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Administrative Manager Resume Example & Writing Guide

Create an effective administrative manager resume using this example and writing guide. Learn to showcase your organization, leadership and communication skills. Get tips on formatting and what to include to make your resume stand out to employers. By following this advice, you'll have a resume that gets results in your administrative manager job search.

Creating a resume as an administrative manager can be challenging. It's hard to know what to include, how to structure it, and how to make it stand out. That's where this guide comes in. We'll walk you through the process of building a strong administrative manager resume, step by step. You'll learn what sections to include, what skills and experience to highlight, and how to format your resume for maximum impact. Plus, we've included a real-life example of an administrative manager resume to give you a clear idea of what yours should look like. By the end of this article, you'll have all the tools you need to create a resume that showcases your unique value and helps you land your dream job. Let's dive in and start building your winning resume together!

Common Responsibilities Listed on Administrative Manager Resumes

  • Overseeing and coordinating administrative tasks and office procedures to ensure smooth operation of the organization
  • Managing and supervising administrative staff, including hiring, training, assigning tasks, and evaluating performance
  • Developing and implementing office policies and procedures to improve efficiency and productivity
  • Managing office budgets, including tracking expenses, preparing financial reports, and identifying cost-saving opportunities
  • Coordinating and scheduling meetings, appointments, and events for executives and staff
  • Maintaining and organizing office records, files, and databases, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with regulations
  • Communicating with internal and external stakeholders, including clients, vendors, and partners, to address inquiries and resolve issues
  • Procuring and managing office supplies, equipment, and services, negotiating with vendors to secure favorable terms
  • Preparing and reviewing correspondence, reports, and presentations for executives and other staff members
  • Identifying and implementing process improvements and automation to streamline administrative tasks and enhance productivity

How to write a Resume Summary

The quintessence of any resume lies in its summary or objective section. This section, often underestimated, forms the backbone of your professional presentation. For an Administrative Manager, like you, efficiently constructing this decisive segment can enlighten the viewer about your prowess, expertise, and ambitions.


The Importance of a Successful Summary/Objective Section

Creating an influential summary/objective focuses mostly on bringing out your key skills and accomplishments to the forefront. It works as your personal brand statement, showcasing your most significant assets and career goals, letting the employer or recruiter know why they should continue reading your resume.

As an Administrative Manager, you're expected to have an array of diverse abilities and experiences. Thus, your primary task is to refine that vast experience into a succinct statement, concentrating on your administrative skills, managerial capabilities, organizational successes, and future objectives. Remember, the essence of this section lies in its brevity and relevance. It's not an exhaustive list, but a rapid summary that is easy to read and resonates with the viewer at a single glance.


The Art of Crafting a Summary/Objective

The art of writing a winning summary/objective section is twofold - being authentic and being specific. In every word you pick or phrase you construct, let your authenticity shine through. Be genuine about your experiences and aspirations. This adds an unmissable personal touch to your resume, making it more relatable and persuasive.

Moreover, being specific amplifies the impact of your summary/objective section. Instead of stating vague phrases such as "experienced professional seeking opportunities", furnish specifics like "Administrative Manager with x years' experience, aiming for roles that warrant innovation and growth". Remember, specifics pave the path to credibility and ensure you stand out among the high pile of resumes.

But, the undeniable success factor that brings life to your summary/objective section is relevance. Every skill or achievement you mention must align with the role you're applying for. This not just retains the viewer's interest but also underscores your suitability for the role.


The Secret to a Proactive Summary/Objective

While it's valuable to highlight your past accomplishments, it's equally necessary for the summary/objective section to exude a sense of proactiveness and ambition. If the resume is a reflection of your professional past, the summary/objective is the direction to your professional future. It should manifests your objectives, aspirations, purposeful direction and how you foresee your growth aligning with that of the potential employer's progress.

For instance, instead of simply stating, "Looking for an Administrative Manager role", you could refine it to say, "Eager to apply my proven managerial and administrative skills in an environment that fosters innovation and growth". This presents you not only as a candidate fulfilling their requirements but as a proactive individual who is aware of his aspirations and oriented toward a growth path.


Remember, the key to making your summary/objective section successful lies in its alignment - with your professional past, present skills, future ambitions, and the role at hand. Tailor it to the job, highlight your expertise, maintain authenticity, and tread the path of specifics, relevance, and proactiveness. In doing so, your resume's summary/objective section can be a powerful tool that makes a lasting first impression and clears the way for the rest of the resume to shine.

Strong Summaries

  • Administrative Manager with over 10 years of experience managing teams, streamlining processes, and boosting efficiency within integral company functions.
  • Dedicated Administrative Manager with expertise in budgeting, HR functions, policy implementation, and staff performance management. Proven record of positively impacting company operations and growth.
  • Resourceful Administrative Manager well-versed in office management, strategic planning, and budget controls. Significant experience in non-profit and fast-paced corporate environments.
  • Seasoned Administrative Manager with a knack for identifying operation inefficiencies and proposing solutions. Excellent communicator with an interpersonal management style encouraging teamwork and staff development.

Why these are strong?

These are good examples of summary sections for an Administrative Manager resume because they highlight the applicant's core skills, years of experience, and achievements. They exhibit not only the candidate's functionally relevant skills like team management, strategic planning, or budgeting, but also demonstrate soft skills such as communication and team-development. Each example paints a concise picture of the candidate, which can make a memorable first impression on the recruiter. They also differ in terms of the sectors they have experience in. This is good practice as it helps the candidate to stand out by aligning their profile with the specific requirements of the role.

Weak Summaries

  • Experienced Administrative Manager.
  • Administrative Manager seeking new opportunities.
  • Administrator with years of experience working in office settings.
  • I am an Administrative Manager.

Why these are weak?

The first common mistake is listing 'experience' without providing any specifics. Not only does it leave out all the details about the said experience, but it also does not convey the depth or range of it. Similarly, the second and last examples are equally vague, providing no real information about the individual's skills, accomplishments, or qualifications. The third example is slightly better but still fails to make an impact because it fails to mention the individual's achievements within those years of experience. A resume summary needs to be compelling and packed with the most compelling information about you as a candidate: your qualifications, skills, unique abilities, and why you would be a good fit for the role.

Showcase your Work Experience

Presenting a strong work experience section in your resume is the ticket to getting past the first screening phase. Your experience showcases where you've been, who you've interacted with, and what you've accomplished. Your task, as the Administrative Manager who possesses these experiences, is to effectively communicate them in a way that resonates with an employer. Unfortunately, many job applicants miss the mark, focusing solely on listing their responsibilities instead of discussing their achievements.

Expressing Work Experience

When mapping out your work experience, always bear in mind why employers are interested in this section. They are keen to understand how your past work experiences align with the position they're looking to fill. Each bullet point under your work experience should hit the right notes in explaining what role you played, the impact of your tasks, and preferably, the trackable results.

Quantify Your Achievements

Think of this: You're an employer. Which statement would impress you more?

  1. "Reduced operating costs"
  2. "Reduced operating costs by 20%"

The latter, right? It's not enough to merely declare that you were effective at your previous job. Give specifics, quantify your achievements where you can. For instance, instead of indicating "Managed a team", detail it like "Managed a team of 5 staff members". This gives dimension to your role.

Expert Tip

Quantify your achievements and impact in each role using specific metrics, percentages, and numbers to provide concrete evidence of your value and make your work experience section more compelling to potential employers.

Use Action Verbs

Your resume isn't a place for modesty. Utilize punchy, action-driven verbs to start each bullet point. Words like developed, executed, managed, and led are better at demonstrating your roles.

Avoid Jargons

Avoid using internal jargons that prospective employers may not comprehend. The aim is to be easily comprehended by anyone reading it, not just individuals in your area of specialization.

In conclusion, communicating your former work experiences to potential employers involves clarity, impactful language, quantifying achievements, and above all honing the message you want to give. Each bullet point under your work experience should hit the right notes in explaining what role you played, the impact of your tasks, and preferably, the trackable results. It's mu more than a set of dates, companies, and job titles; it's your story. Writing it effectively can sub convert a cursory glance into a riveting read.

Strong Experiences

  • Oversaw a team of administrative professionals and achieved a 30% increase in productivity within the first six months
  • Streamlined office operations to improve workflow efficiency, reducing backlogs by 45%
  • Managed budget of $500k and successfully cut down expenses by 20% by implementing cost-effective management systems
  • Revamped filing and documentation system, leading to improved audit scores from 75% to 95%
  • Implemented employee scheduling program that led to 20% decrease in staffing inconsistencies

Why these are strong?

These strong examples highlight the results achieved along with the actions undertaken. The achievements are quantifiable and clear, demonstrating the real-world impact of the administrator's efforts. This helps employers to visualize what the applicant can potentially bring to the company. Listing the specific successes (like the percentage decrease in expenses and increase in audit scores) provide a good measure of the individual's efficacy.

Weak Experiences

  • Administrative Manager for several years
  • Work-related responsibilities
  • Won some awards
  • Handled various tasks
  • Worked with some big clients
  • Managed a team of people
  • Dealt with office issues
  • Achieved stuff
  • Conducted meetings occasionally
  • Handled hiring, sometimes

Why these are weak?

The above bullet points are not considered good practice for a resume because they are too vague and non-specific. Good resume bullet points should detail specific accomplishments, responsibilities, or tasks in a clear and concise manner. Phrases like 'handled various tasks', 'worked with some big clients', 'achieved stuff' don't provide enough information to potential employers about what you have really accomplished or what you were responsible for. Also, phrases like 'won some awards' or 'dealt with office issues' lack the detail and quantification that employers look for in a resume. It's important to indicate which awards were won or what kind of issues were dealt with. Lastly, specifying the frequency of some action (like 'conducted meetings occasionally', 'handing hiring, sometimes') can give off a nonchalant attitude towards those tasks or responsibilities. Therefore, it's better to be specific, direct, and to provide quantifiable data or details wherever possible.

Skills, Keywords & ATS Tips

Let's talk about skills. In your resume, there are two types you need to consider: hard skills and soft skills, each vital in their own way. As an Administrative Manager, you should understand their importance and how they link to keywords and ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems).

Hard Skills and Their Importance

Hard skills are what you learn. They are specific abilities you gain through training or education. As an Administrative Manager, your hard skills might include project management, software proficiency, or analytical abilities. Your hard skills should match the job posting's requirements.

It's about keywords. Job descriptions often list key hard skills needed for the role. When you tailor your resume, it's crucial to incorporate these exact keywords. Why? The reason lies in the ATS.

Soft Skills and Their Importance

Soft skills are your traits or habits. They reflect how you work. And unlike hard skills, they’re not specific to any job; they are general skills useful in any role. For an Administrative Manager, effective communication, leadership, teamwork, and organisational skills are relevant.

Like hard skills, you should weave soft skills into your resume. Although it's harder for ATS to pick these up, they're invaluable to recruiters. Soft skills can't be taught as easily as hard skills, and so they are highly valued in the working world.

Keywords, ATS and Matching Skills

ATS is a software employers use to sort and filter applications. Its job is to scan resumes and look for keywords that match the job description. To get through the ATS, you need to use these keywords - the hard and soft skills found in the job description.

While it’s important to make sure your resume is ATS-friendly, don't forget that eventually a human will read it too. You must strike a balance between showing machines and humans that you're the perfect fit for the job, using a mix of the hard and soft skills they value.

Lastly, remember that matching your skills isn't just about copy-pasting from the job ad. It's about showing the employer how your skills make you the best person for the job. Whether a hard skill you've mastered or a soft skill that's part of who you are, each skill is a piece of the puzzle that is you.

Top Hard & Soft Skills for Full Stack Developers

Hard Skills

  • Office Administration
  • Time Management
  • Budgeting
  • Reporting
  • Data Analysis
  • Project Management
  • Human Resources Management
  • Policy Development
  • Record Keeping
  • IT Management
  • Microsoft Office
  • Strategic Planning
  • Staff Supervision
  • Finance
  • Facilities Management
  • Risk Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Communication
  • Business Management
  • Decision Making
  • Soft Skills

  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Organizational Skills
  • Multi-tasking
  • Adaptability
  • Teamwork
  • Interpersonal Communication
  • Integrity
  • Detail-Oriented
  • Critical Thinking
  • Initiative
  • Empathy
  • Negotiation
  • Stress Management
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Decision-Making
  • Creativity
  • Proactivity
  • Flexibility
  • Patience
  • Top Action Verbs

    Use action verbs to highlight achievements and responsibilities on your resume.

  • Implemented
  • Reduced
  • Managed
  • Coordinated
  • Improved
  • Developed
  • Supervised
  • Administered
  • Oversaw
  • Streamlined
  • Directed
  • Delegated
  • Facilitated
  • Optimized
  • Evaluated
  • Monitored
  • Controlled
  • Reviewed
  • Scheduled
  • Maintained
  • Identified
  • Negotiated
  • Analyzed
  • Prioritized
  • Initiated
  • Communicated
  • Revised
  • Formulated
  • Influenced
  • Guided
  • Processed
  • Documented
  • Investigated
  • Regulated
  • Enforced
  • Determined
  • Planned
  • Collaborated
  • Conducted
  • Education

    Adding education and certificates to your resume as an Administrative Manager is quite straightforward. Start with your most recent degree or certification, list the institution, and the year of completion. For certificates, mention the granting body and what the certification is in. Remember, only include relevant education and certifications that pertain to your job role. Place this section towards the top of your resume if you're a recent grad, otherwise, place it below your experience section. This showcases your knowledge and expertise effectively.

    Resume FAQs for Administrative Managers

    question

    What is the best resume format for an Administrative Manager?


    Answer

    The most effective resume format for an Administrative Manager is the reverse-chronological format. This format highlights your most recent experience and achievements first, which is important for showcasing your career progression and relevant skills.

    question

    How long should an Administrative Manager's resume be?


    Answer

    An Administrative Manager's resume should typically be one to two pages long. If you have less than 10 years of experience, aim for a one-page resume. If you have more than 10 years of experience or a extensive list of relevant achievements, a two-page resume is acceptable.

    question

    What are the most important skills to include on an Administrative Manager resume?


    Answer

    The most important skills to include on an Administrative Manager resume are: leadership, communication, organization, problem-solving, decision-making, and proficiency in relevant software such as Microsoft Office and project management tools. Be sure to highlight specific examples of how you've used these skills to achieve results.

    question

    How can I make my Administrative Manager resume stand out?


    Answer

    To make your Administrative Manager resume stand out, focus on quantifying your achievements with specific metrics and data. Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments, and tailor your resume to the specific job description. Additionally, consider including a brief summary or objective statement to highlight your most relevant qualifications.

    question

    Should I include references on my Administrative Manager resume?


    Answer

    No, it is not necessary to include references on your Administrative Manager resume. Employers typically assume that you will provide references upon request, so it's best to use the space on your resume to showcase your skills and achievements. You can prepare a separate reference list to provide when asked.

    question

    How can I highlight my leadership skills on an Administrative Manager resume?


    Answer

    To highlight your leadership skills on an Administrative Manager resume, include specific examples of how you've led teams, projects, or initiatives. Use action verbs such as 'directed,' 'managed,' 'coordinated,' and 'supervised' to describe your leadership roles. Quantify your achievements by mentioning the size of the teams you've led or the scope of the projects you've managed.

    Administrative Manager Resume Example

    An Administrative Manager masterminds office operations, spearheading policies and managing teams. Key responsibilities encompass staff supervision, record maintenance, and instilling efficiency through strategic planning. The ideal candidate boasts exceptional organizational skills, top-notch communication abilities, and natural leadership prowess. Your resume should spotlight hands-on experience streamlining office procedures, coupled with a proven track record of maximizing productivity. Highlight tangible achievements that showcase your expertise in optimizing administrative processes.

    Taylor Wagner
    taylor.wagner@example.com
    (626) 718-7015
    linkedin.com/in/taylor.wagner
    Administrative Manager

    Dynamic and results-driven Administrative Manager with over 10 years of experience in overseeing office operations, streamlining processes, and driving organizational efficiency. Proven track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams, implementing cost-saving initiatives, and fostering a positive work environment. Adept at collaborating with senior management to align administrative strategies with business objectives.

    Work Experience
    Senior Administrative Manager
    01/2019 - Present
    Global Tech Solutions
    • Spearheaded the implementation of a new document management system, reducing paper usage by 40% and improving data accessibility across departments.
    • Developed and executed a comprehensive training program for administrative staff, resulting in a 25% increase in productivity and enhanced cross-functional collaboration.
    • Managed a team of 12 administrative professionals, providing guidance, mentorship, and performance evaluations to drive team success.
    • Collaborated with IT to implement a cloud-based project management tool, streamlining workflows and improving project delivery timelines by 30%.
    • Negotiated vendor contracts, securing cost savings of over $100,000 annually while maintaining high-quality services.
    Administrative Manager
    06/2015 - 12/2018
    Innovate Inc.
    • Managed a team of 8 administrative assistants, ensuring smooth daily operations and efficient resource allocation.
    • Implemented a centralized booking system for conference rooms, reducing double bookings by 95% and optimizing space utilization.
    • Developed and maintained a comprehensive database of company policies and procedures, ensuring easy access and compliance across the organization.
    • Coordinated domestic and international travel arrangements for executives, securing cost-effective options and providing detailed itineraries.
    • Organized successful corporate events, including annual meetings, conferences, and team-building activities for up to 200 attendees.
    Executive Assistant
    03/2011 - 05/2015
    Acme Corporation
    • Provided high-level administrative support to the CEO and CFO, managing calendars, correspondence, and confidential documents.
    • Streamlined expense reporting processes, reducing reimbursement processing time by 50% and improving accuracy.
    • Coordinated board meetings and prepared comprehensive meeting materials, ensuring smooth proceedings and timely distribution of information.
    • Managed office supply inventory, negotiating with vendors to secure favorable pricing and maintain optimal stock levels.
    • Served as a liaison between executive management and various departments, facilitating effective communication and collaboration.
    Skills
  • Office Management
  • Team Leadership
  • Process Optimization
  • Project Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Budget Administration
  • Event Planning
  • Executive Support
  • Policy Development
  • Training & Development
  • Travel Coordination
  • Expense Reporting
  • Database Management
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Education
    Bachelor of Business Administration
    09/2007 - 05/2011
    University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA