Crafting a persuasive administrative secretary cover letter can feel overwhelming, especially when you're amid job applications and realize it's a crucial requirement. This cover letter isn't a repeat of your resume; it's your chance to spotlight a signature achievement in a compelling narrative. Steer clear of clichés and maintain professionalism within a concise one-page format. Let's guide you through showcasing your proudest moments without straying into overused expressions, ensuring your application stands out.
- Personalize your administrative secretary cover letter and get inspired by other professionals to tell a compelling story;
- Format and design your administrative secretary cover letter to make an excellent first impression;
- Introduce your best achievement in your administrative secretary cover letter to recruiters;
- How to make sure recruiters get in touch with you, using your administrative secretary cover letter greeting and closing paragraphs.
What is more, did you know that Enhancv's AI can write your cover letter for you? Just upload your administrative secretary resume and get ready to forward your job application in a flash.
If the administrative secretary isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Administrative Secretary cover letter example
Peter Connolly
Chicago, IL
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Highlighted Relevant Experience: Reference to previous employment at prestigious companies like IBM, Microsoft, and Google showcases the candidate's experience working in high-caliber professional environments and implies familiarity with industry standards and expectations.
- Demonstration of Impactful Contributions: Citing a specific project that resulted in a 50% increase in document handling efficiency effectively illustrates how the candidate can deliver measurable improvements, emphasizing their capability in project management and process optimization.
- Proactive Problem-Solving Ability: The initiative to redesign document processing workflows demonstrates innovative thinking and a proactive approach to problem-solving—qualities that are highly valued in administrative support roles.
- Call to Action for an Interview: By expressing eagerness to discuss how their skills can benefit the company, the candidate strategically suggests a face-to-face meeting—thus, showing they are serious about the opportunity and ready to delve into specifics of their potential contributions.
What about your administrative secretary cover letter format: organizing and structuring your information
Here is one secret you should know about your administrative secretary cover letter assessment. The Applicant Tracker System (or ATS) won't analyze your cover letter.
You should thus focus on making an excellent impression on recruiters by writing consistent:
- Header
- Greeting
- Introduction
- Body paragraphs (and explanation)
- Promise or Call to action
- Signature (that's optional)
Now, let's talk about the design of your administrative secretary cover letter.
Ensure all of your paragraphs are single-spaced and have a one-inch margins on all sides (like in our cover letter templates).
Also, our cover letter builder automatically takes care of the format and comes along with some of the most popular (and modern) fonts like Volkhov, Chivo, and Bitter.
Speaking of fonts, professionals advise you to keep your administrative secretary cover letter and resume in the same typography and avoid the over-used Arial or Times New Roman.
When wondering whether you should submit your administrative secretary cover letter in Doc or PDF, select the second, as PDF keeps all of your information and design consistent.
The top sections on a administrative secretary cover letter
- Header: The header should include your contact information and the date, as it ensures the recruiter knows how to reach you and frames the timeframe of your application.
- Greeting: A personalized greeting to the hiring manager shows you have done your research and are genuinely interested in the role and the company.
- Introduction: In the introduction, briefly state your enthusiasm for the administrative secretary position and your primary qualifications, setting the tone for why you are a strong candidate.
- Body: The body should highlight your relevant experience, such as managing office schedules, performing administrative tasks, and using specific software, as these are key responsibilities of an administrative secretary.
- Closing: In the closing section, reiterate your interest in the position, invite the recruiter to contact you for an interview, and thank them for considering your application, demonstrating your professionalism and eagerness for the role.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Exceptional organizational skills: to efficiently manage schedules, meetings, and office systems.
- Strong communication skills: for effective correspondence and interaction with colleagues and clients.
- Advanced proficiency with office software: to complete tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations efficiently.
- Attention to detail: to ensure accuracy in document preparation, data entry, and scheduling.
- Time management abilities: to prioritize tasks and manage workload in a fast-paced environment.
- Discretion and confidentiality: to handle sensitive information with integrity and professionalism.
Kick off your administrative secretary cover letter: the salutation or greeting
When writing your administrative secretary cover letter, remember that you're not writing for some complex AI or robot, but for actual human beings.
And recruiters, while on the lookout to understand your experience, would enjoy seeing a cover letter that is tailored to the role and addresses them. Personally.
So, if you haven't done so, invest some time in finding out who's the hiring manager for the role you're applying to. A good place to start would be LinkedIn and the corporate website.
Alternatively, you could also get in touch with the company to find out more information about the role and the name of the recruiter.
If you haven't met the hiring manager, yet, your administrative secretary cover letter salutation should be on a last-name basis (e.g. "Dear Mr. Donaldson" or "Dear Ms. Estephan").
A good old, "Dear HR Professional" (or something along those lines) could work as your last resort if you're struggling to find out the recruiter's name.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear Mrs. Smith,
- Dear Mr. Jones,
- Dear Dr. Johnson,
- Dear Members of the Hiring Committee,
- Dear Director Anderson,
Your administrative secretary cover letter introduction and the value you bring
Moving on from the "Dear Recruiter" to your professional introduction.
Use those first two sentences of your administrative secretary cover letter to present the biggest asset you'd bring to the organization.
Don't go into too much detail about your achievement or the skill set, but instead - go straight for the win.
That is - what is your value as a professional?
Would you be able to build stronger, professional relationships in any type of communication? Or, potentially, integrate seamlessly into the team?
How to select your best achievement for the middle, or the administrative secretary cover letter body
You probably feel exhausted by this point in your application: you've dived into all the details of your success and skills in your administrative secretary resume.
What else can you include in your administrative secretary cover letter body?
Well, for starters, the next three to six paragraphs should show you further value as a professional. Or, why should recruiters choose you?
Think back on a noteworthy achievement that answers key job requirements and dive deep.
Structure your administrative secretary cover letter middle as you'd a story: following chronological logic and highlighting outcomes, thanks to skills.
At the end of the day, you'd want recruiters to be able to see you as the best candidate for the role and understand more about who you are and what makes your success unique (and valuable to the role).
Final words: writing your administrative secretary cover letter closing paragraph
The final paragraph of your administrative secretary cover letter allows you that one final chance to make a great first impression.
Instead of going straight to the "sincerely yours" ending, you can back up your skills with a promise of:
- how you see yourself growing into the role;
- the unique skills you'd bring to the organization.
Whatever you choose, always be specific (and remember to uphold your promise, once you land the role).
If this option doesn't seem that appealing to you, close off your administrative secretary cover letter with a follow-up request.
You could even provide your availability for interviews so that the recruiters would be able to easily arrange your first meeting.
Administrative Secretary cover letter advice for candidates with no experience
If you're worried about writing your Administrative Secretary cover letter and have no professional experience, we sure have some advice for you.
Turn recruiters' attention to your transferable or relevant skills gained thanks to your life and work experience.
Instead of writing about past jobs, focus on one achievement (whether from your volunteering experience, education, etc.) and the skills it has helped you build.
Alternatively, you could focus your Administrative Secretary cover letter on your career objectives and goals. Always remember to make those relevant to the job you're applying for by detailing how you see yourself growing as part of the company.
Recruiters would be way more impressed with candidates who fit the job profile and can bring about plenty of skills and vision to the table.
Key takeaways
Creating your administrative secretary cover letter should be a personalized experience for the role and the recruiter, where you:
- Format your cover letter using the same ATS-friendly font (e.g. Railway) as you did for your resume;
- Greet recruiters, using their name, and follow up with two sentences to introduce yourself, your interest in the role, and to stand out;
- Map out one key success from your career (or life) that has taught you job-crucial skills;
- Substitute your lack of experience with an achievement from your internships, degrees, or volunteering gigs;
- End with a promise for your potential or your availability for an interview.
