Contrary to what many people may think, the administrative assistant is a very motivating position. The problem lies in the fact that some companies do not value people working in this position, even though they also have responsibilities to assume in order to advance the company. Therefore, you should know how to choose the company you want to join to give you the opportunity to specialize in this job. Here are the qualities that you must have to be a good administrative assistant.
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What does an administrative assistant do ?
An administrative assistant, like all other employees, is an important person for a company. He/she also contributes to the development of the company and therefore has a very important role.
For those who don’t know, note that the job of an administrative assistant is to lighten the workload given to each member of the administrative management team. Without it, everything can get messy. This is why recruiters are quite demanding in their recruitment process to find the rare pearl to occupy this position.
Indeed, the main tasks of an administrative assistant are:
- Answering and making phone calls to organize each member’s schedule and to respond to client requests;
- Maintain contact lists;
- Organize and schedule meetings and appointments with the company’s partners;
- Answer questions from each employee;
- Develop the recruitment process;
- Produce and distribute memos, letters, faxes and forms;
- Order supplies and equipment necessary for the operation of each company activity;
- Prepare regular reports;
- And develop and maintain a filing system.
In short, it will take a trustworthy person, but more importantly, someone who can withstand the pressures of all these tasks. So before you apply, please make sure that you can handle all these responsibilities. As you can see, the job of an administrative assistant is not as easy as people often think.
What you need to keep in mind is that your recruiter can already measure this through the information you put in your resume. You can take a cue from the online administrative assistant resume templates. The key is to keep it simple and clear. This is also one of the qualities sought after in this position.
Please also assign a good layout for your resume so that you don’t bore your recruiter. Sending a resume that has a highly qualified visual appearance shows that you can handle much more important tasks.
Core competencies of an administrative assistant
As mentioned above, the tasks of an administrative assistant are not as simple as they seem. On the contrary, if he or she neglects his or her work, the whole company will suffer the consequences. In order to convince your recruiter that you have all the qualities to be a good administrative assistant, you must mention them all.
Indeed, the fundamental skills that an administrative assistant must have are :
- A mastery of computer tools;
- A spirit of synthesis and organizational skills;
- A keen sense of interpersonal skills;
- Good purchasing management and inventory control;
- Autonomy and ability to work in a team;
- Telephone skills;
- Strong writing and administrative skills;
- Attention to detail;
- Etc.
None of these skills are insignificant. So, if you lack any of them, try to get them first before applying to become an administrative assistant. In short, these skills are mandatory wherever you want to apply.
How to present these skills in an administrative assistant resume?
To be able to present these skills well in your administrative assistant resume, you must follow a few rules. Mention only 5 to 10 skills on your resume and if necessary leave room for your technical and general skills if you have them. These can be used in your new position as an administrative assistant.
Ideally, use software bullets that will also help your recruiter not get lost. On that note, list your skills in an anti-chronological manner, i.e. from the most recent to the oldest, and don’t forget to mention the dates and the institutions where you acquired them. Your recruiter may even ask you to provide references from your former employers.
Personal qualities and achievements required
In addition to your skills, you must also have personal qualities as an administrative assistant. These include versatility to handle different tasks at the same time, thoroughness, dynamism, speed and responsiveness, the ability to prioritize certain tasks from others, a listening mind, ingenuity to deal with all obstacles that arise, foresight to prevent serious problems for the company, work ethic, deontology, an adaptation to the tools and conditions of work and more specifically to the new technologies of communication, attention to detail, anticipation of needs, and many others.
Without these qualities, you may not be able to perform your administrative assistant duties. Your recruiter may ask you to take a written and/or oral test to determine whether or not you have these qualities. But don’t wait for that. Already in your CV, try to talk about it by bringing your previous experiences and achievements supported by figures which are the ultimate proof of your success.
The ideal layout for an administrative assistant resume
When it comes to the layout of your administrative assistant resume, you must be very careful because this is where your attention to detail and meticulousness will be judged.
Also, use a legible and professional font such as Times New Roman or Calibri so as not to bore your recruiter. As for the colors, do not exceed the number of 3 colors. And if possible, opt for darker or standard colors like black, navy blue, and white.
For headings and subheadings, work them in other fonts. They should be in upper case and/or larger size to be more visible and give your resume an interesting visual appearance.
And last but not least, don’t make any spelling mistakes if possible so as not to ruin your chance to be read and contacted. On that note, good luck to you!
