Administrative Assistant Cover Letter: Sample & Templates

You’ve found the office job that puts all others to shame.

It’s got job responsibilities you’re capable of, benefits you’re fond of, and all at a company you’d be proud of.

You’ve got an admin assistant CV that’ll make the office manager get up on their desk and do an awkward dance at the joy of finding you.

But—

You need a captivating administrative assistant cover letter before you can submit your application. One that talks up your skills, achievements, and background in a way that compels them to read your CV and consider you for the job.

Not to worry.

In this article, you’ll get:

• Two sample administrative assistant cover letters: one for an experienced admin assistant, and one for an entry-level administrative assistant.
• Step-by-step tips and advice on how to write an admin assistant cover letter that’ll land more office job interviews.
• An admin assistant cover letter template you can copy, adjust, and complete in just 15 minutes.

What does a perfect cover letter for an administrative assistant look like? See below—

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Looking for other cover letter examples for office and administrative positions? See:

• Executive Assistant Cover Letter
• Data Entry Clerk Cover Letter
• Human Resources Cover Letter
• Legal Assistant Cover Letter
• Office Assistant Cover Letter
• Office Manager Cover Letter
• Paralegal Cover Letter
• Receptionist Cover Letter
• Social Work Cover Letter

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Cover Letter Examples.

Need to write a different kind of cover letter? Check these out:

• Medical Assistant Cover Letter Sample
• Research Assistant Cover Letter Sample
• Career Change Cover Letter Sample
• No Experience Cover Letter Sample

Let’s begin with two administrative assistant cover letter examples:

1. Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Sample

First, see this sample cover letter for administrative assistant written by a candidate with a few years of related professional experience as an office secretary.

Here we have Albert with 2+ years of experience applying for the admin assistant position at Beauregard Hunsting Associates.

Let’s take a look at how Albert wins over the office manager in his cover letter:

Example #1: Administrative Assistant Cover Letter (Mid-Level)

Albert’s got one heck of a cover letter here, don’t you think?

But what if you’ve no experience as an admin assistant, secretary, or office assistant? How to write a job-winning entry-level administrative assistant cover letter?

Don’t worry.

Most administrative assistant jobs are entry-level positions anyway, so it doesn’t take years of experience to secure employment. 

However, to beat the other candidates, many of whom will have prior work in an office, you’ll have to show the hiring manager you’re their best bet.

Meet another one of our candidates, Alfred. He’s actually Albert’s brother, and he is also applying to the administrative assistant position.

Unlike his brother Albert, Alfred has never had a clerical or secretarial position before.

Instead, Alfred’s got to show that his skills and background more than make up for his lack of experience. 

Take a look at Alfred’s sample cover letter for an entry-level admin assistant position:

Example #2: Administrative Assistant Cover Letter (No Experience)

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And there it is— 

A solid sample cover letter for administrative assistants without experience.

Now, let’s walk through the strategy of how to write a cover letter for admin assistant jobs yourself. 

Short attention span?

No problem. 

We’ve got plenty of fill-in-the-blank cover letter templates for every section of your admin asst cover letter.

Is your administrative assistant CV as solid as your cover letter’s about to be? See a dedicated example here: Admin Assistant CV Sample

2. How to Write a Cover Letter for Administrative Assistant Jobs Step by Step (Template)

Here’s how to write a killer administrative assistant cover letter:

1. Follow the rules of business cover letter formatting 

Cover letters need to make a great first impression. For an admin assistant job, it’s got to show you’re professional, skilled at clerical duties, and organised like a bawse.

Here are the rules for formatting cover letters:

• Use business letter format, which means aligning it all to the left; however, if you want to keep your cover letter address formatted like your CV header, that’s fine, too.
• Use a one-inch margin on all four sides of the cover letter for admin assistants.
• Choose a cover letter font that is legible, and use 11pt or 12pt font size throughout.
• Use single line spacing on an admin assistant application letter, except in between paragraphs and elements (e.g., salutation, closing).
• Stick to a single page cover letter—you can talk more about your life another time. 

Expert Hint: A study found that admin assistants “provide critical office support for modern businesses, yet many do not participate in the continuing education and training required for rapidly changing technologies and new office procedures.” If you can show you’re motivated and love learning, you’ll easily outshine the other candidates.

2. Create a professional cover letter header with contact details

The most important rule to remember for any administrative assistant cover letter header is that it should match the header of the associated CV.

Then, it’s all business— 

In business letter formatting, you put your details first. After leaving a line break, add the date of writing. Next, one more line break before the recipient’s details (company name and address).

Follow this template:

Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Header Template

Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

3. Introduce yourself & identify the clerical position to which you’re applying

Now we get to the actual writing, the first paragraph on a cover letter for administrative jobs.

Start the cover letter by first addressing the employer by name. This speaks volumes, and they’ll immediately find it compelling them to read further.

Continue by identifying the exact position (administrative assistant) you’re applying for. Then, quickly go over the general details of your office skills, administrative experience, and professional background.

Need a hand?

Use this template by easily filling in the blanks with your information:

Administrative Assistant Cover Letter Sample: Introduction

Expert Hint: The jobs of secretaries, office assistants, and administrative assistants are projected to decline by 192,000, or 5%, between 2016 and 2026. With a lot fewer jobs to go around, competition will be RuPaul fierce. Don’t go easy on your administrative assistant cover letter if you want a chance at an interview with the office manager.

4. Highlight related secretarial strengths & administrative skills

The administrative assistant cover letter’s second paragraph needs to address the employment needs of this specific job.

Check out the ad and locate the job requirements area. Use that to talk about the demands they have for a new hire, as well as how you’d meet those challenges. Give an example when possible to really ease their minds.

Here’s a fill-in-the-blank sample body paragraph:

Cover Letter for Administrative Assistants: Middle Paragraph

Expert Hint: Duties depending on the office, as an admin assistant at a police station will have different duties from one in the corporate world. However, as US News states, “for nearly any administrative assistant, good writing and verbal communication skills are required, as well as experience with word processing and spreadsheets.” Always talk up these fundamentals!

5. Explain why you prefer to work in this particular office

The third paragraph is where we begin to wrap things up.

In this part of the administrative assistant cover letter, use a bit of flattery. 

Of course they need to know how skilled and experienced you are, but a compliment or two about the company or job will help them understand better how you’ll fit in on the team.

Emphasise the fact that you want this particular admin assistant job and that you’re not just applying to each one that comes your way.

Use this template if you’re unsure how to go about it:

Admin Assistant Cover Letter Example: Your Motivation

6. End with a compelling call-to-action & professional sign-off

Close the cover letter by requesting a face-to-face meeting or a chat by phone.

Reiterate your offer and how you believe you’d be the candidate to beat.

Here’s a sample administrative assistant cover letter closing to use as reference:

Sample Cover Letter for Admin Assistant Jobs: Call to Action & Formal Closing

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Key Points

Here are some guidelines for writing a cover letter for administrative positions:

• Address the office manager directly when starting your admin assistant cover letter.
• Write a compelling introduction paragraph which states the position you’re applying for and what you bring to the table.
• Impress them by stating how you are able to fulfil their job requirements and surpass their expectations.
• Inform them how excited you are for the opportunity to work at this particular office.
• Submit a strong call to action to close things off, and ask for a future meeting or call.

Need more cover letter resources? Check these out:

• Free MS Word CV Templates
• How to Write the Perfect Cover Letter in 10 Minutes
• Emailing Cover Letter and CV

Now you’ve seen our sample cover letter for administrative assistant positions and our guidelines for writing your own. If you have any questions, let’s chat below in the comments. Thanks for reading!

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