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Administrative professional skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

6 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.,

Allison White

Administrative professional example skills

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical administrative professional skills. We ranked the top skills for administrative professionals based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.6% of administrative professional resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an administrative professional needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 administrative professional skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how administrative professionals use customer service:

Managed the customer service aspect of the facilities by contacting customers when necessary to provide relevant information.
Deliver exceptional customer service through customer interaction and product delivery following strict guidelines established by UPS.

2. PowerPoint

Here's how administrative professionals use powerpoint:

Designed PowerPoint presentations for monthly divisional meetings with top-level executives, while providing editorial review of the firm brand.
Developed and maintained relevant organizational charts, facilitating retrieval of staff data in PowerPoint format.

3. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how administrative professionals use data entry:

Provided specialized support including cost savings assessments, project management, facilities management, correspondence/mailings, data entry, etc.
Developed accurate and time sensitive data entry in a variety of software environments.

4. Travel Arrangements

Here's how administrative professionals use travel arrangements:

Coordinated travel arrangements, maintained database of customer and ensured the delivery of premium service to students.
Received visitors, answered telephones and scheduled appointments and made travel arrangements.

5. Administrative Tasks

Here's how administrative professionals use administrative tasks:

Assisted Military Personnel Flight Commander in any administrative tasks assigned by tracking, reviewing, and dispersing correspondence.
Supported the warehouse manager with various administrative tasks, identified discrepancies and helped resolve administrative matters.

6. Office Equipment

Here's how administrative professionals use office equipment:

General administrative and office duties using general office equipment.
Monitor and maintain computer databases, company-wide network and troubleshoot, and electronic office equipment operation, maintenance, and supplies.

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7. SharePoint

Here's how administrative professionals use sharepoint:

Managed documentation, folder structures and user permissions in SharePoint.
Created document libraries for several hospital initiatives in SharePoint.

8. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how administrative professionals use phone calls:

Answered all incoming telephone calls and either resolved the callers issue or directed the caller to proper personnel.
Maintain confidentiality for information and documentation received via US mail, emails, and phone calls.

9. Office Procedures

Office procedures are the protocols and standards which define how the staff works together. The office procedures can be a set of rules and regulations which guide the employees and help them run the office operations smoothly. Paperwork, customer interaction, taking messages, handling calls in and out all fall under the office procedures.

Here's how administrative professionals use office procedures:

Established and maintained effective office procedures including customer record keeping and filing systems.
Recognized as department resource for office procedures.

10. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how administrative professionals use payroll:

Serviced as a trainer for district and post personnel on new administrative functions, payroll, and benefits issues.
Manage team payroll, procurement, invoice claims, employee expense reports, and incoming mail sorting and distribution.

11. Reservations

Here's how administrative professionals use reservations:

Coordinate meetings with staff members and outside sources, as well as make reservations at outside venues for said meetings.
Coordinate travel for the division faculty, fellows, and staff to include airline, meeting registration and hotel reservations.

12. Event Planning

Here's how administrative professionals use event planning:

Assisted with event planning, organization of company events & vendor management.
Traveled to off-site conferences and provided event planning support.

13. Word Processing

Here's how administrative professionals use word processing:

Developed and maintain computer files, spreadsheets, graphs, word processing documents and data base files associated with multiple projects.
Utilize word processing and typing to prepare correspondence and administrative forms.

14. Front Desk

Here's how administrative professionals use front desk:

Maintain front desk procedures and instructions including contact information, directions, frequently requested company information, and Conference Room procedure.
Front desk professional responsible for answering the main phone line, transferring calls, setting up showing appointments and greeting clients.

15. Project Management

Here's how administrative professionals use project management:

Served as delegate and liaison for Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis and Psychometric Research in communication and project management matters.
Demonstrated expertise in project management, data analysis, information management and improving operations.

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What skills help Administrative Professionals find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on administrative professional resumes?

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.

Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dixie State University

Writing skills have always been valued by employers, but anything that shows an ability to write, produce, or communicate in digital spaces will stand out. While employers are becoming increasingly comfortable having employees work and collaborate digitally (from home or elsewhere), they may still be reluctant to train employees how to do that. They want to see evidence that applicants will know how to use technology and stay productive without extensive training and without a supervisor having to stand behind them. That isn't to say training won't take place, but employers want to use their valuable time and resources training employees on their own systems, policies, and procedures; they don't want to have to show new-hires how to use Zoom, how to format a memo, how to write an email, or how to co-edit a document using OneDrive.

What hard/technical skills are most important for administrative professionals?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.

What soft skills should all administrative professionals possess?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!

What administrative professional skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would encourage someone taking a gap year to branch out, seeking work experiences and employment situations that expose them to new skills and allow them to interact with a diverse set of people. Sometimes we find ourselves in a bubble-communicating with the same people, who tend to share the same ideas-and a gap year provides the opportunity to extend beyond that. Employers value employees who have open, flexible minds, and seeking out experiences that demonstrate that openness can be helpful.

What type of skills will young administrative professionals need?

Angela Robbins Ph.D.

Associate Professor of History, Meredith College

History majors are in high demand in government, business, and non-profits because of the knowledge and skills they gain in the classroom. History majors, in particular, are especially good at contextualizing-that is, explaining how an event or discussion fits within the big picture. This includes how things that are going on today-such as the Capitol riot on January 6-connects to the Constitution, the balance of powers, the way democracy works, and related issues such as the implications of propaganda and misinformation. This goes well beyond merely expressing an opinion or debating two sides of an issue. Students of history do their research and practice skills of analysis, collecting and scrutinizing evidence rather than taking something at face value or only relying on a single source. We take sources apart to evaluate the credentials of their creators and search for bias. We examine sources from various creators so we take into account multiple experiences and points of view. Then we synthesize-or bring the sources together-in order to communicate what it all means. These skills are desired by employers and translate well into many careers and work environments. Seeking good evidence to answer questions and solve problems, whether that's in the classroom today or working with clients later, is a skill that employers highly value.

Students are practicing other skills that are necessary to success in the workplace, whether that will be in person or online. Time management, seeing a project through from start to finish, hosting and contributing to meetings, working on a team-whether it's two people or ten-and creating appropriate types of presentations to communicate ideas are all things our students can tell their employers they will come in with so they can hit the ground running. In addition, our majors develop self-awareness, empathy, and an appreciation of diverse opinions and approaches to problems through investigation of the life experiences of historical figures and their classroom discussions with classmates. Certainly, every employer wants you to learn the specifics within their sector, but these skills are fairly universal and will benefit majors as they move from the classroom to career.

What technical skills for an administrative professional stand out to employers?

Christi Patton Luks

Professor (NTT) and Associate Chair for Academic Affairs, Missouri University of Science & Technology

I've always felt that the most important thing we teach our students is problem-solving skills. The students who can readily relate the theory to their practical experience to develop new solutions are the most valuable. Engineering students that are active on design teams or took advantage of internships and co-ops are in great position for this.

Do you want to know more?

List of administrative professional skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an administrative professional resume and required skills for an administrative professional to have include:

Customer Service
PowerPoint
Data Entry
Travel Arrangements
Administrative Tasks
Office Equipment
SharePoint
Phone Calls
Office Procedures
Payroll
Reservations
Event Planning
Word Processing
Front Desk
Project Management
Database Management
Human Resources

Office Management
Expense Reports
Telephone Calls
Analyze Data
Provides Administrative Support
Meeting Minutes
Defense Travel System
Financial Statements
Scheduling Appointments
Clerical Support
Calendar Management
Windows
Conference Calls
Office Operations
Background Checks
Administrative Functions
Customer Inquiries

Administrative Assistance
Property Management
Financial Reports
Fax Machines
Medicaid
QuickBooks
Tax Returns
Bank Deposits
Multi-Line Phone System
Mass Mailings
PeopleSoft
Hippa
Subpoenas
Upper Level Management
Business Cards

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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