One thing is for sure: You’re going to need to be pretty adaptable with technology when you’re sitting in an admin’s seat.”
Doing your best to stand out during the application process is recommended regardless of what sort of position you’re applying for. But, it becomes straight up necessary when you’re tossing your hat into the ring for an administrative assistant job.
How can you manage to separate yourself from the pack and leave your mark?
1. Tailor your resume
Much like any other job, admin positions can vary greatly from company to company, with different responsibilities, different tools and software, different expectations.
This is why you must tailor your resume for every job you apply to. Review that specific description, pull out key words and skills that crop up again and again, then work to make yourself seem as relevant as possible.
2. Don’t forget about soft skills
Oftentimes, advice will warn you to skip the soft skills on your resume in favor of squeezing in a few more details or statistics about your previous performance. But, you’ll want to take that warning with a grain of salt when applying for admin positions.
From organizational skills and effective communication to team-building and collaboration, there are tons of soft skills that are undoubtedly required to be a successful admin. So, don’t skip over all of them in favor of briefly mentioning the three credits of Spanish you took in college. Soft skills can carry a lot of weight — as long as you have some specific examples to back them up.
3. Let’s talk about tech
One thing is for sure: You’re going to need to be pretty adaptable with technology when you’re sitting in an admin’s seat. Typically, administrative assistants are tasked with test-driving new tools or identifying the best software fit for a company. In some offices (particularly smaller ones), many admins also find themselves filling the shoes of an entire IT department.
Being somewhat tech-savvy is undeniably necessary. So, don’t forget to play this attribute up when applying. Make sure your resume includes any specific platforms and programs you consider yourself to be proficient with.
Knowing they won’t need to train you on how to use a basic aspect of their day-to-day business can sometimes make all the difference for a company’s hiring decisions.
4. Gather amazing references
References tend to be one of those after-thoughts of the job-hunt process. However, they’re something you need to have sorted out early on. That way, you won’t be in a bind when a hiring manager suddenly requests your list of contacts.
Not being in a time crunch also gives you adequate space to find the references who will truly make a difference for you, instead of just the ones who were able to give immediate approval.
