Administrative Assistant resume keywords and skills

Administrative assistant postings read like a list of tools and tasks: calendars, travel, expense reports, the phone system, the Microsoft or Google suite. Recruiters scan for those nouns and for scale, meaning how many people you supported and how much volume you handled. Copy the posting's wording for each task you have done, name the software by product, and skip anything you could not do on your first day.

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Calendar management
Travel arrangements
Meeting coordination
Meeting minutes
Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365)
Google Workspace
Expense reports
Data entry
Multi-line phone system
Filing and records management
Office supply ordering
Front desk reception
Mail and shipping
Confidentiality
Executive support
Business correspondence
Proofreading
Typing speed (WPM)

Administrative Assistant resume keywords

The bullets are writing models, not anyone's real results. Use a keyword only when you can back it with your own work.

Scheduling and travel

Calendar management: The most common ask in these postings. Say whose calendars you ran and in which tool, Outlook or Google Calendar.; Handled calendar management for a director and four managers in Outlook, booking about 40 meetings a week across three time zones.
Travel arrangements: Postings mean flights, hotels, ground transport and itineraries. Mention the booking tool, such as Concur, if you used one.; Made travel arrangements for 12 sales staff, booking flights, hotels and rental cars within company policy.
Meeting coordination: Covers room booking, video links, agendas and catering. Size helps, so give the headcount for the largest meetings you set up.; Ran meeting coordination for a monthly all-hands of 120 people, including room setup, Zoom links and catering orders.
Meeting minutes: Listed when the role supports a board, committee or leadership team. Say how fast you sent notes and action items out.; Took meeting minutes at weekly leadership meetings and sent action items to attendees the same day.

Office software and phones

Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365): Nearly every posting lists it. Name the apps and what you built in them, such as mail merges, pivot tables or slide decks.; Used Microsoft Office daily, building Excel trackers, Word mail merges and PowerPoint decks for department meetings.
Google Workspace: Common at startups, schools and nonprofits. Postings may list Docs, Sheets and Drive by name, so match their wording.; Organized shared drives in Google Workspace for a 25-person office and kept department trackers in Sheets.
Expense reports: Signals you can be trusted with receipts and corporate cards. Name the system, such as Concur or Expensify, and the monthly volume.; Prepared about 30 expense reports a month in Concur, matching receipts to corporate card charges before submission.
Data entry: Postings pair it with accuracy. Say which system you keyed into, such as a CRM or a vendor database, and how many records.; Completed data entry of 150 customer records a week in Salesforce and merged duplicate entries during monthly cleanups.
Multi-line phone system: Front-office postings want someone who can answer, screen and transfer calls. Give the number of lines or the daily call count.; Answered a multi-line phone system with eight lines, screening and routing about 60 calls a day.

Records and office operations

Filing and records management: Shows you keep paper and digital files findable. Mention the retention schedule or naming system you followed.; Maintained filing and records management for 2,000 client files, moving closed matters to offsite storage each quarter.
Office supply ordering: Small offices lean on the assistant for purchasing. A budget figure or vendor name makes the line believable.; Managed office supply ordering for a 40-person floor and kept monthly spending under a $1,200 budget.
Front desk reception: Many assistant roles include the front desk. Describe visitor volume, sign-in procedures and what you handled without escalating.; Covered front desk reception for a medical office, greeting about 50 visitors a day and issuing visitor badges.
Mail and shipping: Appears in postings for smaller offices. Name the carriers and whether you tracked packages or handled certified mail.; Sorted incoming mail and shipping for three departments and prepared FedEx and UPS packages each afternoon.
Confidentiality: Postings name it when you will see payroll, HR or legal documents. Tie it to the material you handled.; Handled personnel files and salary letters with strict confidentiality while supporting the HR director.

Correspondence and executive support

Executive support: Used when the role reports to senior leaders. State the titles and the number of people you supported.; Provided executive support to a chief operating officer and two vice presidents, including calendars, travel and board materials.
Business correspondence: Means drafting and proofreading letters, emails and memos for others. Mention who signed what you wrote.; Drafted business correspondence for the department head, including client letters, memos and meeting follow-ups.
Proofreading: Assistants are often the last check before a document goes out. Name the document types you reviewed.; Proofread proposals and client reports of up to 40 pages for grammar, formatting and figures before release.
Typing speed (WPM): Some postings set a minimum, often 50 to 60 words per minute. List your tested speed if it meets the bar.; Type 65 WPM and transcribe handwritten notes and dictation into formatted documents.

Administrative Assistant job description for a resume

Common duties written as resume bullets. Keep the ones you did and add your own numbers.

Manage calendars, schedule meetings and resolve conflicts for managers and department staff.
Answer and route phone calls, greet visitors and respond to general email inquiries.
Book flights, hotels and ground transportation, and prepare itineraries for business trips.
Prepare expense reports, purchase requests and invoices for approval.
Draft, format and proofread letters, memos, reports and presentations.
Maintain paper and electronic files so records are current and easy to retrieve.
Order office supplies, track inventory and work with vendors on equipment repairs.
Take minutes at meetings and distribute notes and action items to attendees.
Enter and update records in spreadsheets, databases and the customer relationship management system.

Administrative Assistant resume summary examples

Entry level

Office assistant with one year of front desk experience at a dental practice and an associate degree in business administration. Answered a six-line phone system, scheduled about 40 appointments a day and kept patient files in order. Works in Outlook, Excel and Google Workspace, and types 60 WPM.

Experienced

Administrative assistant with 7 years supporting directors and department teams of up to 30 people. Manages calendars across time zones, books domestic and international travel, and prepares about 30 expense reports a month in Concur. Sends meeting minutes the same day and keeps confidential HR and budget files in order.

Phrases to replace on an administrative assistant resume

Responsible for general office duties
Name the tasks and volume. Answered an eight-line phone system and scheduled about 40 meetings a week for five managers.
Proficient in Microsoft Office
Say what you built. Created Excel trackers with pivot tables and ran Word mail merges for 500-letter mailings.
Excellent organizational skills
Show the system. Reorganized 2,000 client files under one naming convention so staff could find records without asking.

Administrative Assistant resume examples

See these keywords in a full resume, by experience level.

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Administrative Assistant resume keywords FAQ

What keywords should an administrative assistant resume include?

Start with the tasks the posting names, usually calendar management, travel arrangements, expense reports and a phone system. Add the software by product name, such as Outlook, Excel or Google Workspace. Then add the scale, meaning how many people you supported and how much volume you handled. Leave off any term you could not explain in an interview.

What are the top skills for an administrative assistant resume?

Scheduling, written correspondence, record keeping and office software come up in most postings. Hiring managers also look for discretion with confidential files and the ability to cover the front desk. List each as a task you performed with a tool and a number, since a bare skills list tells them little.

How do I describe administrative assistant duties on a resume?

Lead each line with a verb, name the tool and add a count. For example: Scheduled 40 meetings a week in Outlook for five managers. Group similar tasks into one bullet so the page does not read like a job description, and put the duties the posting stresses near the top.

Should I list my typing speed on an administrative resume?

List it when the posting asks for a minimum or when the role involves transcription or heavy data entry. Give a tested number, such as 65 WPM, and take a timed test first so the figure is current. If your speed is below the posting's minimum, practice before you apply rather than rounding up.

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