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Office associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Anne McConnell Ph.D.,

Angela Robbins Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical office associate skills. We ranked the top skills for office associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 22.0% of office associate resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an office associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 office associate 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 office associates use customer service:

Exemplified the second-to-none customer service delivery for which Adventure Works is nationally renowned in all interactions with customers.
Displayed positive customer service attitude when interacting with customers and positive internal attitude when interacting with coworkers.

2. Patients

Here's how office associates use patients:

Arranged confidential documentation for patients and providers and corresponded with providers regarding the status of their account.
Worked closely with physicians and staff to retrieve charts and necessary information pertaining to individual patients.

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 office associates use data entry:

Performed multiple types of data entry for clients enrolled in any substance abuse rehabilitation programs in Iowa while maintaining their confidentiality.
Established consistent training philosophy and created the database/inventory system training manual for both data entry and call center personnel.

4. Office Equipment

Here's how office associates use office equipment:

Reported any office equipment malfunctions to the proper maintenance company.
Utilize automated office equipment and technology.

5. Patient Appointments

Here's how office associates use patient appointments:

Showcased professional communication skills by communicating with physicians while scheduling patient appointments.
Scheduled patient appointments; patient registration upon arrival for medical appointments.

6. 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 office associates use telephone calls:

Answered voluminous inbound/outbound telephone calls; routed calls to proper department/person.
Answer incoming telephone calls regarding employers accounts

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7. Patient Charts

Here's how office associates use patient charts:

Maintained patient charts and familiarized oneself with medical terminology from the physicians.
Process patient charts according to paperwork flow needs and established productivity standards.

8. Strong Customer Service

Here's how office associates use strong customer service:

Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint Strong Customer Service Ability to multi-task Ability to work in stressful environments Medical Terminology
Attained strong customer service skills, both in person and phone Trained new employees in office procedures and guidelines

9. 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 office associates use phone calls:

Answered phone calls and kept important information for family owned internet company
Participated in outbound telemarketing phone calls.

10. Transcription

Here's how office associates use transcription:

Provide Dictaphone transcription for Letters of Recommendation, patient referrals and other important documents.
Provided administrative support and transcription services to physicians in Hematology/Oncology.

11. Cash Handling

Here's how office associates use cash handling:

Record keeping, cash handling, ATM, deposits, periodic pulls from cash tills, electronic fund transfers, etc.
Process all forms of payment through the point of sale system, adhering to all WCS cash handling policies.

12. EMR

Here's how office associates use emr:

Make sure that all clinical information is scanned in the appropriate file in the patients EMR.
Work in EMR system to search for labs ordered and print off if necessary.

13. Schedule Appointments

Here's how office associates use schedule appointments:

Schedule appointments and mail letters to customers, identifies and distributed mail to appropriate personnel, distributed incoming facsimile transmissions.
Operated computerized programs to interact with patient medical records and to schedule appointments.

14. 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 office associates use payroll:

Reviewed payroll time sheets for accuracy and completeness and researched discrepancies, entered data into computer system.
Ensured efficient and accurate payroll, entered payroll information and completed revisions on a bi-weekly basis.

15. Office Support

Here's how office associates use office support:

Provided office support and fulfilled administrative functions to include assisting with daily departmental operations.
Supported two managers in day-to-day operations; provided general office support and scheduled meetings.

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What skills help Office Associates find jobs?

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

What office associate 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 office associates 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 office associate stand out to employers?

Travis Kurowski Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Writing Program Lead, York College of Pennsylvania

Honestly, good writing skills are always in high demand. You'll see this in almost every field because at every level of business-from information management to internal communication to engaging customers, clients, and partners-clear, effective communication is critical. Other writing graduate skills that stand out to employers are project management skills, editing; quantitative and qualitative research; and practical design. It's not a technical skill, perhaps, but I can't help note that high up on the lists for almost all employers is creativity, a skill interlaced through many courses in quality writing programs.

What soft skills should all office associates possess?

Alexander Nagel Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Assistant Chair, Art History and Museum Professions, Fashion Institute of Technology

Soft skills needed are flexibilities to adapt quickly to new opportunities, to be open to non-traditional career paths. Being organized and responsive to email correspondence, being friendly and kind, having empathy are values that will never be out of fashion. FIT is known for being home to "unconventional minds," and our students are super creative, engaged, and ready to take on challenges.

What hard/technical skills are most important for office associates?

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 office associate skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an office associate resume and required skills for an office associate to have include:

Customer Service
Patients
Data Entry
Office Equipment
Patient Appointments
Telephone Calls
Patient Charts
Strong Customer Service
Phone Calls
Transcription
Cash Handling
EMR
Schedule Appointments
Payroll
Office Support

Customer Orders
Office Procedures
Front Desk
Clerical Functions
Sales Associates
Clerical Support
HR
Word Processing
Financial Transactions
PowerPoint
Front End
Patient Registration
Office Functions
Bank Deposits
Insurance Coverage

Administrative Tasks
Computer System
POS
Multi-Line Phone System
Insurance Verification
Clerical Tasks
HIPAA
Travel Arrangements
Office Machines
Office Operations
Sales Floor
Patient Demographics
Inventory Control
Direct Calls

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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