How to write a administrative assistant resume
A strong administrative assistant resume leads each role with scope — how many executives or people you support, the calendars and budgets you manage — then quantifies the efficiency you create (e.g. "Managed calendars for 3 VPs, coordinating 40+ meetings/week across 6 time zones"). Surface the tools recruiters filter on (Outlook, Google Workspace, Concur, travel and expense systems) and frame bullets around reliability and time saved.
What recruiters and ATS look for in a administrative assistant resume
Administrative assistant resumes are scanned for scope, reliability, and tooling. The common mistake is a list of duties ("answered phones, scheduled meetings") with no scale or outcome. The fix: quantify the scope (executives supported, meetings coordinated, expense reports processed) and the efficiency you added (time saved, errors reduced, processes streamlined).
Section order: Summary → Experience → Skills → Education.
ATS keywords for a administrative assistant resume
These are the keywords most administrative assistant job descriptions use as ATS-filter inputs. Include the ones you genuinely have evidence for in your Skills section.
Starter Skills section
A starting point for your Skills section — prune to what you genuinely have evidence for.
Best action verbs for administrative assistant bullets
Lead every bullet with a strong, specific verb. For this role, the strongest openers are:
Example bullet points (before → after)
Three rewrites following the action-verb / quantified-outcome pattern. Replace the specifics with your own — never invent numbers.
Administrative Assistant resume FAQ
Replace duty lists with scope and outcomes: how many executives you support, meetings coordinated, expense volume processed, and the efficiency you added (time saved, errors reduced). Scope plus a number signals reliability at scale.
The office suite you use (Microsoft Office/Outlook or Google Workspace), travel and expense tools (Concur, SAP Concur), and any scheduling or office-management systems. These are common ATS filter terms for admin roles.
A short two-line summary helps, especially when you support senior executives — state the level you support and your core strengths (calendar, travel, event coordination). Then lead into quantified, scope-rich experience.
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