Research Summary. We analyzed 37,516 secretary resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like State Farm Insurance Agency and Internal Revenue Service. Here are the key facts about secretary resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average secretary resume is 281 words long
  • The average secretary resume is 0.6 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Customer service is the most common skill found on a secretary resume. It appears on 14.8% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional secretary resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

Resume

Secretary Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Secretary Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Secretary templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Secretary resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Entry level Secretary Resume example

Professional Secretary Resume example

Secretary Resume Format And Sections

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Secretary Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Secretary Resume Contact Information Example #1

Dhruv Johnson

d.johnson@email.com | 333-111-2222 | www.linkedin.com/in/dhruv-johnson

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Secretary Resume Relevant Education Example #1

High School Diploma 2010 - 2012

Secretary Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Certificate In Business 2006 - 2007

Monroe College Bronxville, NY

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3. Next, Create A Secretary Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Secretary Skills For Resume

  • Customer Service Skills

    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.

  • Telephone Calls Skills

    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.

  • Payroll Skills

    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.

  • Scheduling Appointments Skills

    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.

  • Financial Statements Skills

    A financial statement is a report of an individual or a company that includes all the information about the declared assets, the use of money, income, and also the contribution of shareholders over a certain period.

  • Clerical Support Skills

    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.

  • Office Procedures Skills

    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.

Top Skills for a Secretary

Source: Zippia.com
  • Customer Service, 14.8%
  • Telephone Calls, 11.5%
  • Payroll, 8.6%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 8.6%
  • Other Skills, 56.5%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Secretary Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Secretary
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Maintained databases and spreadsheets of events, participants, payments, confirmations, mailing lists, faculty and facilitators.
  • Maintained files; processed payroll; picked up and distributed mail.
  • Enhanced communication between manufacturing department and executive team, fostering a sense of teamwork and collaboration.
  • Managed data being entered into the Protocol Information Management System (PIMS).
  • Prepared payroll for the benefit department staff of 8 employees.
Work History Example # 2
Library Assistant (Part-Time)
Cobb County Public Library System
  • Assisted patrons in use of computer software, library catalog, and online databases.
  • Assisted patrons to use computers and the Internet.
  • Provided basic instruction on the use of the library catalog,online databases, PC reservation, and the Internet.
  • Sorted books, dvds, and cds.
  • Created MARC records for book, audiobooks and visual materials.
Work History Example # 3
Secretary
Adecco Staffing, USA
  • Sorted, prepared and organized mailings and performed data entry and facilitated communication flow with management
  • Prepared special reports, documents and payroll cards.
  • Utilized QuickBooks to assist with tracking and disbursement of company purchase orders.
  • Developed and implemented procedures and recommendations for technical approaches and design resources.
  • Managed the divisions Time Reporting Payroll system.
Work History Example # 4
Child Care Provider
KinderCare
  • Participated with infants and toddlers along with other classrooms when needed.
  • Participated in Keystone Stars and NAEYC.
  • Required to complete CPR, First Aide, and Communicable Disease classes.
  • Demonstrated patience and understanding while managing an array of developing behaviors.
  • Cared for infants and toddlers.
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5. Highlight Your Secretary Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your secretary resume:

  1. Word 2010 Certification
  2. Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
  3. Professional Legal Secretary (PLS)
  4. Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM)
  5. Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert (Office 365 and Office 2019)
  6. Nationally Certified Medical Office Assistant (NCMOA)
  7. Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NHA)
  8. Certified Legal Secretary Specialist: Executive Legal Secretary
  9. Microsoft Office Specialist Master Certification (MOS)
  10. Microsoft Office 365

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6. Finally, Add a Secretary Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

And If You’re Looking for a Job, Here Are the Five Top Employers Hiring Now:

  1. IBM Jobs (94)
  2. Nationwide Jobs (66)
  3. AT&T Jobs (62)
  4. State Farm Jobs (99)
  5. H&R Block Jobs (200)

Common Secretary Resume Skills

  • Customer Service
  • Telephone Calls
  • Payroll
  • Scheduling Appointments
  • Word Processing
  • Office Equipment
  • Travel Arrangements
  • PowerPoint
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Financial Statements
  • Front Desk
  • Purchase Orders
  • Clerical Support
  • Secretarial Support
  • Office Procedures
  • Direct Calls
  • Patient Charts
  • Routine Correspondence
  • Provides Administrative Support
  • Computer System
  • HR
  • Office Machines
  • Fax Machines
  • Administrative Tasks
  • Expense Reports
  • QuickBooks
  • Administrative Functions
  • Windows
  • Multi-Line Phone System
  • Bank Deposits
  • Database Management
  • Office Operations
  • Patient Appointments
  • Travel Vouchers
  • Financial Reports

Entry Level Secretary Resume Templates

Professional Secretary Resume Templates

Secretary Jobs

Secretary Resumes FAQs

How Do You Write A Profile Summary For A Secretary?

A good profile summary for a secretary showcases the specific office and secretarial knowledge and the kind of background experience you possess. The profile summary for a secretary gives people a glimpse of past work and an indication of your skills and the type of work you can do.

What Are The Skills Needed To Be A Secretary?

The skills that employers look for in secretaries are technical, administrative, computer skills, and communication skills. Employers look for secretaries who have all the normal secretarial skills and skills specific to their industry or field.

What Should A Secretary Put On A Resume?

A secretary should include their relevant work experiences and education on a resume. Additionally, it will be important to note any certifications and licenses you have earned and the relevant hard and soft skills you have developed in office and other business environments.

What's A Secretary's Job Description?

A secretary's job description is to facilitate communications within an office and fielding interactions with the public. Job descriptions describe common responsibilities such as answering and redirecting phone calls, scheduling meetings, and providing personalized support for other employees in their office.

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