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Departmental assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Robert Longwell-Grice EdD,

Guillaume de Syon Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical departmental assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for departmental assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.2% of departmental assistant resumes contained hr as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a departmental assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 departmental assistant skills for your resume and career

1. 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 departmental assistants use hr:

Receive promotion from Administrative Secretary to HR Representative for outstanding teamwork and job performance.
Coordinated all logistics for training programs and communicated opportunities to management and HR.

2. Chemistry

Chemistry is the branch of science that tells us about the composition, properties, and structure of elements and compounds. The processes these elements undergo and how they undergo change all come under the branch of chemistry.

Here's how departmental assistants use chemistry:

Tutored primarily engineering students in the subjects of engineering, physics, math, chemistry, and biology.

3. Data Analysis

Here's how departmental assistants use data analysis:

Provided clerical services for the department faculty Performed data analysis with SPSS

4. Word Processing

Here's how departmental assistants use word processing:

Assisted Communications Department (consisting of nine employees) with word processing, copying, mailing and filing.
Managed spreadsheets, web updates, PowerPoint presentations, web graphics, and word processing documents.

5. Routine Correspondence

Routine Correspondence refers to communications made on a daily basis. These can be simple tasks, basic instructions, reminders, or questions often sent through a form of electronic communication like instant messaging or email. These conversations are also commonly informal and internal, such as between coworkers or managers within the same department.

Here's how departmental assistants use routine correspondence:

Provided administrative support with bids, composition of routine correspondence, status reports for review and edit by department personnel.
Composed confidential, routine and non-routine correspondence/presentations/reports and responded to all operational inquiries in a timely, confidential and appropriate manner.

6. 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 departmental assistants use scheduling appointments:

Perform routine clerical and administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files.
Provided administrative support to real estate agents including scheduling appointments, property comparisons, service advertisements, and client interviews.

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7. Travel Arrangements

Here's how departmental assistants use travel arrangements:

Prepared correspondence, distributed mail, scheduled meetings, coordinated travel arrangements and prepared expense reports.
Frequent in country and international travel arrangements for personnel.

8. 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 departmental assistants use administrative functions:

Function as support for the Advertising and Public Relations Department, performing a wide variety of office support and administrative functions.
Performed all human resource administrative functions - processed new hire and termination documentation, maintained personnel files and handled benefits administration.

9. Expense Reports

Here's how departmental assistants use expense reports:

Monitor budget to make sure funds stay within limitations, give Deputy Warden of Administration & Warden updated monthly expense reports.
Maintained departmental budget spreadsheets, reconciled purchasing cards; expense reports, purchase orders, and check requests.

10. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how departmental assistants use graphic design:

Maintain and update school club social media, graphic design, production of marketing material and playbill.

11. Event Planning

Here's how departmental assistants use event planning:

Supported office manager and handled administrative duties including room scheduling, data administration, correspondence, and corporate event planning.
Coordinate company event planning and assist in implementing logistics, troubleshooting as needed with appropriate solutions.

12. PowerPoint

Here's how departmental assistants use powerpoint:

Created PowerPoint presentation for Executive and Management staff.
Maintained and updated various Excel spreadsheets, created PowerPoint presentations, created tables in Word, and other tasks as requested.

13. 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 departmental assistants use payroll:

Input appointments into HRIS (HCM- PeopleSoft) and maintained all HRIS records; processed student and limited payroll in
Processed employee time and payroll - records, adjustments, travel and other reimbursable payments.

14. Computer Lab

A computer lab is a place where certain computer services are provided to a community, typically for academic learning and skills development. Computer labs are typically provided in educational institutes for the students to perform their computer-based course activities. Computer labs have several computers and smart devices for the users.

Here's how departmental assistants use computer lab:

Supervised departmental computer lab- Assisted professors with data management and running errands
Assisted in setting up computers and helping students in the computer lab.

15. Departmental Events

Here's how departmental assistants use departmental events:

Reserved rooms and ordered catering for departmental events.
Planned and implemented on-campus departmental events.

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What skills help Departmental Assistants find jobs?

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

What departmental assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Robert Longwell-Grice EdD

Recruitment & Scholarship Coordinator, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Most colleges want to see a gap year that is connected to making the world a better place. An internship or a job with a non-profit can be life changing for ones personal development, and ones career. These can be local with an agency in ones community, or national with an agency like City Year or Americorps. Gap years should focus on 'soft skills' where possible so working with the public is ideal. Having said that, any job will give young people valuable experience. My gap year included driving a taxi in Dubuque, Iowa. Boy did I learn a lot about working with people!

What type of skills will young departmental assistants need?

Guillaume de Syon Ph.D.

Professor of History, Albright College

The same as the ones they needed before. Employers want a combination of experience as well as writing and reading capacities. There may even be a greater need for decent writing, as the shift to online has affected the workforce. On the positive side, successfully negotiating the pandemic conditions could be considered a sign of adaptability.

What technical skills for a departmental 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 hard/technical skills are most important for departmental assistants?

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.

Do you want to know more?

List of departmental assistant skills to add to your resume

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

HR
Chemistry
Data Analysis
Word Processing
Routine Correspondence
Scheduling Appointments
Travel Arrangements
Administrative Functions
Expense Reports

Graphic Design
Event Planning
PowerPoint
Payroll
Computer Lab
Departmental Events
Administrative Assistance
Office Equipment
Blackboard

Windows
Economics
Student Assistants
Conference Calls
Administrative Tasks
Direct Support
PeopleSoft
Patient Appointments
Facebook

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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