Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

General office assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Allison White,

Allison White

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical general office assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for general office assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 26.1% of general office assistant resumes contained data entry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a general office assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 general office assistant skills for your resume and career

1. 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 general office assistants use data entry:

Performed clerical and general data entry functions.
Retrieved patient information for data entry.

2. 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 general office assistants use customer service:

Provided quality customer service, processed payments, entered, retrieved and revised payment information.
Provided superior customer service to all facility staff and residents as representative of Rehab Department.

3. General Office Assistance

Here's how general office assistants use general office assistance:

Provided general office assistance to the CEO and several other executives for the company, as needed.
General office assistance including copying, faxing, organizing memos, and phone calls routing.

4. Front Desk

Here's how general office assistants use front desk:

General Office Assistant/Clerk, Front Desk Coordinator, Greeter/Register
Provide office support as the front desk Receptionist for the company, greeting all visitors/guests in a professional friendly manor.

5. Schedule Appointments

Here's how general office assistants use schedule appointments:

Schedule appointments and documenting contact information of potential customers.
Answer phones, filing, schedule appointments, organizes, maintains, and/or purges files, documents, and/or logs.

6. Office Equipment

Here's how general office assistants use office equipment:

Operated general office equipment and applied modern office procedures.
Maintained office equipment and medical supply storage and inventory

Choose from 10+ customizable general office assistant resume templates

Build a professional general office assistant resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your general office assistant resume.

7. Database Systems

Here's how general office assistants use database systems:

Created an electronic database system for all medical Journals, which allowed the Medical Staff easy access to information.
Maintain and update filling, inventory, mailing, and database system, both manually and electronically.

8. Clerical Support

Clerical support performs activities that must be done in every workplace in order to support the company going forward. These duties, which come within the category of clerical support, are typically delegated to entry-level employees since they are simple and easy to learn. Even though clerical duties like printing and filing are easy, they require time and in many instances, other workers are preoccupied with other activities and unable to keep up with all that needs to be accomplished. As a result, many businesses employ clerical support staff who are solely responsible for these duties.

Here's how general office assistants use clerical support:

Provided general clerical support and performed routine accounting work in accordance with specific instructions under close supervision.
Provided general Insurance clerical support performed quality assurance on professional documents.

9. 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 general office assistants use payroll:

Distributed payroll and verified accuracy.
Assigned jobs to the installers into the computer by their installer identification number, addressed any payroll questions from the installers.

10. Word Processing

Here's how general office assistants use word processing:

General office assistant and secretarial duties included the organization and preparation of legal files, answering phones, and word processing.
Job Description: Performs a variety of Internet research functions and uses word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.

11. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how general office assistants use telephone calls:

Operated telephone answered telephone calls.
Answer and forward telephone calls; appropriately greet callers, answer routine questions and forward calls appropriately.

12. Proofread

Proofreading simply carefully checking your text for possible errors like typographical errors or mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling before it can be published or shared. This is generally known as the very last stage of any writing process when you need to fix minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues,

and inconsistencies.

Here's how general office assistants use proofread:

Proofread and edited documents, forms, records, and/or correspondence for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Helped process orders in computers; Copied, faxed and filed; Proofread orders

13. Bank Deposits

Any money that a customer chooses to leave with their bank account is a deposit. Deposits can vary in amounts and different banks have limits on the deposits their customers can have as a minimum. Banks charge customers for deposits especially when a teller is used by the customer to deposit money into their account.

Here's how general office assistants use bank deposits:

Prepared A/R and A/P billings and reports, posting customer payments, bank deposits, and wire transfers to accounting systems.
Received payments and handled all daily bank deposits to include any other routine office and clerical tasks.

14. Direct Calls

Direct calls are connections established with a previous customer or client, most likely a subscriber.

Here's how general office assistants use direct calls:

Worked on a busy switchboard answering incoming phone calls; took messages, direct calls to the appropriate person or departments.
Answer Multi line phone system and direct calls.

15. PowerPoint

Here's how general office assistants use powerpoint:

Draft weekly development and improvement PowerPoint reports for Delta managers.
Prepare spreadsheets, charts and complex presentations using Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

5 General Office Assistant resume examples

Build a professional general office assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your general office assistant resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help General Office Assistants find jobs?

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

What soft skills should all general office assistants 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 hard/technical skills are most important for general office 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 general office assistant skills to add to your resume

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

Data Entry
Customer Service
General Office Assistance
Front Desk
Schedule Appointments
Office Equipment
Database Systems
Clerical Support
Payroll
Word Processing
Telephone Calls
Proofread

Bank Deposits
Direct Calls
PowerPoint
Computer System
Administrative Tasks
Fax Machines
Office Machines
Multi-Line Phone System
QuickBooks
Travel Arrangements
Computer Programs
Customer Inquiries

HR
Expense Reports
Numerical Order
Patient Charts
A/R
Inventory Control
Office Operations
Customer Orders
Facsimile Machines
Copy Machines

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

Browse office and administrative jobs