As an administrative manager, you may struggle with articulating the breadth of your multifaceted role and diverse skill set on a concise resume. Our comprehensive guide is tailored to help you distill your extensive experience into a compelling narrative that highlights your managerial competencies and administrative prowess.
Check out our administrative manager resume guide to:
- Sample industry-leading examples to learn how to write your best resume yet.
- Improve the experience, education, and achievements section of your resume with insights from resume-writing professionals.
- Curate your technical expertise and personality to stand out amongst the pool of candidates.
- Succinctly focus on your unique skill set all through your administrative manager resume.
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Formatting the layout of your administrative manager resume: design, length, and more
When it comes to the format of your administrative manager resume , you've plenty of opportunities to get creative. But, as a general rule of thumb, there are four simple steps you could integrate into your resume layout.- If you have plenty of experience, you'd like to showcase, invest in the reverse-chronological resume format . This format focuses on your latest experience items and skills you've learned during your relevant (and recent) jobs.
- Don't go over the two-page limit, when creating your professional administrative manager resume. Curate within it mainly experience and skills that are relevant to the job.
- Make sure your administrative manager resume header includes all of your valid contact information. You could also opt to display your professional portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
- Submit or send out your administrative manager resume as a PDF, so you won't lose its layout and design.
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The more trusted the organization you've attained your certificate (or degree) from, the more credible your skill set would be.
The key to your administrative manager job-winning resume - present your expertise with these sections:
- A header to make your resume more scannable
- Snapshot of who you are as a professional with your resume soft skills, achievements, and summary or objective
- Job advert keywords in the skills section of your resume
- Resume experience quantifying your past job successes with metrics
- A relevant education, certification, and technical sills section to provide background to your technological/software capabilities
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Proven ability to manage office operations and maintain an efficient, organized administrative system.
- Strong leadership qualities and experience supervising administrative staff, delegating tasks, and conducting performance evaluations.
- Expert-level proficiency with office management software, databases, and cloud-based systems to enhance and modernize office procedures.
- Demonstrated experience in budgeting, financial planning, and cost control management.
- Exceptional communication skills and the ability to liaise effectively with senior management, staff, clients, and external vendors.
Quick guide to your administrative manager resume experience section
After deciding on the format of your resume, it's time to organize your experience within the dedicated section.
It's common for administrative manager professionals to be confused in this part of the process, as they may have too much or little expertise.
Follow the general rules of thumb to be successful when writing this part of your resume:
- The perfect number of bullets you should have under each experience item is no more than six;
- Select not merely your responsibilities, but the most noteworthy achievements for each role that match the job requirements;
- List any certificates or technical expertise you've gained on the job and how they've helped you progress as a professional;
- Carefully select the power verbs to go along with each bullet to avoid generic ones like "managed" and instead substitute those with the actuality of your particular responsibility;
- Integrate valuable keywords from the job advert in the form of achievements under each role you list.
If you're on the search for further advice on how to write your administrative manager experience section, get some ideas from real-world professional resumes:
Work Experience
Senior Administrative Manager
Deloitte LLP
01/2018-Ongoing
- Managed a team of 10 administrative staff, streamlining office operations and achieving a 30% increase in efficiency.
- Designed and implemented a new document management system that reduced paper waste by 40% and facilitated quicker access to vital records.
- Negotiated with vendors to reduce office supply costs by 20%, saving the company approximately $10,000 annually.
Work Experience
Corporate Administrative Manager
Bank of America Corp.
06/2014-12/2017
- Oversaw the relocation of corporate headquarters, coordinating with various departments for a seamless transition and zero downtime.
- Implemented a company-wide training program on new software that increased productivity by 25% within the first quarter after adoption.
- Conducted a comprehensive review and revision of administrative policies, resulting in a 15% reduction in procedural errors.
Work Experience
Administrative Operations Manager
IBM Corporation
09/2011-05/2014
- Led the transformation of the administrative department, integrating digital calendar management that saved 50 labor hours per week.
- Developed a supplier evaluation system that improved the quality of office supplies and reduced inventory costs by 10%.
- Initiated a cross-department communication plan to enhance project coordination, shortening project completion times by 20%.
Work Experience
Administrative Project Manager
General Electric Company
03/2016-02/2019
- Implemented a CRM system for the administrative department, increasing data accuracy and client follow-up efficiency by 35%.
- Chaired the workplace safety committee, which led to a 25% reduction in workplace accidents over a two-year period.
- Directed the preparation of a 200-person corporate event, coordinating logistics and securing cost-effective amenities.
Work Experience
Office Administration Manager
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise
11/2009-08/2013
- Played a key role in the digital transformation project, migrating paper-based processes to a cloud platform, cutting access time by 50%.
- Facilitated a series of inter-departmental workshops that improved collaboration and resulted in a 10% increase in project delivery efficiency.
- Renegotiated service contracts with IT providers, which enhanced system reliability and reduced downtime by 15%.
Work Experience
Administrative Department Manager
Cisco Systems, Inc.
07/2013-01/2017
- Developed a budget-tracking dashboard for senior management, providing real-time insights which led to a 5% decrease in overhead costs.
- Led a team through a corporate merger, ensuring continuity of administrative services without impacting business operations.
- Streamlined records management by implementing an enterprise content management system, reducing retrieval times by 30%.
Work Experience
Lead Administrative Manager
Pfizer Inc.
04/2012-06/2015
- Restructured the internal mail delivery system, increasing distribution efficiency by 70% and enhancing inter-office communication.
- Managed procurement processes, achieving a 12% reduction in annual spending through strategic sourcing and effective negotiation.
- Spearheaded the creation of an employee recognition program, which improved staff morale and decreased turnover rates by 15%.
Work Experience
Chief Administrative Manager
Coca-Cola Company
02/2017-Ongoing
- Integrated a new teleconferencing system that supported remote working arrangements, increasing staff satisfaction and productivity.
- Devised risk management protocols for administrative functions, reducing the incidence of data breaches by 40% over a two-year period.
- Orchestrated a successful audit of administrative processes, identifying areas of improvement that increased compliance with federal regulations by 100%.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Include the size of the team you managed to demonstrate leadership and team management skills.
- Mention the budget you were responsible for overseeing to show your financial management abilities.
- Highlight any cost-saving measures you implemented and the percentage of savings to showcase fiscal responsibility and efficiency.
- Detail specific projects you led, including the number of cross-functional team members involved, to emphasize project management competence.
- Specify the number of contracts negotiated and the average value to reflect negotiation expertise.
- Note the percentage increase in office productivity or efficiency through systems you implemented to illustrate process improvement skills.
- State the volume of documents or data entries processed to give a sense of your organizational and detail-oriented work approach.
- Report any quantifiable improvements in customer or employee satisfaction scores to highlight a commitment to service excellence.
Action verbs for your administrative manager resume
Action verbs are a great addition to your administrative manager resume because they point recruiters to the fact that you’re willing to take the initiative and work hard to achieve your goals. Use these power words to stand out:
Writing your administrative manager experience section without any real-world experience
Professionals, lacking experience, here's how to kick-start your administrative manager career:
- Substitute experience with relevant knowledge and skills, vital for the administrative manager role
- Highlight any relevant certifications and education - to showcase that you have the relevant technical training for the job
- Definitely include a professional portfolio of your work so far that could include university projects or ones you've done in your free time
- Have a big focus on your transferable skills to answer what further value you'd bring about as a candidate for the administrative manager job
- Include an objective to highlight how you see your professional growth, as part of the company
Recommended reads:
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Showcase any ongoing or recent educational efforts to stay updated in your field.
Creating your administrative manager resume skills section: balancing hard skills and soft skills
Recruiters hiring for administrative manager roles are always keen on hiring candidates with relevant technical and people talents. Hard skills or technical ones are quite beneficial for the industry - as they refer to your competency with particular software and technologies. Meanwhile, your soft (or people) skills are quite crucial to yours and the company's professional growth as they detail how you'd cooperate and interact in your potential environment. Here's how to describe your hard and soft skill set in your administrative manager resume:
- Consider what the key job requirements are and list those towards the top of your skills section.
- Think of individual, specific skills that help you stand out amongst competitors, and detail how they've helped you succeed in the past.
- Look to the future of the industry and list all software/technologies which are forward-facing.
- Create a separate, technical skills section to supplement your experience and further align with the administrative manager job advert. Find the perfect balance between your resume hard and soft skills with our two lists.
Top skills for your administrative manager resume:
HARD SKILLS
Office Management
Financial Reporting
Human Resources Management
Project Management
Database Administration
Record Keeping
Budgeting
Compliance Management
Procurement
IT Skills (MS Office, Email, etc.)
SOFT SKILLS
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Organizational
Time Management
Adaptability
Teamwork
Attention to Detail
Decision Making
Conflict Resolution
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The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.
Showcase academic background with education and certifications' sections
Listing your education and certifications should be a rudimentary part of your resume writing.
Including your relevant academic background - in the form of your higher education degree and niche-specific certificates - will prove knowledge of the industry.
For your education section:
- Start by including your degree, followed by start and graduation dates, as well as the institution;
- You could include relevant coursework, major/minor , or GPA, only if your've just graduated from college or if this information would further support your application;
- If you have an "ongoing" degree, you can still list it in case you think your diploma can impress recruiters or it's required;
Follow a similar logic for your certifications section by listing the institution, alongside dates you've obtained the certificate. For some of the most recent and relevant industry certificates , check out the next part of our guide:
The top 5 certifications for your administrative manager resume:
- Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute
- Certified Manager (CM) - Institute of Certified Professional Managers
- Professional in Human Resources (PHR) - HR Certification Institute
- Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) - International Association of Administrative Professionals
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) - Microsoft
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If the certificate you've obtained is especially vital for the industry or company, include it as part of your name within the resume headline.
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The administrative manager resume summary or objective: integrating keywords, achievements, and more
Deciding whether to include a resume summary or an objective in your administrative manager resume is crucial. Both serve as key introductory elements at the top of your resume, encapsulating your profile in up to five sentences and incorporating relevant keywords from the job advert.
Here are the key differences between the two:
- The resume summary focuses on aligning your achievements and experience with the job requirements. It provides recruiters with a snapshot of your expertise, helping you stand out as an ideal candidate for the role.
- The resume objective, on the other hand, centers on your career goals and aspirations, detailing how the role aligns with your career progression. It's particularly suitable for candidates with less professional experience or those new to the job market.
Below are examples demonstrating best practices in utilizing the resume summary and/or objective to make a strong first impression with your administrative manager resume.
Resume summaries for a administrative manager job
- Seasoned Administrative Manager with over 12 years' experience, expert in streamlining office operations for financial services firms. Proven track record in managing teams of 30+ employees, reducing operational costs by 25% through process optimization. Spearheaded the digital transformation initiative, increasing department productivity by 40%.
- Dynamic professional with 15 years in education administration, seeking to bring extensive track record of managing large school systems and improving graduation rates by 20% to a bustling corporate environment. Competent in budget management and fostering cross-departmental collaboration.
- Accomplished engineer looking to leverage a decade of project management and process optimization experience into administrative management. Skilled in leading multi-disciplinary teams to meet tight deadlines and budget constraints. Has a keen eye for detail and a passion for efficiency improvement.
- Former healthcare professional pivoting to administrative management, bringing eight years of hospital administration, where I reduced patient wait times by 30% through staff training programs and process reengineering. Excels in high-pressure environments and has a deep understanding of policy compliance and staff management.
- An ambitious graduate eager to embark on a career in administrative management, possessing a strong academic foundation in business administration. Highly motivated to apply theoretical knowledge of organizational behavior and management principles to make significant contributions to operational efficiency.
- Entry-level enthusiast with a fresh Master’s degree in Public Administration, eager to apply academic training and a fresh perspective to the challenges of administrative management. Committed to learning rapidly and contributing to the success of departmental operations through meticulous attention to detail and a drive for excellence.
Taking your administrative manager resume to the next level with these four additional resume sections
Your administrative manager resume can feature a variety of skills (both hard and soft) in diverse sections. Choose those that align best with the job requirements and reflect your suitability for the company culture.
Consider these four additional resume sections recommended by our experts:
- Languages - State any languages you are proficient in and your level of proficiency. This demonstrates your commitment to communication and potential for international growth.
- Projects - Highlight up to three significant projects you've completed outside of work, showcasing skill development. Include a link to your project portfolio in the administrative manager resume header, if applicable.
- My Time - How you allocate your time outside work can indicate your organizational skills and cultural fit within the company.
- Volunteering - Detail causes you're passionate about, roles you've held, and achievements in volunteering. Such experiences likely have honed a range of soft skills crucial for your dream job.
Key takeaways
- The layout of your resume should take into consideration your professional background while integrating vital sections and design elements;
- Highlight your most pertinent achievements for the role all through different sections;
- Be very specific when selecting your certifications, hard skills, and soft skills to showcase the best of your talents;
- Include within the top one-third of your administrative manager resume a header and summary to help recruiters understand your experience and allocate your contact details. A skills box is optional, but it will help you align your expertise with the role;
- Detail the full extent of your professional experience with specific bullets that focus on tasks, actions, and outcomes.
Administrative Manager resume examples
Explore additional administrative manager resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Role
Administrative General Manager
The Administrative General Manager role has evolved from business administration, paralleling changes in business trends. When applying for this position, underscore your knowledge of administrative best practices from HR to corporate governance, as companies seek efficient practices. Also, present relevant experience in executing systems and processes, such as introducing cost-efficient supply chains or improving departmental communication. Emphasizing effective leadership is important as this role often entails leading various departments – citing successful team projects you've managed could be advantageous. Don’t just list your skills, show how they've enhanced company operations, like streamlining HR processes for cost savings or leading a team that improved productivity. This approach makes your resume engaging and results-driven, which can increase your chances of being considered for the job.
View Administrative General Manager Resume
