Building a Strong Resume for Administrative Professionals

Administrative professionals looking to advance their careers can face a significant amount of competition. As a result, having a compelling resume that catches the eye of hiring managers is a must.

Fortunately, creating a standout resume is often far simpler than candidates expect. Here are some tips that can help you build a strong resume as an administrative professional.

Tailor the Content to the Administrative Role

When you want to stand out from other applicants, one of the most critical steps you can take is tailoring your resume to the specific administrative job you want to land. Administrative roles can run the gamut when it comes to required skills, associated duties, and more. As a result, a generic resume might not speak to what a particular hiring manager needs to know, and that can hurt your chances of landing a position.

Review the job description and must-have skills and experience list to identify the hiring manager’s priorities. Then, update your professional summary, skills section, and work history to focus on points the hiring manager outlined. By doing that, they’ll have an easier time seeing the value you provide and envisioning you in the role, which can help you advance through the hiring process.

Incorporate Keywords into Your Resume

When you incorporate keywords into your resume, you aren’t just tailoring the content in a way that aligns what you’re showcasing with the hiring manager’s needs; it also helps you get past automated resume screeners.

Many companies rely on applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to initially screen resumes. Typically, those are programmed to seek out specific keywords that are associated with a candidate that’s a strong fit. The issue is that an ATS doesn’t inherently know if two terms or phrases functionally have the same meaning. As a result, if it doesn’t see a specific keyword with the same spelling and formatting on your resume, it may assume that you aren’t a solid match.

Usually, you can figure out which keywords are critical by reviewing the job description. The words and phrases used to describe must-have skills or core duties are what’s most likely used by the ATS. Since that’s the case, incorporate them using the same spelling and punctuation, as that can help you come across as a stronger candidate during any automated screening.

Emphasize Administrative Skills Throughout

Ensuring the hiring manager understands what you bring to the table as an administrative professional is essential during the hiring process. As a result, you want to emphasize your administrative skills throughout your resume.

Ideally, you want to showcase your proficiency in essential administrative skills in several ways. Along with listing relevant capabilities in the skills section of your resume, outline achievements in your work history that demonstrate how you put those capabilities into action. That helps show the hiring manager that you have the right capabilities while also highlighting the value you can provide, making your resume more compelling.

Additionally, if you have relevant education or training, make sure those accomplishments aren’t clouded over by other courses that aren’t as well-connected to the job. In some cases, that can require removing any points that aren’t highly pertinent, ensuring those that are relevant take center stage.

Ultimately, using the approach above can help you craft a strong resume as an administrative professional, so it’s worth using. If you’d like to learn more about how you can improve your position as a candidate or are seeking out a new administrative job, Hamilton-Ryker wants to hear from you. Explore our job listings or contact one of our recruiters today.