Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your multitasking abilities and organisational skills can be a significant challenge as an office manager. Our comprehensive guide offers tailored advice and practical tips to highlight your competencies, ensuring your CV stands out to potential employers.
- Design and format your professional office manager CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading office manager CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your office manager CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
Structuring and formatting your office manager CV for an excellent first impression
The experts' best advice regarding your CV format is to keep it simple and concise. Recruiters assessing your CV are foremost looking out for candidates who match their ideal job profile. Your white space, borders, and margins. You may still be wondering which format you need to export your CV in. We recommend using the PDF one, as, upon being uploaded, it never alters your information or CV design. Before we move on to the actual content of your office manager CV, we'd like to remind you about the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS). The ATS is a software that is sometimes used to initially assess your profile. Here's what you need to keep in mind about the ATS:- All serif and sans-serif fonts (e.g. Rubik, Volkhov, Exo 2 etc.) are ATS-friendly;
- Many candidates invest in Arial and Times New Roman, so avoid these fonts if you want your application to stand out;
- Both single and double column CVs can be read by the ATS, so it's entirely up to you to select your CV design.
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Incorporate a touch of colour in headers or section breaks, but keep it professional and ensure it doesn’t detract from readability, especially in more conservative industries.
The top sections on a office manager CV
- Professional Summary highlights your managerial expertise. It offers a snapshot of your skills and experience valuable for office management roles.
- Key Office Management Skills section showcases your relevant abilities. It's vital as it demonstrates your competence in organisation, communication, and leadership.
- Work Experience details your job history. Including specific managerial roles with achievements is necessary for showing your professional growth.
- Educational Background displays your formal qualifications. This section is important as it proves your foundational knowledge in business or administration.
- Office Technology Proficiency outlines your IT skills. It's essential for modern office management, showing you can handle computer-based tasks efficiently.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your organisational skills by detailing how you've successfully managed office supplies, coordinated schedules, or implemented filing systems to enhance productivity and efficiency.
- Emphasise your communication abilities, showcasing instances where you've effectively liaised between departments, facilitated internal communication, or handled external vendors and stakeholders.
- Demonstrate your leadership qualities by mentioning any team management experiences, training you've delivered, or conflict resolution within the office environment to illustrate your ability to maintain a harmonious workplace.
- Focus on budget management skills, providing examples of how you've optimised office expenditure, negotiated contracts to company advantage, or managed financial records in line with compliance regulations.
- Include any relevant software proficiency that's essential for an office manager, such as expertise in MS Office Suite, database management, or project management tools, to show your capability in handling office technology seamlessly.
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Making a good first impression with your office manager CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for office manager:
- Office Manager | Certified in Business Administration | Expert in Process Optimisation | 5+ Years Experience
- Senior Office Manager | HR Procedures Specialist | Lean Six Sigma Certified | 10 Years in Leadership Roles
- Experienced Office Manager | Financial Oversight | Project Management Professional (PMP) | Over 8 Years' Expertise
- Office Management Professional | Facilities Coordination | Advanced IT Skills | 6 Years Progressive Experience
- Junior Office Manager | Emerging Leader | Bachelor of Business Administration | 2 Years Hands-On Experience
- Office & Operations Manager | Strategic Planner | Customer Relations Maestro | 12+ Years Industry Veteran
What's the difference between a office manager CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your office manager CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a office manager job:
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your office manager CV experience section
The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:
- Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
- Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
- Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise;
- align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.
For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Streamlined office operations by implementing a new filing system, reducing document retrieval times by 30%.
- Managed a team of 5 administrative staff, providing ongoing training and performance evaluations to ensure high-quality support services.
- Developed and monitored the office budget, cutting costs by 20% through supplier negotiations and smarter procurement practices.
- Coordinated scheduling and logistics for board meetings, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, and following up on action items.
- Implemented a new inventory management system for office supplies, reducing waste and achieving a 25% reduction in supply costs.
- Oversaw office refurbishments and liaised with vendors, ensuring projects were completed on time and within budget while minimising disruption to staff.
- Updated office health and safety protocols and conducted regular training sessions, resulting in a 40% decrease in workplace incidents.
- Enhanced communication within the office by establishing regular staff meetings and updates, improving overall team morale and productivity.
- Handled sensitive employee data and managed payroll administration with strict confidentiality, achieving a high level of trust amongst staff.
- Spearheaded a team of administrative staff to streamline office operations, increasing efficiency by 25% through process optimization.
- Led the transition to a paperless office system, implementing digital filing and communication systems that reduced office expenses by 20%.
- Negotiated with suppliers to reduce office supply costs, achieving an annual saving of £5,000 without compromising on quality.
- Managed office financial tasks, including budgeting and forecasting, for a staff of 50, ensuring fiscal responsibility and cost-effectiveness.
- Orchestrated the successful relocation of the head office, including logistics, layout planning, and minimal disruption to operations.
- Oversaw the introduction of a new CRM system which enhanced customer data management and increased interdepartmental communication efficacy.
- Cultivated a robust workplace culture by organizing team building activities, leading to a 15% increase in employee satisfaction.
- Managed recruitment and onboarding for over 30 employees, ensuring a smooth integration into the company’s workflows and culture.
- Championed the adoption of energy-efficient office appliances, resulting in a 10% decrease in energy costs annually.
- Directed daily office operations within a fast-paced environment while maintaining a high level of professionalism and ensuring staff adherence to company policies.
- Initiated a customer service training program for the administrative team, which was correlated with a 12% improvement in client satisfaction scores.
- Implemented a comprehensive file management protocol, upgrading data retrieval times and bolstering the security of sensitive information.
- Developed and enforced administrative policies that led to an organised and efficient office environment, reducing administrative errors by 30%.
- Served as a primary liaison between department heads, facilitating inter-departmental projects and collaborations for improved company-wide synergy.
- Coordinated with IT department to enhance network security measures which reduced the risk of data breaches and protected client information.
- Devised a new document control system that improved document retrieval times by 40%, significantly boosting productivity.
- Managed office layout restacking projects accommodating 100+ employees, achieving a more collaborative and efficient workspace design.
- Collaborated with HR to refine performance review processes for administrative staff, leading to a more structured progression and reward system.
- Implemented an agile project management approach for administrative duties, reducing task completion times by 20%.
- Played a pivotal role in establishing the company’s first overseas office, ensuring legal compliance and a cohesive operational start-up.
- Liaised with technology vendors to update office hardware and software, thereby enhancing overall productivity and the technological proficiency of the team.
- Managed scheduling and logistics for executive meetings, including international videoconferences with stakeholders, improving external communication efficiency.
- Pioneered the establishment of health and wellness programs for employees, contributing to a significant reduction in reported workplace-related health issues.
- Facilitated change management during rebranding initiatives, ensuring seamless transition for staff and preservation of organizational culture.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your office manager CV:
Budgeting and Finance Management
Office Administration Procedures
Project Management
Records Management
Database Administration
Human Resources Practices
IT Skills (MS Office, SharePoint, etc.)
Scheduling and Calendar Management
Procurement and Supply Chain Management
Facilities Management
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Organisational
Time Management
Adaptability
Attention to Detail
Decision-Making
Teamwork
Stress Management
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
Listing your university education and certificates on your office manager CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional office manager CV. Write concisely and always aim to answer job requirements with what you've achieved; furthermore:
- Select a simple design that complements your experience and ensures your profile is presentable;
- Include an opening statement that either spotlights your key achievements (summary) or showcases your career ambitions (objective);
- Curate your experience bullets, so that each one commences with a strong, action verb and is followed up by your skill and accomplishment;
- List your hard and soft skills all across different sections of your CV to ensure your application meets the requirements;
- Dedicate space to your relevant higher education diplomas and your certificates to show recruiters you have the necessary industry background.
