If you were to name the second most important person in any company next to the CEO, who could that be? Secretary!

As a matter of fact, you could even put secretary to be the first and foremost, the heart and soul of the community where she/he works.

Though it seemingly appears like nothing so particularly exciting, with exchanging emails and phone calls, entering some data and scheduling meetings, it’s just the surface.

This job position actually brings a lot more than it meets the eyes.

Come to think of it, this profession is quite wide-spread among many branches.

Whenever there’s something that needs to be organized daily, that’s where secretaries come in as handy assistants to complete the tasks.

Besides numerous assignments and duties to be performed, don’t forget that the person working on this position has to be in the good mood ALL THE TIME, and that’s not easy.

So, even from these several highlights, you can get a clear picture of how complex this job position is.

In case you are planning to apply to that position advertised, you have come to the best possible place, as we have just the thing you need.

Knowing that it’s never easy to make a good and attractive CV and cover letter, we created a thorough guide to help you go through that stressful situation as easiest as possible.

We’ll show you how to ace your resume and increase the chances to grab that super interesting job position.

Of course, what matters the most are your experience, knowledge, and talents.

However, having in mind that the majority of companies use some application of program that automatically filters all the CVs, you need to create a “filter-friendly” resume and boost your chances to beat the competition.

Secretary Resume Example

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Administrative Assistant Resume Sample

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We gave you two practical examples of how your resume should look like when you’re applying for the position of secretary. Moreover, you are now aware of what are the aspects most job recruiters pay attention to.

Therefore, we shall now go through each section a bit more detailed. Our thorough guide will make sure you are knowledgeable about how to write the proper format of the CV and increase the chances to get the desired job.

Don’t hesitate to use our resume templates. They are quite convenient and practical, and what’s best of all, you can change or add any section you want, based on demand from the specific job advertisement.

They are highly-adjustable and designed to make your journey to the ideal job as smooth as possible.

HOW TO INCLUDE SOME PERSONAL INFO IN YOUR RESUME

The beginning is more or less the same with every resume. You normally write your personal information. However, don’t feel obliged to list anything that will make you feel uncomfortable.

Always include just the necessary basics about you. Things like full name, phone number, e-mail, and address are among the most common requirements wherever you apply.

As for additional information, it’s entirely up to you to decide if you want or not to write those as well.

There’s one thing we would like to clarify, regarding e-mails.

Do pay attention not to leave an address that sounds embarrassing, inappropriate or silly, as that can only decrease your chances to be among the selected candidates. Make sure it sounds ordinary and professional.

If you haven’t got something like that, well, create it. It takes just several minutes, but it makes a significant difference.

Here’s a practical example:

Anna.Hayford@gmail.com
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Anna_Devilgirl666@gmail.com
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As far as your full name, things are pretty straightforward on this one.

ALWAYS stay clear of nicknames, alias names, and pseudonyms. Your real name is what matters the most to your potential employee, so that is, quite logical, what you should write in your resume.

Anna Hayford
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Annanas Hayford
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Have in mind that when you’re listing your profession, avoid generic and broad expression, opt for a more specific one. Your future employee should get a precise definition of you as possible.

The first option is to choose to write your actual profession, the subject you’ve graduated on or the topic of your master thesis. The second is to write your previous job title if you’ve changed professions during your career.

Whichever you select, just make sure it’s direct to the point.

Administrative Assistant
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Assistant
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The last thing, if you decide to add your social media to your resume, which we warmly advise you to, include LinkedIn.

This site can be used as your other resume where the recruiters can get more information about you if they are interested in you. If you include it, make sure it’s up to date, otherwise, the effect will be the opposite.

The information from your resume and profile have to be correspondent to each other.

THIS SUMMARY SECTION OF A SECRETARY RESUME NEVER FAILS! LEARN HOW TO WRITE IT PROPERLY

The next step is the Summary section, which represents a mini intro compiled of your work experience, education, and skills.

It is essential to write this segment precise and concise so that HRs reading your resume can have a clear picture of you.

Here’s what you need to pay attention to:

  • Be precise – Your summary should feature information that can be found in the rest of your resume. It shouldn’t be a new bit of info, just a brief version of something that is later described or mentioned.
  • Have reasonable expectations – You can pack your summary to sound as if you are an expert like no other in the world, but if there’s no actual work experience or set of skills to support that, it may sound overestimated or even false.
  • Avoid sounding boring – No one says you need to write poetry in your resume, but make sure it sounds engaging enough for the reader to pay attention while reading it. The last thing you want is your employer falling asleep because your resume is the same all the way. Find a way to make it sound exciting but focus on being honest as well.

Come to think of an ideal summary, it should consist of two or three sentences describing your skillsets, experience and the place you graduated from and typically it should contain at least one reason why you are applying for this job. Here’s a practical example to illustrate so:

Summary

Professional, a highly-efficient secretary with 9+ years of experience working for an international property company. High level of organizational and multi-tasking and amazing communicational skills. Improved the efficiency and productivity of the office by 30%. Acknowledged as an “employee of the year” for 2018.

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Summary

Admin assistant with on-the-job experience. Good in handling day-to-day office management duties and bookkeeping. Superb at multitasking.

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These basic are simple, and if you follow our instruction manual, you will have much better chances to get the desired job. A bland summary can only stray the recruiter away from your resume to another candidate’s CV.

Even if you are qualified for the position, it’s necessary to spice things up a bit. And we have shown you how to achieve so!

WHAT EXPERIENCES SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN YOUR SECRETARY RESUME

The Summary is extremely important, but arranging the Experience section is the crucial thing on your resume.

The main reason is that this section provides essential information about your previous experience. Furthermore, your future employer can evaluate in which way you can contribute to the company.

If you’ve proved yourself as a good and reliable employee in previous companies you’ve worked for and if you have the required skill set to contribute to the company you’re applying to, chances are you will get the job.

Also, by listing your previous positions and experience you are providing your employer the information of for how long have you’ve been employed and unemployed.

This is important information for employers as they are not so willing to employ someone who doesn’t have at least 2 or 3 years of experience.

Sometimes a person can have an excellent set of skills, but the experience still prevails, as it confirms how you utilize the skills you have.

When listing the previous position, don’t forget, you should always add 3 or 4 bullets about how you’ve contributed to the company.

Here’s an extra tip for you – numbers and percentages do the magic!

They have the power to convince your employer that you’ve made an impact on your previous job position.

Of course, don’t push this, if impossible. The trick cannot be applied to absolutely every profession.

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Have this in mind as well- when writing about your previous experiences, include only the purposeful ones in your resume. The rule “the more the better” does not make sense here.

The only jobs you should list are those which are somehow connected to the profession you’re applying for. If you have worked in a café for a year before your real career began, it’s quite okay to omit that from your resume.

PROPER WAY TO WRITE ABOUT MY EDUCATION IN A RESUME

This one may not be as important as the Experience section, but it certainly doesn’t mean you should not arrange it well.

This section can make a difference if there are two candidates with equal experience and skill set, as something needs to make difference between them.

To take a practical example, if an employer is to select between two candidates, one who has excellent grades and skills, and the other who has a year or two of experience, but no contribution on the job, the logical choice is the first candidate.

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So, the education matters, like all the other sections do, which is why one must carefully write and describe all the qualifications and skills, seminars, essays. Again, make sure there’s a balance. Don’t just list things for the sake of listing them, do so if they are concerning the position you are applying for.

Here’s what you can highlight in the Education section:

  • The college, academy or online course you’ve graduated from.
  • GPA score if it is very high.
  • Papers you’ve written, projects you’ve taken part in and seminars you’ve visited.
  • Organizations and clubs you’ve joined.

Being a secretary or an assistant can be a very creative and dynamic position if you are a kind of person that has the capacity to show so.

That’s why it’s essential to write a resume that will represent all your qualities at their finest, and make the recruiters believe that there’s no better candidate than you.

GUIDELINES ON INCLUDING YOUR SKILLS IN A RESUME

Since the position of a secretary or assistant requires more or less the same skillset, your job is to describe them as less generic as possible. It may sound challenging, but there’s a little trick on how to make them sound unique.

You have a position in a company that sells computers and in the other that arranges journeys to exotic destinations. When listing skills, try to think of what are the specific requirements for each of these positions and adjust the skills.

Whatever you do, avoid listing mediocre skills which everyone who applies for this position usually list.

Here’s a practical example to clarify:

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Pro Tip
Side note:

The same thing as with the Experience section, don’t list skills which have nothing to do with the position you are applying for. The fact that you are “great at making cupcakes” or “passionate athlete” sound cool, but do not depict you as a secretary or assistant.

USEFUL TIPS AND TRICKS THAT WILL AMAZE YOUR RECRUITER

  • Length of your resume – Some people think to list so many things in their resume that they start to wonder if two pages are enough. The others can barely fill out one page. The ideal length is around one page, but entire, not half of it. If you have so much precious experience, then two pages are okay as well but don’t go beyond that.
  • Proofreading – Grammar errors, typos and similar are a huge no-no in resume. The best way to prevent potential problems is to send your resume to a proofreader. Don’t let a grammatical error damage your credibility and be the factor to eliminate you.
  • Reviewing – Double-checking things is always smart, particularly in a situation like this one. Therefore, consider sending your resume to someone who is already receiving countless resumes daily and who knows what an employer pays attention to. Having an objective and independent opinion can also boost your chances and direct you the right way.
  • Articulate – Being able to articulate the information you provide on your resume precisely is a crucial thing. Be clear and precise, so that you don’t end up being interpreted the wrong way. If you want the job, make sure you sound that way and make your resume sound and look presentable.
  • Adapting your resume – The best option is to tailor your resume based on the position you are applying for. Ideally, you should write a different resume every time. That’s because not all job positions require the same skills and the same work experience. If not, at least adjust the one you currently have based on what the demands for the specific positions require.
  • Bulleting –Bullet point is great for skimming the resume, so feel free to use them frequently. Having in mind that the employers often spend just 6 seconds on average looking at a resume, bullet points are your secret weapon to make sure that keywords pop out at him.
  • Highlighting – You can mix this with bullet points to emphasize keywords. However, try not to over-do it as the effect will be opposite. Instead of stressing out key points, you may sound as if you’re trying to impress your employer too much.
  • Font – Handwritten style fonts such as Segoe Print or MV Boli, may look impressive but are not a good choice for resume. The same goes for Comic Sans. Instead, stick with the good, old fonts like Cambria, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica and so on. They look neutral and are easy to read, which is why they are the most logical choice for resumes.
  • Formatting – Please have a copy of your resume both in physical and digital form. Moreover, always use different formats such as PDF and TXT because you never know if the recruiter will need both of them.
  • E-Mail – Checking your E-Mail regularly is a must when applying for a job. Nowadays it’s highly unlikely that you’ll get a phone call directly from your boss asking you if you can come into interview tomorrow because you are among the selected candidates.
  • Resume template – By using one of our resume template builders you will surely find just the right one for your profession. Once you start using it, you will see how easy it is. Add the sections you need, exclude the ones you don’t and this will save you a lot of your precious time.

CONCLUSION

Thank you for being with us through our thorough guide on how to write a resume for secretary. If you follow these steps, you increase the likelihood of getting the desired job.

Now that you know how to list your skillset, education, and experience properly and what to point out in each of the sections, get down to job and ace that resume.

If still have some doubts on how to write the perfect resume and are concerned about its layout, we have an excellent solution for that as well. Check out our resume template builder and start writing your resume by implementing all that we’ve talked here about today.

Good luck with finding your dream job!

Secretary Resume: Sample and Complete Guide

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