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Business assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.,

Wayne Counts

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical business assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for business assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.4% of business assistant resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a business assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 business assistant 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 business assistants use customer service:

Developed and maintained a cohesive customer service team by providing an environment of accountability, flexibility, integrity, and excellence.
Assisted family owned commercial and residential cleaning business with services such as advertising, cleaning, and customer service whenever needed

2. Patients

Here's how business assistants use patients:

Utilize automated computer programs to account for patients' records and maintained extremely accurate records and documentations by filing them accordingly.
Explained treatment and payment options to patients and ensuring all insurance verification and cash management procedures are properly followed.

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 business assistants use data entry:

Performed data entry into various systems including visit entry to initiate and continue enrollment, re-certification and reimbursement.
Compiled monthly preliminary and capital expense reports for data entry.

4. Excellent Organizational

Here's how business assistants use excellent organizational:

Demonstrated excellent organizational, oral/written verbal communications, critical thinking and problem- solving skills.
Demonstrated excellent organizational and administrative skills including a strong ability to multi task and delegate tasks to achieve efficiency.

5. PowerPoint

Here's how business assistants use powerpoint:

Prepared confidential correspondence, PowerPoint presentations, financial outcomes reports, and other complex documents.
Assisted with minor website design/maintenance & PowerPoint presentations.

6. Financial Arrangements

A financial arrangement is an arrangement or debt instrument under which a person receives money in consideration for a person or another person either at a future time or in case of a future event.

Here's how business assistants use financial arrangements:

Sustain office accounts receivable information, making financial arrangements, and ordering administrative supplies.
Perform administrative functions including records management, collections, financial arrangements and banking.

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7. 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 business assistants use payroll:

Managed personnel administration including hiring, benefits, records management, payroll administration and performance reviews.
Review bi-weekly and monthly trial payroll verification reports for accuracy and reconciles with submitted time.

8. Customer Appointments

Here's how business assistants use customer appointments:

Assist with travel, trade shows, preparing for sales meeting, customer appointments and principal meetings.
Assist Business Manager in preparing for sales meetings, customer appointments, and principal meetings.

9. Accounts Receivables

Here's how business assistants use accounts receivables:

Collect and summarize supplemental billing information and accounts receivables to accommodate customer billing requirements.
Work accounts receivables and insurance aging reports efficiently and effectively.

10. Patient Appointments

Here's how business assistants use patient appointments:

Schedule and confirm patient appointments while simultaneously meeting and exceeding office production and collection goals.
Schedule patient appointments and document and verify patient insurance benefits.

11. Purchase Orders

Here's how business assistants use purchase orders:

Aided in preparation of purchase orders and participated in vendor negotiations.
Reconciled purchase orders using the Rutgers Integrated Administrative System.

12. Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling appointments is the practice of finding a free slot with the person(s) you want to meet. The process of scheduling appointments involves finding mutually free time, negotiating follow-ups, sending reminders, and creating new appointments. Scheduling appointments is important to ensure that the timings of consecutive meetings do not clash with each other.

Here's how business assistants use scheduling appointments:

Assist individuals with supplemental life and health insurance Daily prospecting and scheduling appointments with business owners and individuals.
Provide administrative support to the Executive Director including scheduling appointments, meeting preparation and development of materials for presentations.

13. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how business assistants use patient care:

Reviewed dental records for completeness, accuracy and consistency to ensure excellent patient care.
Communicated with insurance companies regarding patient care to determine coverage approval or denial.

14. Administrative Functions

Administrative Functions all revolve around planning and managing business operations. Administrators engage in the planning and execution of different business objectives, implementing workplace policies, and organizing resources efficiently. Every action that is a step towards the business's goals is covered by Administrative Functions.

Here's how business assistants use administrative functions:

Perform administrative functions including typing and filing.
Organize all administrative functions and scheduling.

15. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how business assistants use hr:

Provided administrative support to the HR Department; Particular focus on recruitment-related activities.
Provided administrative and operational support for multiple functions including HR, compliance and finance

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What skills help Business Assistants find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on business assistant 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 business assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Wayne Counts

Associate Dean, The University of Texas Permian Basin

Accounting is a field where there is almost always a demand. Regardless of whether a business is booming or in decline, someone has to keep track of it and report it. With the steady increase in the public sector, there is always an increased demand to make sure the taxpayers are getting what they are paying for, so assurance services seem to keep rising in demand.

What type of skills will young business assistants need?

Wayne Fletcher

Associate Professor, California Baptist University

Interestingly, as you speak to employers, this has not changed over the last 20+ years. I had a conversation with my advisory board last week and discussed this question. Employers, generally speaking, are seeking students with good soft skills. By soft skills, I am referring to the ability to effectively communicate across different mediums, the ability to critically think through situations, and the ability to demonstrate self and situational awareness (emotional intelligence).

However, additional elements our advisory board identifies are personal integrity and decision making from an ethical perspective. Employers expect that an accounting major, or a finance major, or (fill in the blank) will possess the knowledge and technical competencies to perform entry-level professional work. And, if a graduate is smart, they can be trained to work in a specific business. However, soft skills take a long time to develop - and employers often don't believe they have the time or capability to focus on that specific aspect of new employee development.

What technical skills for a business assistant 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.

What soft skills should all business assistants possess?

Brandy Bailey

Career Coach, Ohio University - Lancaster Campus

Soft skills may vary depending on the employer, industry, and personal opinions. My biggest ones are communication skills, adaptability, self-awareness, teamwork, problem-solving, intercultural competency, creativity or innovation, and time management.

Do you want to know more?

List of business assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a business assistant resume and required skills for a business assistant to have include:

Customer Service
Patients
Data Entry
Excellent Organizational
PowerPoint
Financial Arrangements
Payroll
Customer Appointments
Accounts Receivables
Patient Appointments
Purchase Orders
Scheduling Appointments
Patient Care
Administrative Functions
HR
Front Desk

Telephone Calls
Office Procedures
Administrative Tasks
HIPAA
Travel Arrangements
Business Operations
Expense Reports
Clerical Support
Office Equipment
Insurance Claims
Financial Statements
Customer Data
Financial Reports
Insurance Verification
Facebook
Provides Administrative Support

Insurance Coverage
Bank Deposits
Patient Accounts
Business Development
Insurance Benefits
Insurance Payments
QuickBooks
Dental Insurance
Patient Charts
Journal Entries
Office Accounts
Inventory Control
Collection Calls
Patient Payments
A/P
Insurance Billing

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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