy), word processing software (MS Office Suite), accounting software (Sage), enterprise resource tools (SAP), project management tools (Asana), collaboration applications (Skype), and human resources (Workforce).

Office Assistant Career Summary

Hiring managers have large numbers of resumes to screen and limited time to read them all in detail. Keep your career summary concise and to the point. Add the most relevant information first to capture their attention while they’re quickly scanning your resume. They want to see immediately that you can handle multiple tasks simultaneously and provide excellent support services to managers, employees, and customers.

Start your career summary with your years of experience in the industry and the primary duties you performed. Use the job description as your guide when deciding on which tasks to add. The more your resume relates to the job description of keywords, the better fit you will seem.

Next, add a line that showcases any outstanding qualities that will add value to the company. A hiring manager would be interested to know if you have “strong people skills, creative engagement abilities, excellent multi-tasking abilities and that you are pro at handling difficult customers.” It’s important to note that these qualities should be proven with examples in the professional experience section to re-enforce your message.

Career Summary examples:

‘Highly skilled Office Assistant with more than three years of experience in data capturing, scheduling, and team support services. Holds a Certified Administrative Professional qualification and an Advanced Diploma in Bookkeeping.'

‘Professional, detail-oriented Office Assistant with 12 years’ experience in scheduling, data entry, and customer service. Coordinate and manage a Law Office of 25 individuals. an accomplished speed reader with a typing speed of 120/wpm.'

‘Experienced Office Assistant with 4+ years experience in a distribution office environment. Apart from general admin support, duties include bookkeeping, hr administration, travel arrangements, and organizing office events. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Sociology and completed an Advanced Technical Writing Certificate.'

Office Assistant Job Descriptions, Responsibilities and Duty Examples

An employer would expect to see the following proven foundational duties and skill sets within an applicant’s resume. Herewith a few examples of primary Office Assistant duties in various industry environments.

Examples

An Office Assistant at a Law Firm may:

Prepare basic motions and other legal disposition documentation for attorneys' review and approval
Conduct fact-checking and proofreading activities for pleadings and briefs
Prepare draft client bills, maintain docket calendar and schedule appointments
Organize litigation files
Order office supplies such as stationery and groceries
Manage petty cash, accounts payable and monthly bank statement reconciliations

An Office Assistant at a Construction Company may:

Handle 20-35 customer calls per shift regarding bill amounts, flat rates, and new customers queries
Enter daily work hours for the payroll of 40 workers using Excel Spreadsheets
Create invoices, receive payments (cash, checks, and credit), and record deposits
Use PayPal to process customer credit cards for payments.
Order office supplies and organizes staff events
Take minutes during meetings and distributing memo’s
Schedule site visits for construction managers
Handle customer inquiries, complains, billing questions and payments
Utilized MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint and electronic e-mail applications

An Office Assistant at a Medical Facility may:

Provide administrative support to Hospital Director, Chief of Staff and other departmental managers
Worked with an ER system titled Waiting Room to input new and current patients into the office scheduling database.
Maintain hospital kitchen inventory by checking stock to determine supply levels, expedite orders and allocate stock
Answering calls, forwarding messages and confirming appointments as necessary
Update patient information and capture new patients onto the CRM system
Compose, prepare, edit, and distribute correspondence and other department documents to the relevant contacts
Maintain a calendar for conference rooms and coordinate relevant set up and clean up activities

An Office Assistant at an Auto/Vehicle Licensing Department may:

Keep the inventory data of 500 dealership vehicles
Prepare tax documents for the procurement of vehicle tags and number plates
Handle all accounts payable and receivable grossed $190,000 for the year
Manage the paperwork generated by partner dealerships for car sales including financing and insurance contracts
Calculate the taxes on tags and complete transfers for titles on all sold vehicles

An Office Assistant at a Distribution Center may:

Answer high volumes of inbound phone calls from suppliers, couriers and client depots
Screen calls, direct calls and take messages
Open incoming mail and distribute to recipients
Stamp, code, and capture invoices into Excel spreadsheets
Coordinate and schedule all corporate business travel and accompanying itineraries
Maintain and update the vacation roster for all employees

Highlight Your Accomplishments

You may be tempted to copy and paste the list of duties you performed under your accomplishment section. The drawback to doing this though is that you won’t stand out from the other applicants with similar experience.

Your goal is to think about what sets you apart, what you are most proud of, or what you achieved in your previous roles. Now communicate these through action-packed statements that grab the reader’s attention.

Examples:

Flat, Simple Duty (WRONG):

Administrative duties include typing, copying, handling the switchboard, faxing, emailing and scheduling

Accomplishment Statement (GOOD):

Extensive experience in Windows/Apple OS experience, Office/Outlook and able to type 88 wpm. Handle a PABX system with 120 extensions.

Quantifying Your Resume

When writing your resume, you should be answering questions like “How much?” or “How many?” It would be best if you include numbers which provide a ‘’proof of work’’ element to your resume. For instance:

How many calls to you take daily?
How often do you proofread documents?
How many manager diaries are you responsible for?

Example 1
– Assisted and arranged meetings between EVPs and their 200+ departmental employees, and handled all payroll activities for 60+ employees.

Example 2
– Proofread and type up to 20 insurance contracts per day with an average typing speed of 80 words per minute. Answered incoming calls (avg. 40/day)

Example 3
– Trained new administrative staff members and coordinated diaries and travel arrangements for a department of 30 employees.

Office Assistant Education Section

The education section forms an integral part of your resume even if you do not have a degree. Office Assistants these days also have access to career development training. In short, indicate What, Where and When regarding your qualifications, certifications or courses or workshops completed. The name of your qualification, institution, and date of completion is more than sufficient.

Completed Secondary and Tertiary Education must be listed as follows:

Start with the commencement- and completion date for diplomas, associate degrees, and bachelor degrees. For courses, you can just list the date of completion. Next comes the full name of the qualification, then the full name of the institution and then the City or abbreviated State name. List your high school diploma details similarly, but only include this when you have less than five years of working experience.

Here are some examples of an Office Assistant Resume in terms of education:

2016-2018 Diploma in Office Administration, Purdue University Global, MI

2012-2013 Medical Office Assistant Certificate, Lincoln Technical College, IN

2010 – Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), International Association for Administrative Professionals (IAAP), MO

2010 – Office Procedures Course, Technical College for Secretaries, MI

Office Assistant Resume Skills Section

Although the reception field requires specific technical skills, employers also consider soft skills. These are the personality traits or skills that indicate to your fit as an Office Assistant who will add value by meeting set out KPI’s, has adequate knowledge, and sufficient experience answer customer queries or direct them to the appropriate contact person. Incorporate these into your summary, or profile, and into your accomplishment statements.

Technical Skills Examples

Educational Attainment: A university degree is not generally required to become an Office Assistant, but you may list diplomas, short courses or workshops you have completed.
Technical Aptitude: Office Assistants usually work with Customer Information Management (CRM software) often unique to the industry that they are in. Examples are SAP, Zoho, Medicare, Automate. You also need to be familiar with email platforms like Gmail or Outlook (most companies have their in-house email software which should be easy to learn). Other applications included Accounting Management Software, Document Management Tools and Enterprise Resource Planning Software.

Soft Skill Examples

Accurate
Friendly
Approachable
Communicator
Helpful
Attention to Detail
Clerical Skills
Client Relations Skills
Communication
Computer Competence
Customer Focus
Diplomacy
Directing Visitors
Organizational Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Providing Information
Punctuality
Reliability
Research
Self-motivated
Teamwork
Telephone Etiquette
Time Management
Validating Parking Passes
Verbal Communication
Word Processing
Written Communication
Energetic
Well Groomed
Eloquent

Qualifications/Certifications associated with Office Assistants

Diploma in Office Administration	Office Information Technology Course	Diploma Business Records Management
CAP – Certified Administrative Professional	Executive Office Assistant Course	Advanced Office Management Course
English Composition for Office Assistants Course	Short Course in Conflict Resolution	Office Bookkeeping Course

Action Verbs for your Office Assistant Resume

Welcoming	Introducing	Assisting
Listening	Helping	Directing
Answering	Developing	Ordering
Creating	Supervising	Prioritizing
Validating	Involving	Organizing
Resolving	Engaging	Communicating

Professional Information for Office Assistants

Sectors: Various
Career Type: Administration, Support, Back Office, Client Relations,
Person type: Communicator, Engager, Supporter, Organizer
Education levels: High School Diploma to Post School Diplomas
Salary indication: From $28k to $38k per year
Labor market: Estimated -1% growth between 2016 – 2026
Organizations: Unlimited