Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume Examples for 2024

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Experienced Administrative Assistant

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Experience

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Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume Tips

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Google Docs Template #1

Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume Sample

As the name suggests, this administrative assistant is not new to the industry and has had some professional experience in the field. Your tasks will be varied as you do your best to assist in whatever day-to-day tasks need to be completed. In this position, you may be working solely for the CEO or certain staff members, or you may be working for the entire office or department. Tasks may range from making travel arrangements to scheduling meetings, to maintaining files. Take a look at this resume sample to get an idea of what yours should entail.

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An experienced administrative assistant resume sample that highlights the applicant’s relevant certifications and transferable skills.

Tips to help you write your Experienced Administrative Assistant resume in 2024

Get relevant certifications.

Show your dedication to the career by gaining administrative certification. This applicant is a certified professional secretary and administrative professional.

Also see: How to List Certifications on a Resume

Get relevant certifications. - Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume

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Highlight transferable skills from related positions.

If you have had experience in a related position like a secretary or receptionist positions, include those in your resume and highlight the tasks and skills that an executive administrative assistant would also have. There is a lot of overlap in these positions.

Also see: Find Hard Skills To Include In Your Resume

Highlight transferable skills from related positions. - Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume

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Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume Tips

We spoke with hiring managers at companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple, as well as smaller businesses, to understand what they look for in an experienced administrative assistant's resume. Based on their insights and our own expertise, we've compiled the following tips to help you create a resume that will get noticed and land you an interview.

Highlight your organizational skills

As an administrative assistant, your ability to stay organized is crucial. Showcase your organizational skills by providing specific examples of how you've kept your work environment and projects in order.

Implemented a new filing system that reduced document retrieval time by 50%
Managed calendars for a team of 12 executives, ensuring no scheduling conflicts
Created and maintained a database of over 1,000 client contacts

Avoid simply stating that you're organized without providing evidence:

Highly organized individual
Skilled at keeping things in order

Bullet Point Samples for Experienced Administrative Assistant

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Emphasize your problem-solving abilities

Employers want to know that you can handle challenges and find solutions independently. Highlight instances where you've successfully tackled problems or improved processes.

Identified and resolved a bottleneck in the expense reporting process, reducing reimbursement time by 3 days
Developed a new onboarding checklist that increased new hire satisfaction by 25%
Troubleshot and fixed recurring technical issues with office equipment, saving the company $5,000 in service calls

Instead of simply claiming to be a problem-solver, demonstrate your skills with concrete examples.

Showcase your adaptability

Administrative assistants often have to juggle multiple tasks and adapt to changing priorities. Show that you're flexible and can handle a dynamic work environment.

Supported a team of 20 through a company merger, adapting to new policies and procedures while maintaining a 95% on-time task completion rate
Filled in for a coworker on maternity leave, taking on an additional 50% workload without compromising quality
Quickly learned and implemented a new project management software, training 15 team members on its use

Avoid generic statements that don't illustrate your adaptability:

Able to handle change
Flexible and adaptable

Quantify your achievements

Whenever possible, use numbers to quantify your accomplishments. This helps hiring managers understand the scope and impact of your work.

Processed an average of 150 invoices per week, ensuring 100% accuracy
Planned and coordinated 25 corporate events, ranging from 10 to 500 attendees
Implemented a new inventory tracking system, reducing supply costs by 20%

Avoid vague descriptions of your achievements:

Processed invoices, planned events, and tracked inventory

Instead, provide specific numbers to give context and showcase your impact.

Tailor your resume to the job description

Customize your resume for each job application by highlighting the skills and experiences that align with the requirements listed in the job description.

For example, if the job posting emphasizes experience with a specific software:

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced skills in Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, macros)
Managed a team calendar using Google Calendar, coordinating over 50 weekly meetings

Avoid using a generic resume that doesn't address the specific needs of the role:

Experienced with various software programs
Familiar with office tools

Highlight your industry-specific experience

If you have experience working in the same industry as the company you're applying to, make sure to emphasize this on your resume. This can include industry-specific skills, terminology, or certifications.

For example, if you're applying for an administrative assistant role in a healthcare setting:

Familiar with HIPAA regulations and maintained strict patient confidentiality
Managed medical billing and coding for a team of 15 healthcare providers
Completed a certificate program in Medical Office Administration

Avoid generic descriptions that don't showcase your industry expertise:

Experienced administrative assistant
Skilled in office management

By highlighting your industry-specific experience, you demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running in the new role.

Writing Your Experienced Administrative Assistant Resume: Section By Section

Summary

A resume summary is an optional section that highlights your most relevant qualifications for the job you're applying for. As an experienced administrative assistant, you may be wondering if you need a summary. While it's not required, a well-written summary can help you stand out from other candidates and provide additional context for your experience.

However, avoid using an objective statement, which is outdated and focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer the employer. Instead, use your summary to showcase your key skills, accomplishments, and experience that align with the job requirements.

How to write a resume summary if you are applying for an Experienced Administrative Assistant resume

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1. Tailor your summary to the job posting

When writing your summary, focus on the specific requirements and qualifications listed in the job posting. Highlight your most relevant skills and experience that demonstrate your ability to excel in the role.

For example, if the job posting emphasizes experience with scheduling and calendar management, your summary might look like this:

Experienced administrative assistant with 5+ years of experience managing complex calendars and scheduling for senior executives. Skilled in coordinating travel arrangements, planning meetings, and ensuring smooth office operations. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and experienced with Salesforce CRM.

Avoid generic summaries that could apply to any administrative assistant role, such as:

Hardworking administrative assistant with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Reliable and efficient professional with experience in various administrative tasks.

Use our Targeted Resume tool to ensure your summary includes the right keywords and skills for the specific job you're applying for.

2. Highlight your top accomplishments and skills

Your summary is an opportunity to showcase your most impressive accomplishments and skills that are relevant to the administrative assistant role. Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, focus on the results you achieved and the value you brought to your previous employers.

Consider accomplishments like:

Implemented a new filing system that increased efficiency by 30%
Managed travel arrangements for a team of 15 executives, saving the company $10,000 annually
Trained 5 new administrative assistants on office procedures and software

When highlighting your skills, avoid overused buzzwords like "team player" or "detail-oriented." Instead, provide specific examples that demonstrate your skills in action:

Team player with strong communication skills
Detail-oriented and organized

Instead, try:

Collaborated with a cross-functional team to plan a successful company-wide event for 500+ attendees
Maintained meticulous records and organized files for 10+ ongoing projects

After crafting your summary, use our Score My Resume tool to get instant feedback on how well your summary highlights your key skills and accomplishments.

Experience

Your work experience section is the core of your resume. It's where you showcase your relevant experience and accomplishments. As an experienced administrative assistant, you need to highlight your skills and achievements in a way that will grab the attention of hiring managers.

In this section, we'll cover the key steps to writing a strong work experience section that will help you stand out from the competition.

1. Use strong admin-related action verbs

When describing your work experience, use strong action verbs that are relevant to administrative roles. This helps to showcase your skills and accomplishments in a powerful way. For example:

Managed complex executive calendars and scheduled meetings across multiple time zones
Coordinated domestic and international travel arrangements for senior executives
Streamlined invoice processing system, reducing payment turnaround time by 50%

Avoid using weak or generic verbs like "assisted" or "helped". Instead, use verbs that demonstrate your specific contributions, such as:

Orchestrated
Spearheaded
Optimized
Facilitated

Action Verbs for Experienced Administrative Assistant

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Tip: Use a variety of action verbs to keep your bullet points engaging and avoid repetition. Our Targeted Resume tool can help you identify the most relevant keywords and action verbs to use based on the job description.

2. Quantify your achievements with metrics

Whenever possible, use specific numbers and metrics to quantify your achievements. This helps hiring managers understand the scope and impact of your work. For example:

Implemented new filing system, increasing document retrieval efficiency by 35%
Managed a budget of $50,000 for office supplies and equipment
Trained and onboarded 15 new employees, ensuring smooth integration into the company

If you don't have access to specific metrics, you can still provide context by using numbers. For example:

Managed calendars for 5 senior executives
Organized monthly team meetings for a department of 30 employees

Tip: When using metrics, make sure they are relevant and impressive. Don't include metrics just for the sake of having them. Choose the most significant accomplishments that demonstrate your value.

3. Highlight your career progression

If you've been promoted or taken on additional responsibilities in your administrative roles, make sure to highlight this in your work experience section. This shows hiring managers that you have a track record of success and growth. For example:

Administrative Assistant
XYZ Company | June 2018 - Present

- Promoted to Executive Assistant after 1 year, supporting the CEO and CFO
- Increased efficiency of expense reporting process by 40% through implementation of new software
- Managed a team of 3 administrative assistants, providing training and guidance

If you don't have a formal promotion, you can still showcase your progression by highlighting how your responsibilities have increased over time.

Tip: When listing your promotions, put your most recent position first, followed by your previous positions within the same company. This helps to clearly show your career trajectory.

4. Tailor your experience to the job description

When applying for a specific administrative assistant role, make sure to tailor your work experience section to the job description. Look for key skills and requirements mentioned in the job posting, and highlight your relevant experience. For example, if the job description mentions:

Experience with Microsoft Office Suite
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Make sure to include bullet points that demonstrate these specific skills:

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Managed multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring all deadlines were met
Drafted and edited executive correspondence, ensuring clear and professional communication

Our Score My Resume tool can help you ensure your resume is tailored to the job description. It checks your resume against 30+ key criteria that hiring managers look for and provides instant feedback on areas for improvement.

Education

The education section of your administrative assistant resume should be concise and tailored to the job. It's an opportunity to showcase relevant coursework, certifications, and degrees that make you a strong candidate. Here are some tips for crafting an effective education section:

1. Put education after experience if you're a seasoned admin assistant

If you have several years of administrative experience, place your education section below your work history. This puts the focus on your professional accomplishments.

For example, a senior administrative assistant's education section might look like this:

Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
University of Illinois at Chicago

Notice how the graduation year is omitted to avoid potential age discrimination.

If you're a recent graduate with limited work experience, consider placing education before your work history to highlight your academic achievements.

2. Include relevant coursework for entry-level admin assistant roles

When you're just starting your administrative career, you may not have much work experience to include. In this case, add relevant coursework to your education section to show you have the necessary skills.

Here's an example of what to include:

Bachelor of Science in Office Administration, XYZ University
Relevant Coursework: Business Writing, Microsoft Office Suite, Project Management, Customer Service

Avoid listing coursework like this:

Intro to Psychology
History 101
Basic Math

Focus on classes that taught you skills applicable to administrative work, such as written communication, software proficiency, and organization.

3. Add certifications to showcase specialized admin skills

Certifications demonstrate to employers that you've invested in developing specialized administrative skills. Include them in your education section to make your resume stand out.

Some examples of relevant certifications:

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
Certified Virtual Assistant (CVA)

Be sure to list the full name of the certification and the issuing organization.

You can also create a separate "Certifications" section if you have several impressive credentials you want to highlight.

Skills

Your skills section is one of the most important parts of your administrative assistant resume. It's where you highlight your most relevant abilities and expertise to show hiring managers you're the best candidate for the job. Here are some tips to make your skills section stand out:

1. Tailor your skills to the job description

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to automatically scan resumes for relevant skills before a human ever sees them. To get past these filters, carefully review the job description and include the exact skills and keywords it mentions.

For example, if a job description for an administrative assistant lists 'calendar management' and 'travel booking' as required skills, make sure to list those verbatim:

Calendar management
Travel booking
Expense reporting
CRM software (Salesforce)

Avoid just listing generic skills that could apply to any administrative role:

Microsoft Office
Organization
Time management
Communication

Not sure if your resume is tailored enough? Try running it through Targeted Resume on Resume Worded. It scans your resume against a job description and scores how well your skills and keywords match up.

2. Focus on hard skills and technical expertise

As an experienced administrative assistant, employers expect you to have mastered the fundamentals. Rather than listing basic soft skills like 'communication' or 'organization,' emphasize the hard skills and programs you're an expert in.

Some examples of impressive hard skills to include:

Scheduling software: Calendly, Doodle, Acuity
Collaboration tools: Asana, Trello, Basecamp
Expense reporting: Concur, Expensify
CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho
Presentation design: Prezi, Canva, Slides

Aim to include 6-10 highly relevant hard skills on your resume. Any more than that and it looks like you're stuffing in keywords rather than highlighting your core expertise areas.

3. Categorize skills into sections

If you have a lot of technical skills to showcase, consider grouping them into categories. This makes your skills section easier to skim and understand at a glance. For example:

Office Management: Calendar management, travel booking, vendor management, supply ordering
Finance & Accounting: Accounts payable/receivable, payroll processing, expense reporting, budget tracking
CRM & Sales Support: Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, lead qualification, sales presentations

Avoid just listing out skills in a long bulleted list with no organization:

Calendar management
Salesforce
Expense reporting
Travel booking
Supply ordering
HubSpot CRM

Not sure if your resume will impress hiring managers? Get a free instant analysis with Score My Resume from Resume Worded. It checks your resume on 30+ key criteria, including your skills section, to see if you're hitting the mark.

Skills For Experienced Administrative Assistant Resumes

Here are examples of popular skills from Experienced Administrative Assistant job descriptions that you can include on your resume.

Executive Administrative Assistance
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable (AR)
Teaching
Human Resources (HR)
Office Administration
Administrative Assistance
Inventory Management
Event Planning
Microsoft Access

Match Your Resume To These Skills

Skills Word Cloud For Experienced Administrative Assistant Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Experienced Administrative Assistant job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.

Top Experienced Administrative Assistant Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

For more skills, visit Experienced Administrative Assistant Skills & Keywords.

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