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Administrative assistant CV example

An administrative assistant CV should show that you handle enquiries, keep records accurate, manage diaries and meetings, and know the software an office runs on. Below is a full example for an experienced assistant and a version for a graduate with no office job yet, plus the bullet points, skills and tailoring steps behind them.

By Paul and the c-v.ai team, drawing on years of hiring across industries and of writing CVs professionally. Published 10 November 2026.

What employers look for in an administrative assistant CV

Job profiles from the UK National Careers Service, the US O*NET database and Canada’s occupation classification list much the same duties. Your CV (résumé) should show evidence of:

• Handling enquiries. Answering phone calls, emails and social media messages, and greeting visitors.
• Documents. Typing letters and reports, and in Canada’s classification, proofreading correspondence.
• Records and data protection. Updating computer records, running filing systems and following data protection rules when handling information.
• Diaries, meetings and travel. Scheduling appointments and meetings, taking notes or minutes and making travel arrangements.
• Supplies and invoices. Ordering office supplies, tracking stock and sending out invoices.
• Software and organisation. Using a computer and the main software packages with confidence, and organising your own time and workload.

Administrative assistant CV example

Sarah’s summary gives the size and type of office she supports and names the two systems she uses most. Each bullet matches a duty from the job profiles, with rough volumes that show how busy the role is. The filing bullet is a small improvement she made herself, which suggests initiative without any exaggeration. Her skills list names software, which is what recruiters filter for.

How to write each section

Personal statement

State the type and size of office you support, the main areas you cover and the software you know best. Close with the kind of team or manager you want to support next.

Experience bullets

Skills

Name the software (Word, Excel, Outlook, Google Workspace, an accounts or booking system) and the admin tasks you can do without supervision. A typing speed helps if you have tested it recently.

Education

List your highest qualification and any business administration course or apprenticeship. Canada’s classification notes that a one- or two-year college programme or previous clerical experience is required, so either one is worth showing.

Administrative assistant CV with no experience

Ananya’s festival role used the same skills an office needs: records, bookings, emails and accounts. If you are starting out, lead with:

1. Anything you organised. Events, clubs, sports fixtures or a family business all count.
2. Records you kept. Spreadsheets, registrations, receipts and accounts show accuracy.
3. Software by name. Excel, Google Sheets and any billing or accounts tool.
4. A clear goal. Say you want an entry-level office role, so the reader knows you are applying on purpose.

Our guide to a CV with no experience has more ideas.

Tailoring this CV to a job ad

Sarah applies to a law firm. The ad asks for “excellent diary management”, “accurate document formatting in Word” and “discretion with confidential information”.

1. She moves the calendar bullet to the top of her current job.
2. She adds a true bullet about formatting lease documents in Word from templates.
3. She mentions the confidential tenant records she handles in her summary, which covers discretion with evidence instead of a claim.

Our guide to tailoring a CV to a job description has the full method. In c-v.ai, you paste the ad and the app sorts what it asks for into must-haves, repeated themes and nice-to-haves, then shows where your CV covers each one. You choose which experience leads and approve every change. The AI can make mistakes, so each proposed change shows the CV lines it is based on.

What changes in other countries

• United States. Common titles are administrative assistant, office assistant and secretary. The document is a résumé (see CV vs résumé), and Pomona College’s career office advises one to two pages with no photo, age, birth date or marital status.
• Canada. Titles include administrative assistant and office administrative assistant. Memorial University’s career service advises leaving out a photo, your age or date of birth and your relationship status.
• Australia. Much of this work falls under general clerk in the national classification, which covers filing, mail, routine reports and data entry.
• India. The government’s National Career Service portal, run by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, lists jobs and lets you register free of charge.
• South Africa. The University of Cape Town careers service says CVs are typically two pages and advises no photo unless the employer asks.
• Germany. EURES says a photo is still part of a typical German application, and the CV is usually a signed and dated table of up to two pages in reverse chronological order.
• Poland. EURES advises one, at most two, A4 pages, with a consent clause for processing your personal data underneath the CV.

Office jobs are often filled through online application systems. Our ATS-friendly CV guide explains what they need, and c-v.ai checks every PDF on your iPhone for selectable text, embedded fonts, standard headings and reading order. Systems differ, so nothing can guarantee how one will read your CV. For front-desk roles, see the receptionist CV example.

Questions

How do I get an admin job with no experience?

The UK National Careers Service lists college courses, apprenticeships and applying directly as routes in. On your CV, show organising you have done elsewhere, such as running an event, keeping a club’s accounts or helping in a family business, and name the software you use.

What skills should an administrative assistant CV include?

Office software, handling phone and email enquiries, diary and meeting management, record keeping, attention to detail and organising your own workload. Add finance or booking systems you know by name.

Is an administrative assistant the same as a secretary?

The roles overlap. O*NET groups secretaries and administrative assistants together, and Canada’s classification lists secretary as an example title for administrative assistants. Use the title from the ad.

Sources

• National Careers Service: Admin assistant
• O*NET OnLine: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (43-6014.00)
• Government of Canada, NOC 2021: 13110 Administrative assistants
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO 2022: 5311 General Clerks
• Pomona College Career Development Office: U.S. Résumé Tips for International Students
• Memorial University of Newfoundland Career Services: Career FAQs for International Students
• National Career Service (Ministry of Labour & Employment, India)
• University of Cape Town Careers Service: Creating a Great CV (2023)
• EURES: Living and working conditions in Germany
• EURES: Living and working conditions in Poland

Related guides

• Receptionist CV example
• Customer service CV example
• How to tailor your CV to a job description
• How to write a CV with no work experience