30+ Administrative Skills & List of Examples for Resume

What differentiates a good and bad administrative resume? The bad one poorly showcases administrative skills.

Don’t jeopardize your chances of getting the next big office job. Learn how to prove your administration expertise with excellent administrative skills.

In this article: 

• What administrative skills are and why they are essential.
• A list of good administrative skills examples.
• How to improve your administrative skills.
• How to include administrative skills in your resume.

Save hours of work and get a job-winning resume like this. Try our resume builder with 20+ resume templates and create your resume now.

Create your resume now

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

What users say about ResumeLab:

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.”
Patrick

I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work!
Dylan 

My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful!
George

Create your resume now

Check out our specific office job guides:

• Consultant Resume Sample
• Executive Assistant Resume Guide
• Federal Resume Guide
• Front Desk Resume Sample
• Office Assistant Resume Examples
• Office Clerk Resume
• Receptionist Resume
• Resume for HR
• Secretary Resume Example
• Virtual Assistant Resume

Administrative Skills—Resume Example

1. What Are Administrative Skills?

Administrative skills allow for effective management and coordination of office tasks and activities. Administrative experience is often shown through the ability to organize and maintain records, organize invoicing and budgeting, and manage customer emails and phone calls.

And correctly applying administrative skills to your resume can make or break your application. Especially with automated software products specializing in scanning applications to find specific resume keywords.

So what administrative experience skills make the recruiters call you back instantly? Let’s discover.

2. Top Administrative Skills Examples

You can have dozens of essential administration qualities, but some are more ubiquitous than others. Let’s take a look at 8 such skills and discuss their importance.

1. Time management

Time management is crucial in demonstrating strong administrative skills. Failure to show efficient time management may indicate a lack of experience. Employers seek candidates who can efficiently prioritize tasks, manage workloads, and consistently meet deadlines.

2. Verbal and Written Communication

These skills highlight your ability to concisely convey ideas and thoughts and spread information in the organization. Additionally, effective communication can contribute to a positive work environment and promote collaboration and teamwork.

3. Record Keeping and Filing

They are the bread and butter of your skill portfolio. They demonstrate the ability to efficiently and accurately organize information. In most administrative roles, maintaining accurate records and files is essential for ensuring tasks are completed correctly and efficiently.

4. Office Software Proficiency (Microsoft Suite, QuickBooks)

The ability to use tools listed in the job ad is a tremendous advantage and should always be showcased. This lets hiring managers know you have the knowledge to start working, saving time and reducing errors.

5. Customer Service Skills

A candidate with strong customer service skills adds value to the organization by creating a positive customer experience and building trust and loyalty. This can result in increased customer retention, referrals, and revenue.

6. Data Entry and Data Management

These days, data is everything. And the ability to accurately and efficiently input, organize, and maintain critical information is a crucial administrative skill. With administrative roles, there is a heavy reliance on managing data and information. So candidates with these skills will be more valuable in the eyes of the recruiters.

7. Calendar Management and Scheduling

Task prioritization, setting reminders, and meeting deadlines. Every office needs that. Effective scheduling leads to increased productivity and efficiency.

8. Email Management

With the constant flow of emails in a work setting, it’s crucial to manage them properly to ensure that important messages are not missed and that responses are timely. So show your recruiter you can handle high volumes of emails in this competitive environment.

But not every job application comes with the exact expectations. And there are many more different administrative skills in existence. So instead of going in-depth with every last one, let’s look at an expansive list of administrative skills.

Administrative Skills for Resume—Example List

Administrative assistants are the beating heart responsible for organizing the chaotic workflow in the office. To perform their duties properly, they require a slew of administrative experience. Such as:

• Accounting
• Attention to detail
• Budget monitoring
• Calendar management
• Communication (Oral and Written)
• Computer skills
• Conflict resolution
• Critical thinking
• Customer service skills
• Data entry
• Database management
• Decision-making skills
• Email management
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Event coordination
• Expense reports
• Interpersonal skills
• Inventory management
• Management skills
• Meeting planning
• Microsoft Outlook
• MS Office skills
• Office coordination
• Organizational skills
• Outlook
• Problem-solving
• QuickBooks
• Record filing
• Record keeping
• Spreadsheets
• Teamwork skills
• Time management
• Travel arrangements
• Videoconferencing
• Writing skills

Expert Hint: No two jobs are the same, and neither are any two employers. A general resume isn’t the best option to get you hired. Instead, personalize every resume you create to improve your chances drastically. 

The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

CREATE YOUR RESUME NOW

Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.

3. How to Show Administrative Skills on a Resume

When writing a resume for administrative jobs, such as administrative assistant resume, you must include many skills that directly relate to the position you’re applying for. You’ll use many resume keywords to show yourself from the best side.

Let’s go through all the steps of how to write a resume and highlight the many spots you should display your administrative experience.

1. Start With a Compelling Resume Summary or Objective

When you pick up the report, you’re primarily interested in the findings and conclusions. That’s how recruiters see your resume. This means the resume profile section is the most appetizing bit for them.

An eye-catching resume summary or resume objective that refers to necessary administrative skills will put your resume on the desk, not the bin.

Here’s what it should look like

Administrative Experience in Resume Summary

Detail-oriented office administrative assistant with over 7 years of experience managing and optimizing office operations. At Green Spoon, improved customer satisfaction by over 20% through effective communication and complaint resolution and reduced invoice processing time by 50% through automation in the workflow. Seeking to use my administrative expertise and organizational skills to support the smooth functioning of operations at Goldman Sachs.

2. Show Your Administrative Experience in the Resume Work History Section

Your resume work experience section paints a great picture of your achievements and indicates what your employer can expect in the future. So show them how valuable you are with a strong selection of measurable work achievements that prove your administrative skills.

Administrative Skills—Resume Work Experience

Administrative Assistant

Green Spoon

December 2018–Current

• Reduced invoice processing time by 50% through automation and elimination of redundant steps in the workflow.
• Improved customer satisfaction by over 20% through effective communication and complaint resolution.
• Managed correspondence, reports, and scheduling with MS Office. Saved $4,500 a year with improved scheduling accuracy.
• Reduced supply expenses by 8.5% by negotiating better prices with vendors and implementing a more efficient inventory tracking system.
• Increased sales by 12% through effective lead tracking and follow-up processes.

Expert Hint: Using resume keywords is essential. But there is more you can do to make your resume even better. Supplement your unique administrative experience with resume power words and action verbs.

3. Use Your Resume’s Education Section to Showcase Your Administration Skills

The education section is not here just to show your graduation date. It’s a great place to show even more of your administrative skills. Just like in the example below:

Administration Skills—Resume Education

Education 

Southern New Hampshire University, Associate’s Degree

June 2017–August 2019

• Pursued additional coursework in accounting, business law, and human resources.

Just one sentence adds three administrative qualities to wow the recruiter, making your application a perfect resume.

4. List Your Administration Skills in the Resume Skill Section

This one is short and sweet. A skills section on the resume lets you directly target resume keywords in an ATS-friendly manner. But, no matter how skilled you are, don’t just flood it, as it may ruin your resume formatting.

Go for 5-10 administrative skills, and you’re golden.

Listing Administrative Skills on Resume

Skills

• Interpersonal skills
• Communication
• Customer service
• Teamwork
• Writing skills
• Time management and organization
• Microsoft Office
• Computer skills
• Data entry

5. Finish Strong with Added Sections

Bonus resume sections are your trump card. Here, you may show off anything from your foreign language expertise, through certifications, to relevant hobbies and interests. Read through the job listing and see what would benefit your administrative experience, and then write it just like this:

Administrative Experience on Resume—Bonus Sections

Certifications

• Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification, Microsoft, July 2020
• Administrative Assistant Certification (CAA), NCC, March 2015

Languages

• Spanish (Bilingual Proficiency)
• Chinese (Full Working Proficiency)

Before sending your resume, remember—Recruiters will use the interview process to confirm applicants possess the skills they have displayed on their resumes. So don’t lie on the resume.

Now that you can show your administrative experience on the resume, let's discuss further your administrative skills portfolio.

4. How to Develop Administrative Skills

There are a lot of administrative skills to learn and master. And constant growth is vital to becoming a true expert. Keep developing your administrative experience with these tips.

1. Develop Your Qualifications Further

The most straightforward way to improve a skill is to increase your knowledge in the field. You can find quality courses, certifications, and even postgraduate studies with just a few quick google searches. And the best thing is you can complete many of them remotely.

2. On-the-Job Training

Each working day develops your administration skills. But, there are some additional ways to improve even further. Take on any possible workshops your employer provides, don’t shy away from undertaking new tasks, and ask more experienced colleagues for feedback.

3. Network

Millions of people work in administration, each with a unique set of administrative experience. Connecting with them via platforms like LinkedIn, following and engaging with their publications, and even reaching out to them personally are all good ideas.

4. Shadowing

Having someone you can treat like a mentor is a great way to improve your administrative skills further. Such a person can also assist you in taking on new types of tasks.

5. Mentoring

A great way to learn is to teach someone else. You have to organize your thoughts and knowledge in a way that makes sense to the other person. This process can help you identify gaps in your understanding or knowledge, which you can address later.

6. Volunteer Work

Whether you’re already working an administrative job or looking for an opportunity to try out in the field, non-profit organizations always seek more help. This could lead you to gain valuable administration experience while making the world a slightly better place.

7. Reflect on Your Mistakes

Not every day will end in a resounding success; sometimes, you must deal with failures. When they happen, it’s vital not to allow yourself to fall but to pick yourself up, analyze what went wrong, and learn lessons for the future.

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

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Administrative specialists are essential to ensuring the proper functioning of companies and organizations. And the administrative field is a robust one. Including administration resume skills is a great way to show your expertise in this work segment. Always read the job ad, locate keywords, and target your resume for each job. Include your administration experience in every resume section to let the employer know you’ll help their company thrive.

Do you need help choosing the right administrative skills? Or do you need advice on how to improve your administration experience further? Please shoot us a question in the comments. We’ll happily reply.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.