Office Assistant Resume Description

What Is An Office Assistant Resume

An office assistant resume should detail as many relevant skills, experiences and responsibilities as possible to communicate your capabilities and enhance your employability. While office assistant duties vary, this job generally involves data entry, processing mail, filing, record-keeping, updating a companys social media posts and answering phones. Additionally, this profession requires keen attention to detail, making it imperative that your resume is proofread and polished.

Format The Office Assistant Resume Template First

When writing an email to a client, you wouldnt just say were still waiting on your payment and send it off.

Youd format it first, with a signature, opening greeting, and maybe a company logo.

An office assistant resume is similar

The office assistant resume needs to be formatted right if its to be taken seriously.

Here are some guidelines for formatting office assistant resume templates:

• Go with the reverse-chronological format when listing entries with dates involved .
• Keep resumes for office assistants neat by prioritizing white space and including a one-inch border all around.
• Select the best font for resumes from our list so that it will be easy to read.
• Know what to put on a resumeboth appropriate resume sections and relevant content within each one.

Expert Hint: Choose the PDF format when saving your resume, because theres a reason its called the Portable Document Format. PDFs render fine on any screen, whereas a Microsoft Word .docx may look funny on certain devices. Start from one of these MS Word resume templates and export it to PDF.

What Is An Office Assistant

Alright, lets start with the basics what is an office assistant anyway?

In the simplest terms, an office assistant is an administrative professional that handles a variety of basic tasks. They are the foundation of clerical support, managing a range of must-dos like organizing records, proofreading documents, and more.

An office assistant might support a single manager, an entire department, or even a whole company, if the business is smaller. Office assistant duties can vary dramatically, as a result, though they are almost always quite diverse.

Its important to understand that office assistants arent necessarily the same thing as receptionists, administrative assistants, or executive assistants. Sure, there are instances where the duties overlap, but that doesnt make them equal.

Typically, office assistants or receptionists are considered more entry-level roles. However, receptionists usually focus on front desk style duties, while an office assistant may spend more of their time on back-of-house tasks.

Administrative assistants usually fall closer to the middle in the hierarchy, requiring more skills or experience to ensure they can handle some complex duties. Executive assistants are a bit higher-level, often needing advanced capabilities, allowing them to address the needs of CEOs and other members of the leadership team without much guidance.

JEFF’S TIP:

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Office Assistant Resume Education Example: Making Informed Decisions

Office assistants arent usually required to have any formal education, but you can greatly increase your chances of getting hired for a receptionist or higher level administrative assistant job with a bit of higher education.

Jobs in certain companies relating to your field of interest might be competitive among recent graduates looking to get their foot in the door. A winning resume can help you beat out the competition and put you on a path for advanced mentorship and educational opportunities.

We recommend listing your education with the year first, followed by the name of the institution, the degree and followed by the location. Again, this information should be in reverse chronological order, from highest to lowest level of relevant experience. If you have a bachelors degree or higher, its not necessary to list your high school.

Below you can see the education section from an office assistant resume example

Write A Cover Letter That Goes With Your Office Job Resume

Cover letters are great to add while applying for the job. Though not all organizations specify it, we consier it essential as most employers expect it. You can design one and its another great opportunity to sell yourself to the employer. Your office assistant cover letter should not be more than one page and should include all your core strengths, interests, and the answer to why youre the right fit for the organization.

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Choose The Right Resume Format

chronological, functional or combination formats.

Use a chronological resume format if you have over 10 years of experience. Chronological resumes are unique as they place your work history section near the top of the document to highlight your experience and career progress.

If you have little or no formal experience, consider a functional resume. This format highlights your skills relevant to the open role and downplays your lack of experience, with multiple sections devoted to general soft, hard and technical skills.

If youre a relative newcomer, freelancer or a recent graduate, you can benefit from a combination resume format. This format slightly shifts the placement of chronological sections so that your resume highlights both your skills and experience equally.

Learn more about each type of resume and when and how to use it in our resume formats guide.

• Combination

Qualifications For Office Assistant

• High school diploma or general education degree required, associate’s degree preferred
• 1-3 years of relevant experience in an office setting, preferably in an administrative or clerical role
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to prioritize, and comfortable working independently
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including strong spelling, grammar, and punctuation
• Must be committed to providing outstanding customer service and demonstrate strong interpersonal skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Proficient computer skills and ability to operate general office equipment

Ready to Hire an Office Assistant?

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Office Assistant Job Description For Resume

A resume for the position of office assistant can be written using information from the sample job description given above.

The job description, which shows a list of vital duties, tasks, and responsibilities can be used in making the professional experience section of the resume as shown in the complete office assistant resume example here.

Administrative Secretaryjob Responsibilities And Duties:

• Complete all secretarial tasks.
• Implement departmental activities in a timely, efficient, and productive way.
• For the senior leadership team, produce administrative documents.
• Manage the storage and correspondence processes in the office.
• Answer questions from visitors and customers about information.
• Business meetings, group discussions, and other departmental activities should be planned, scheduled, and organized as needed.
• Properly manage interviews with the media.
• Effectively manage and upgrade databases.
• Interdepartmental operations and functions are evaluated.
• Investigate issues that develop within.
• Integrate industry standards and best practices into administrative work.
• If necessary, set up facilities and make refreshments for gatherings.
• Following the manners and best business practices.

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Select Powerful Action Words

After selecting the duties you want to include for each job and sorting them into an outline, start turning each bullet point into a powerful statement about your duties. Use strong action words that succinctly describe your actions and the results of your efforts. Because you have a limited amount of space on a resume to discuss your experience, carefully choose vocabulary that expresses the importance of your role in a single sentence.

Draw Attention To Your Past Work Experience

Include only relevant work history on your resume, especially if you are an experienced professional. A tailored and specific work history helps recruiters view this as evidence of your abilities and value. Thus, highlight it while minimizing distraction caused by unrelated accomplishments. List your work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent experience.

Every entry on a chronological resume must include the job title, the organization name, location and employment dates. Below each threshold, provide three or four bullet points describing your accomplishments and tasks.

You can learn how to draft this section by comparing the poor and good examples.

Poor example:

Office Assistant

• Assured efficiency in the office by scheduling meetings with VIP clients, arranging the schedule of appointments, and delegating tasks.
• Prepared over 25 detailed reports in coordination with seniors in a timely manner.
• Provided assistance to seniors with several clerical tasks to meet deadlines.

A work history like this demonstrates the candidate’s abilities and further details the tasks they performed.

Follow these tips to make your work history section more appealing:

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Daily And Monthly Responsibilities

• Manage the front desk/reception operations, acting as the first point of contact for guests, employees, candidates, and vendors
• Perform general administrative tasks, including answering and directing phone calls, email correspondence, faxing, filing, meeting minutes, mailings and deliveries, and coordinating meeting room calendars
• Keep the office clean, stocked, and organized throughout kitchen, conference rooms, stock and storage rooms/closest, and communal areas
• Oversee and order office supplies, anticipating requirements, stocking supply stations, and making sure equipment is in working order
• Maintain filing system, contact database, employee list, and inventories
• Provide ad-hoc support to office and other staff members and departments as needed, including organizing team events onsite and offsite

Key Takeaways For An Office Assistant Resume

Now its time to get started! Good luck getting the office assistant job youre after in no time.

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What Do Hiring Managers Look For In An Office Assistant Resume

• Ability to set up and organize staff appointments as well as travel arrangements
• Demonstrated experience answering incoming phone calls, taking messages, and responding to email
• Competence in managing and updating databases, client lists, and contact information
• Necessary technical skillset and mastery over Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, and other organizational software
• A friendly personality with written and verbal communication skills to ensure a fantastic customer experience

Office Assistant With Polygraphresume Examples & Samples

• Provides professional telephone support and manage inquiries & information from a variety of sources. Must be professional courteous resourceful in support to all inquiries. Must be able to possess a calm and reassuring manner regardless of the situation. Attention to detail is necessary to manage the complexity of inquiries
• Retrieves compiles and analyzes various program data using customer specific databases and prepares recommendations for customer
• Tracks and inputs timesheet information into automated accounting system and submits for processing
• Provides training to less experienced clerical and administrative personnel and may be asked to provide Team Lead/Supervisory responsibilities
• Must be proficient in relevant computer applications including Microsoft Office Applications
• Must have the ability to interact with various levels of high ranking officials and respond to inquiries in a timely manner
• Ability to multitask provide good judgment and think on your feet when problem solving
• 5-8 years of related administrative experience

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Use An Office Assistant Resume Template

An office assistants job requires attention to detail on all types of documentation.

As such, you need a professional-looking resume that shows you can walk the walk.

A cluttered resume with formatting errors just wont cut it.

That means avoiding Word, which can result in your resume falling apart with every simple change.

Want to skip formatting issues? Use an office assistant resume template. Any of the following resume templates can be tailored for a perfect office assistant resume.

Choose The Right Format For An Office Assistant Resume

The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset.

You have 3 main options for your resume:

Tip: only include jobs relevant to the position to which youâre applying, so leave out any former jobs that donât fit. For example, if you worked as a Waiter, it wouldnât make sense to include your food preparation abilities — since that has no relevance to your job as an Office Assistant. However, you could mention how you learned customer service skills as a Waiter, which is also useful for an Office Assistant

Have headers like âCustomer Serviceâ and âAdministrative Supportâ with their respective skills listed in bullet points below. At the very end, include a brief snapshot of your work experience.

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Office Assistant Ii Resume

Objective : 4+ years of experience as an Office Assistant. Looking to obtain a position with a company to utilize my skills and grow within a company.

Skills : Office: Word, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payable, Administration, Outlook, Data Entry, Cashier, Cash Register, Cash Handling, Cash Handling, and Management.

Description :

• Providing a professional and courteous greeting to all clients, vendors, employees, responsible for answering and directing incoming company calls, including the Sacramento and outside offices, to the appropriate party.
• Overseeing the opening, sorting, and routing of incoming mail, packages, and deliveries.
• Assisting with department tasks and projects including data input, scanning/saving statements, and maintaining APC intranet phone list.
• Assisting with all departments projects including census, extensions, 1099s, and FTPs.
• Processing all incoming census, fast forms, and trust information to include scanning/saving and completing the WIP process.
• Participating in the group or individual discussions regarding department process or policy improvements.
• Responding to customer inquiries in person and over the phone liaise with cross-functional teams in support of customer needs.
• Organizing calendars and schedules to align with executive needs and company goals mechanical bar managed a high-volume workload within a deadline-driven environment.

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 .

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

*Cool Tip for a stellar resume

For example:

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Office Assistant Education And Training Requirements

Many Office Assistants have a high school diploma or GED. However, some may also have associates degrees or higher. Assistants who want to move into management roles will likely need several years of experience and/or a college degree. Some vocational schools and community colleges offer certifications for office assistants and similar roles.

In terms of training, most Office Assistants develop the skills they need through formal education or on-the-job experience. However, you may ask that applicants have experience with the types of software you use. Many popular computer programs used for things like ordering supplies or maintaining schedules or data offer certifications that candidates can complete online.

Cv Skills Example: Time To Shine

An office assistant with no skills is like a bicycle with no wheels it just wont work. But thats good news for those just starting out in their careers. With the right attitude and a little bit of relevant experience to back it up, youll be able to craft a CV that will have you learning on the job in no time.

In many jobs, including this one, skills can be broken into two categories: hard and soft. Hard skills are ones requiring a tool, object or applied/exact knowledge for practical actions. That includes scheduling programs and computer software. Soft skills are your innate personality traits and qualities things like self-motivation, work ethic and a friendly disposition.

While office assistants may not deal with as many clients as receptionists do, in the U.S., a good grasp of another language, such as Spanish, can be helpful in situations where clients or patients are not native English speakers.

Its a good idea to make a master list of skills that you possess and then cherry-pick only the most relevant to include on your resume. Brainstorm this list, and dont be too modest or overly critical of yourself. The goal is to find as many tools in your toolbox as possible. This master document will probably change and grow over the course of your career.

Check out a research assistant CV sample for the skills section below.

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