Office Administrator Resume Guide (With Template and Example)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated 23 January 2023

Published 25 October 2021

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

If you're considering applying for an office administrator role, having a professional resume can usually improve your chances of finding employment. A professional resume is generally one that has a clear structure and easy to read pieces of information. Understanding how to write a resume for an office administrator role may help you create a stand-out document that your potential employer might notice. In this article, we discuss how to write a professional administrator resume and provide a resume template with examples.

How to write an office administrator resume

There are many different ways to write an administrator resume. However, some templates are usually more effective than others. You can take some essential steps that help you create a professional and outstanding resume for any future job applications. You can typically apply this technique to write a professional resume for job applications in various industries. Below you can find a helpful guide on how to write a professional resume:

1. Create a resume objective

Usually, the first step you may take in creating a resume is to define a resume objective. A resume objective is typically only two sentences long and highlights your motives and main qualifications. You may sometimes change the content of your resume objective to fit the potential job application.

2. Mention relevant experience

The next step in creating a professional resume can be to include your work experience. If you have worked in multiple industries with varying roles, then you might consider choosing the latest and most relevant employment experiences of yours to include. You may have developed many skills in your past careers that can potentially be transferable to the role of an administrator.

For each experience, write down your job title, the company you worked for, the location and the dates you worked there. You can also make a bullet list detailing your significant accomplishments and responsibilities in each role.

3. Include certifications or education

There is a wide variety of online courses and certificates in administrative duties that may be available to you. Completing a tertiary education can show your potential employers your dedication and willingness to learn new skills in your field of work. Including your completed education and training courses is usually one of the most essential steps of creating an effective resume.

4. Highlight your skills

Office administrators don't typically require qualifications, but many skills can assist an administrator in carrying out their tasks. Employers seeking administrative staff aren't always looking for candidates with the most qualifications or certificates, but rather for the right personality and skill fit. As an office administrator, you can typically benefit from having effective communication, excellent organisation skills and a sense of time management. Computer literacy skills such as the ability to operate management software can also be sought after by potential employers.

5. Save your resume for future edits

Saving your resume for future use can be very time-efficient, especially if you're applying for multiple office administrator roles. Administrator roles usually take place in a variety of industries that may completely differ from one another. When applying for an office administrator role in two different sectors, you may only make a few alterations. For example, if you're applying for an administrative role in a sports franchise, it can be a good idea to mention your love for sports. When applying for an administrative role in a finance company, mentioning sports would be arbitrary.

What is an office administrator?

An office administrator is typically someone who assists a professional and helps to ensure business operations are running efficiently. Administrators usually assist by organising, planning and managing administrative business duties. These duties can range from operating office management software to answering enquiries from clients and customers. Office administrators can expect to work in most businesses that require assistance in organising and planning business activities.

The typical responsibilities and duties of an office administrator may include:

using modern management software
organising office operations
operating Microsoft office programs
taking phone calls and contacting clients
implementing filing systems
assisting office procedures
purchasing office equipment
ordering office supplies
planning strategies to increase office efficiency

Skills to include on a resume for an office administrator

Completing a bachelor's degree or a diploma is not always necessary when applying for a role as an office administrator. Employers who need an administrator typically look for past work experience and personality traits. Below you can find some of the skills that you may consider including in your office administrator resume:

Organisation

Organisation is usually one of the most crucial skills to have as an office administrator. As an administrator, you can expect to multi-task daily. Having an organised work environment can help you focus on your tasks and become more efficient in carrying out your duties. Creating goals, planning and managing your time can help you become more organised.

Communication

One of the main duties as an administrator is to answer enquiries from clients, customers and potential business partners. As an administrator, you may likely be on the phone or sending emails to clients outlining important business information. Being able to communicate effectively can ensure that the information you pass on is accurate. Practising good communication habits such as active listening and attending skill workshops can help to improve your communication.

Problem-solving

You might work independently from time to time, and if any issues arise, you generally resolve them. If your manager is busy or unavailable, it may sometimes be up to you to resolve matters with clients. Having a good level of problem-solving capabilities can help you plan a course of action to resolve an issue. You can improve your problem-solving skills by using strategies such as brainstorming and analysing different solutions.

Computer literacy

Understanding computer software is one of the more desirable skills of an office administrator. Modern technology means more businesses are implementing digital management systems. A certain level of computer literacy can help you learn and develop your knowledge of digital software. Learning from online courses or attending computer skill workshops can help you improve your computing capabilities.

Template for an office administrator resume

Here is a template you can use to compose a resume for an office administrator's position:

[Full name]
[Street address]
[Email address]
[Phone number]

Objective

[Summarise in one to two sentences your related experiences and why you want this specific role as an office administrator.]

Certifications

[List any relevant certifications you may have, such as a certificate III in Business (Administration) or an online course in office administration]

Skills

[Make a list of bullet points for your administrator abilities or transferrable skills that can help you in an office administrator's role.]

Experience

[Company and location]
[Job title and duration]
[Bullet points of job responsibilities]

Education

[School name and location]
[Name of program or degree and duration]
[School name and location]
[Name of program or degree and time period]

Office administrator example resume

Below, you can find an example resume that outlines the general information that you could include when applying for a career as an office administrator:

Julie Smith
42 Bulb Street
Stapleton, NSW 2134
+61 3 1234 5678
Smith@email.com.au