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Senior administrative secretary skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.,

Allison White

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior administrative secretary skills. We ranked the top skills for senior administrative secretaries based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.6% of senior administrative secretary resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior administrative secretary needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior administrative secretary skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use patients:

Monitor patients flow and initiate necessary actions to resolve related problems.
Complete short-term disability, Family Leave Medical Act documentation for patients

2. Word Processing

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use word processing:

Prepared business correspondence often using word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation computer software.
Demonstrated, and administered proficiency in public communication, word processing, electronic mail and fax machines.

3. Dictation

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use dictation:

Transcribed dictation of an assortment of complex and highly confidential matters, prepared reports and additional written communications.
Transcribed dictation of a complex and confidential nature regarding patient medical information.

4. IDX

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use idx:

Scheduled appointments via IDX for Child Development & Infectious Disease.
Trained in Allscripts (EMR) and IDX Scheduling - IDX Advanced Web.

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 senior administrative secretaries use routine correspondence:

Maintained databases, conducted online research, compiled reports and other pertinent information as well as composed routine correspondence.
Responded to routine correspondence and arranged complex and detailed travel plans and itineraries.

6. Travel Arrangements

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use travel arrangements:

Answered phones, handled travel arrangements which included airline ticket reservations and hotel accommodations, and supervised college work-study students.
Coordinated travel arrangements, flight reservations, hotel accommodations, deposits, registration/fees and itinerary preparation for extended travel.

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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 senior administrative secretaries use payroll:

Distributed payroll checks and handled petty cash processing Tracked vacation and sick time Coordinated physical inventory audits
Supervised student workers including payroll and scheduling.

8. Database Management

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use database management:

Facilitated spreadsheet and database management for Vice President of Sales.
Liaised with Treasury Back Office and Administration to coordinate the opening of new accounts and general database management.

9. Purchase Orders

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use purchase orders:

Composed purchase orders and took charge of budget projections, national and international department budgets, expense accounts, and expenditures.
Compile and analyze subcontractor invoices, check the accuracy of hours worked, and rate changes against the purchase orders.

10. 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 senior administrative secretaries use scheduling appointments:

Maintain calendar/schedule for VP including scheduling appointments with outside vendors and the coordination of schedules with other department leaders.
Assist in preparing Comprehensive reports, letters and memos * Perform general clerical duties including filing, scheduling appointments.

11. Financial Reports

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use financial reports:

Prepared detailed department operations and financial reports and submitted to the District office on a monthly basis.
Prepared comprehensive financial reports, letters and memos.

12. Expense Reports

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use expense reports:

Planned and coordinated internal and external fund-raising events, travel/meeting arrangements and prepared expense reports.
Prepared and mailed stockholder requests, oversaw travel/meeting arrangements, and prepared expense reports.

13. Meeting Minutes

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use meeting minutes:

Typed & maintained Consumer Loan records to be included with Board of Director monthly meeting minutes.
Scheduled and designed PowerPoint presentations for monthly divisional meetings for both divisions and wrote and distributed meeting minutes to appropriate individuals.

14. Administrative Tasks

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use administrative tasks:

Processed paperwork for 150 employees, such as merit increases, promotions, etc., administrative tasks.
Performed administrative tasks, plus typing of various memos and reports on the computer.

15. Secretarial Support

Here's how senior administrative secretaries use secretarial support:

Perform administrative and secretarial support functions for this entire engineering firm.
Provided secretarial support for administrative and management staffs of 15 professionals.

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What skills help Senior Administrative Secretaries find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on senior administrative secretary 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 hard/technical skills are most important for senior administrative secretarys?

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.

What soft skills should all senior administrative secretarys 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 senior administrative secretary 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 senior administrative secretarys 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 a senior administrative secretary 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.

Do you want to know more?

List of senior administrative secretary skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a senior administrative secretary resume and required skills for a senior administrative secretary to have include:

Patients
Word Processing
Dictation
IDX
Routine Correspondence
Travel Arrangements
Payroll
Database Management
Purchase Orders
Scheduling Appointments
Financial Reports
Expense Reports
Meeting Minutes
Administrative Tasks

Secretarial Support
PowerPoint
Provides Administrative Support
Graduate Assistants
Administrative Functions
Telephone Calls
Epic
Human Resources
PeopleSoft
Office Equipment
Confidential Correspondence
Event Planning
Calendar Management
Conference Calls

Meeting Agendas
Statistical Reports
Fax Machines
Administrative Assistance
Budget Reports
Hotel Reservations
Office Budget
HRIS
Confidential Nature
Office Operations
AVP
Administrative Services

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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