Secretary Resume Example
If you're hoping to start a career as a secretary, you'll need experience in managing phone calls and preparing meeting agendas. A professional resume for secretary applications will showcase your relevant skills and career achievements, to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we'll outline how to write a winning resume to boost your chances of success in your secretary applications.
After reading this article, you'll feel confident creating a secretary resume that effectively showcases your relevant skills and experience. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your secretary resume.
Main sections of a secretary resume
Although the content of a secretary resume may differ according to your experience and seniority, the main sections will remain the same. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.
While the content and format of your resume may vary depending on your experience levels, it's important to always include the following sections:
Resume Header
In your secretary resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.
Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.
Ava Sanchez
ava.sanchez@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
5150 Maple Drive, Twin Peaks, WA
linkedin․com/in/ava–sanchez123
Resume Summary
Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in secretary roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Additionally, make sure your resume summary reflects the job description and focuses on qualities that are relevant to working as a secretary.
Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.
A good resume summary is short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description, with evidence to back it up. It will also help the reader to form their first impressions of you by providing an insight into your personality and unique qualities. See below for some great examples of what to include in your secretary resume summary.
Good example:
Experienced Administrative Assistant with a proven track record in providing comprehensive support to senior executives. Proficient in managing schedules, coordinating meetings, handling confidential information, and streamlining office operations to enhance efficiency. Adept at multitasking, problem-solving, and maintaining a high level of professionalism in fast-paced environments. Strong communication and organizational skills with a commitment to excellence
Bad example:
Administrative assistant with experience in supporting executives. Managed schedules and meetings, handled information, and worked on office tasks. Good at doing many things at once, solving problems, and staying professional in busy settings. Communicates well and organizes tasks, aiming to do a good job
Alternatively, a poor resume summary would include bland, generic information that does little to prove your suitability for the role, while failing to provide any useful insights on you as a person or as a candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.
Skills
Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for secretary jobs. These could be typing speed, proficient in MS or various other relevant skills. Again, refer to the secretary job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.
Listing hard skills on your secretary resume
Hard skills are specific skills related to the job you're applying for. They include particular abilities, technical skills and industry knowledge that relate directly to jobs as a secretary. Furthermore, it's important to show these skills in a secretary resume as they provide a strong indication of your experience in the sector. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.
Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective secretary resume hard skills list looks like.
- Microsoft office proficiency
- Calendar management
- Data entry
Listing soft skills on your secretary resume
In your list of soft skills, add any personal strengths, qualities or transferable skills that make you a good fit for the job. Soft skills are often less specific to different industries, but that doesn't make them any less important. In fact, as technology develops, soft skills are growing in importance for recruiters and employers, so be sure to add several of these to your resume. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.
An effective secretary resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.
- Time management proficiency
- Excellent communication skills
- Attention to detail
Education
In your education section, include details of your most relevant secretary qualifications and educational achievements.
Working as a secretary doesn't usually require a degree. Even though a degree-level education isn't a necessity, it's still important to highlight your key educational achievements, including a Certified Administrative Professional or other courses or training that showcases your microsoft office proficiency or calendar management.
List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.
Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.
Bachelor of Business Administration, 2017 - 2020
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Relevant Certifications and Licenses
In your certifications section, list any professional certifications or licenses that are relevant to working as a secretary. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, include the details of any licenses and professional certifications required for secretary roles, along with completion dates so employers can see you're up-to-date.
Take a look at some example certifications for a secretary resume below:
- Certified Administrative Professional, 2022
- Microsoft Office Specialist, 2022
- Professional Administrative Certification, 2022
Work Experience
In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your secretary skills. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.
Also include some bullet points for each job mentioned, showcasing your achievements so the employer can see the impact you made on the company. Pay attention to the job description and make sure each point is relevant to secretary roles.
The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.
Good example:
Administrative Assistant, January 2022 - Present
SwiftSolutions Administrative Services, El Paso
- Streamlined office operations, reducing administrative costs by 15% and improving workflow efficiency
- Coordinated and executed over 50 successful corporate events and meetings annually
- Developed and implemented a digital filing system, reducing document retrieval time by 40%
Bad example:
Administrative Assistant, January 2022 - Present
SwiftSolutions Administrative Services, El Paso
- Assisted with various office tasks and responsibilities to support team productivity and efficiency
- Managed scheduling and calendar appointments for improved time management
- Supported event planning and coordination efforts for company functions
See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. Less effective resume work experience sections might take a more vague, descriptive approach to previous jobs. They focus on responsibilities and everyday duties rather than referencing career achievements and the value you've added for previous employers.
Expert Tip:
Optional Sections
If you need to provide further evidence of your suitability for the job, optional sections can be useful for a secretary resume. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.
Personal Hobbies and Interests
Including your hobbies and interests can be a valuable way of showing your key skills and qualities. Hobbies can help you show different sides of your personality and make your resume more memorable to hiring managers. They're ideal to include if you're a junior candidate who might lack real world secretary experience. Don't include hobbies and interests in your resume unless they showcase a specific interest or aspect of your personality. You'll want them to add something to your application that you can't add elsewhere.
Volunteer Experience
Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for secretary roles. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.
References
Standard secretary resumes don't tend to include references, but you might find them requested occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.
Please contact me for a list of references.
Best words to use in a secretary resume
Using strong action words to make your resume resonate with the employer. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.
- Organized
- Managed
- Scheduled
- Communicated
- Coordinated
- Prepared
- Assisted
- Facilitated
- Maintained
- Processed
If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.
Example resume for secretary applications
Now we've covered the main sections to include in your secretary resume, let's take a look at how it all comes together in the example below:
5150 Maple Drive, Twin Peaks, WA
•
ava.sanchez@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/ava–sanchez123
Experienced Administrative Assistant with a strong background in office management, scheduling, and communications. Proficient in handling a wide range of administrative tasks, maintaining efficient office operations, and supporting executive staff. Adept at managing calendars, coordinating meetings, and preparing reports. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to multitask in fast-paced environments. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and various office software. Committed to maintaining professionalism and confidentiality in all interactions
Administrative Assistant
2020
-2022
Skyline Solutions, Inc (Newark)
- Streamlined office operations, increasing efficiency by 30%, through implementation of new organizational systems and digital tools
- Coordinated and scheduled over 100 high-profile meetings, ensuring seamless communication and logistics for all participants
- Managed inventory and procurement, reducing office supply costs by 20% through effective vendor negotiations and budget management
Bachelor of Business Administration
2017
-2020
Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Microsoft office proficiency
Calendar management
Data entry
Time management proficiency
Excellent communication skills
Attention to detail
Certified Administrative Professional
Microsoft Office Specialist
English - Fluent
Spanish - B2
Do's and don'ts of a secretary resume
Key tips to help you craft a strong resume
- Tailor your resume to make it as relevant as possible to the role you're applying for. Consult the job description and adapt your resume to reflect the required skills and experience.
- Use a clear, professional resume format to make your document as accessible as possible, including a readable font and appropriate headings, margins and line spacing. This will make your resume easier for recruiters and hiring managers to read.
- Write a compelling resume summary or objective to introduce yourself and your key secretary skills.
- Make your secretary resume short and to-the-point. A length of one page is ideal for junior roles, while two is acceptable for senior applications.
- List your relevant work experience in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent job.
Avoid these common mistakes on your resume
- Don't mention hobbies or interests unless they help you prove a skill required for the role, that you haven't included elsewhere.
- Don't add work experience that's unrelated to the role you're applying for, as it isn't likely to help your chances of success.
- Don't use an email address that creates an unprofessional impression. Instead, create an email address for job applications based on your name.
- Don't use jargon or acronyms when you can use simple, straightforward language to say the same thing.
- Don't use passive language because it's less engaging for the reader. Change phrases like 'the target was exceeded' to 'I helped the team exceed the target'.
Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are one of the key ways recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. The systems can screen candidates by scanning and ranking resumes based on each candidate's likely suitability for the vacancy. If you follow a few simple tips when writing your secretary resume, you'll give yourself a better chance of ranking highly in the ATS screening and progressing to the next stage.
Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:
- Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
- Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
- Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
- Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
- Adopt simple, professional language to keep your resume as concise as possible. This tends to make your document more readable, and easier for ATS software to scan.
For advice and guidance on creating the perfect resume, read our expert career blog and check out our detailed resume examples.
Frequently Asked Questions about a secretary resume
Accompanying your resume for secretary applications, you'll want to produce a cover letter that similarly leaves a positive impression on hiring managers.
In some situations, a full, professional cover letter may not be necessary. Check the job advert and decide whether to write a formal cover letter, or if a brief email is more suitable.
If you choose to write a full cover letter, follow traditional letter-writing conventions surrounding greetings, sign-offs and use of professional language. The body of the cover letter tends to be three paragraphs. The first introduces yourself and the role you're applying for, giving reasons for your application. The second briefly covers your key skills and achievements that are most relevant to secretary roles. Finally, the third paragraph re-emphasizes your interest in the role and leaves a call to action, encouraging the employer to reach out to you.
For help creating an eye-catching cover letter that impresses recruiters and hiring managers, use Jobseeker's professional cover letter templates.
For an experienced secretary application, the objective of your resume is to showcase the many achievements in your career to date. Your secretary resume is likely to have a longer work experience section than resumes for less experienced candidates, and you may wish to go back further than the standard 10 to 15 years of employment history, depending on your experience levels. Your secretary resume could also include optional sections that demonstrate your experience levels and reputation in your industry. These could include, for example, awards, achievements and successful projects.
A resume headline can catch the attention of the reader and give them a strong first impression about your suitability for secretary jobs. Resume headlines are also a powerful way of increasing your resume's chances of passing the ATS stage. They reference the job title and some of the keywords that match the job description. Write a short, snappy heading for your resume including the job title and a reference to your experience, your track record or one or two of your key skills.
See an example resume headline below:
- Junior Administrative Support Specialist
- Efficient and Detail-Oriented Administrative Professional
- Executive Administrative Support Specialist
The resume format that gives you the best chances of success depends on your experience levels, as well as the type of job you're applying for and its seniority level. For applicants without much relevant work experience, a functional resume format tends to be best. This places the emphasis on your key skills and relevant qualifications. If, however, you have experience in your chosen profession, a traditional, reverse chronological resume format might be the way to go. This showcases your relevant skills and achievements in your work experience section.
Key takeaways for your secretary resume
An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.
HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.
Sources:
(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx
(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications
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