Administrative Assistant CV

So you’re trying to write a CV as an administrative assistant. I’ve seen enough CVs over the years to tell you that most people miss the mark completely. They either go overboard, listing every task they’ve ever done, or they barely put any effort into it and end up with something generic that gets overlooked.

Let’s get into what actually works.

What Actually Matters on Your CV

The truth is, recruiters are looking for specifics. They don’t want to know that you "answered phones" or "scheduled meetings", those things are obvious for an admin role. Instead, show how well you did those tasks. Did you manage a complex calendar for multiple executives? Did you implement a filing system that saved your team hours every week? Stuff like that sets you apart.

And please, numbers help. If you organized travel arrangements for 20 team members, put that down. If you reduced office supply costs by 15%, write it out. Numbers stop people in their tracks and make them pay attention.

Formatting That Won’t Give Anyone a Headache

Look, some CVs are so cluttered that they’re hard to read. Keep it simple. Stick to one font, and make sure it’s clean and readable. Arial, Calibri, something like that. Don’t go crazy with colors either, black and white works just fine.

Use clear headings so it’s easy to skim. Start with your name and contact info at the top. After that, you want sections like "Professional Summary, " "Skills, " "Experience, " and "Education. " And unless you’re making a CV for a super creative job, skip the graphics. No recruiter wants to see a pie chart about your time management skills.

The Part Nobody Tells You About

This one drives me nuts: people forget to show their personality. You want to come across as someone who’s easy to work with, reliable, and proactive. But how do you do that in a CV? Easy. Use action-oriented language. "Streamlined office processes, " "Collaborated with vendors, " "Initiated cross-department communication. " These kinds of phrases make you sound like someone who doesn’t wait for instructions, you get stuff done.

Also, take a second look at your professional summary at the top. Don’t let it sound like a robot wrote it. Something like, "Highly organized administrative assistant with 5 years of experience managing office operations and supporting senior executives with a track record of efficiency and attention to detail. " Bam! It’s professional but still has some energy.

Stop Doing This Right Now

Let me say this loud and clear: stop listing "Microsoft Office" in your skills section. It’s 2023. It’s assumed you know how to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You have limited space, so use it wisely. Put skills like "Office management software (e. g. , Slack, Trello)" or "Vendor negotiations. " Things that actually make recruiters say, "Oh, that’s useful. "

One more thing, don’t waste space with unrelated stuff. If you worked as a barista five years ago but it doesn’t tie into admin work, leave it off. Focus on roles and tasks that connect to the job you’re applying for.

Honestly, a great administrative assistant CV isn’t about listing out everything you’ve done, it’s about showing how you’ve gone above and beyond and made a real impact. Try this approach, and you’ll already be ahead of the pack.