Administrator CV: Examples, Templates & Writing Guide

Working as an administrator is like conducting an orchestra. It may seem easy to maintain perfect harmony, but only you know how many administrative skills it takes.

Time to write your administrator CV and dazzle the recruiters to make them want to give you a standing ovation. Quick! Grab your baton, and let's write a CV for an admin job showcasing your administrative virtuosity.

This guide will show you: 

• An administrator CV example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write an administrator CV that will land you more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on an administrator's CV.
• How to describe your experience on a CV for an admin job to get any position you want.

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Need help writing a CV for a similar position? Take a look at the related guides:

• Administrative Assistant CV Samples
• Executive Assistant CV Samples
• Receptionist CV Samples
• Account Manager CV Samples
• Consultant CV Samples
• Graduate CV Samples
• Internship CV Samples
• Student CV Samples
• Best CV Samples for All Jobs

Administrator CV example

1. Format your administrator CV properly

As an administrator, you know how important it is to keep all the documents readable and easy to skim. Your administrator’s CV is no exception. Especially because studies show that recruiters spend, on average, just 7.4 seconds looking at a CV. Capture the recruiters’ fleeting attention by flawlessly formatting your CV for an admin job.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Stick to a reverse-chronological format. It’s the best CV format for most candidates.
• Attach a CV header with your contact information. Remember to double-check your online presence and optimise your LinkedIn profile.
• Go for legible CV fonts, 1.15 line spacing, and one-inch margins on all sides. Don’t make the HR managers squint, and choose an 11-12 point font for body text and a 4-6 points larger one for CV section headings.
• Don’t skimp on white space, since it makes your CV stand out more. Rely on bulleted lists to save up space and make writing a one-page CV easier.

Make sure your administrator CV contains all the necessary sections:

• Header with contact info
• CV summary/objective
• Work experience
• Education
• Skills
• Additional sections (conferences, training, volunteer work, awards, certifications, etc.)

Remember to save your CV as a PDF file unless specified otherwise. PDFs can be easily viewed on most devices, ensuring your CV layout remains intact.

Read more: How to Write a CV: Complete Guide

2. Polish your administrator CV work experience section

From conquering mountains of emails to taming unruly spreadsheets, you've tackled it all with grace (and lots of coffee). Let's showcase the triumphs that made you the master of all things organised in your administrator CV work experience section.

Here’s your fool-proof strategy for writing a perfect work experience section:

• Arrange your work experience in reverse-chronological order. This means your most recent position should be at the top of this section.
• Include essential details for each entry: job title, company name, and employment dates.
• Opt for concise bullet points (up to 6 per position) to enhance readability and save up on space. They’ll make it easier for you to stick to a one-page CV format, especially if you’re an experienced candidate.
• Tailor your descriptions to match the requirements of the targeted job ad.
• Move beyond generic responsibilities and emphasise accomplishments with measurable results. Quantify achievements using numbers whenever possible.
• Harness the power of the PAR formula: Present a Problem, outline the Action you took, and highlight the Result achieved.
• Inject your work experience with action-packed verbs that showcase efficiency and expertise. Utilise words like "enforced," "generated," "analysed," and more.

Administrator CV examples: work experience

The same skilled candidate, but a totally different first impression. This work experience section lacks tangible results and action words. That’s not how you get ahead of the competition.

Junior administrator CV examples: work experience

Even though this efficient administrator has some pretty impressive accomplishments, they failed to showcase them. A successful CV for an administrator is not where you should be overly humble. The formatting is also off, which undoubtedly impacts the reading experience.

Read more: How to Create a CV for Work Experience Opportunities

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional CV template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

3. Present your educational background in your CV for admin job

Do you remember all these countless late-night study sessions? Now it’s time to honour your superhuman effort by creating an envy-worthy CV education section.

If you’re an experienced candidate, stick to the basics. Just mention your highest degree of education.

And what if you’re writing a CV with no experience? In this case, you may want to expand on your educational background. Have any relevant academic achievements or extracurricular activities? Don’t forget to include them. You can also list your favourite academic subjects and present relevant coursework.

Administrator CV examples: education

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About CV Education Section.

4. Highlight your relevant skills in your administrator CV

You’re the master of all things organisation. The wizard of calendar coordination and the spreadsheet whisperer. Now it’s time to showcase your administrative prowess. Adding relevant administrative skills to your CV will make the recruiters beg you to colour-code their lives too!

Not sure where to start? Begin by analysing the job description and scanning it for any skills-related keywords. Next, re-read your work experience and education sections. Identify all the hard and soft skills your potential employer is looking for.

Now, put your impeccable organisational and interpersonal skills into action and create a list of all your relevant skills. Don’t limit yourself to listing just 5–10 relevant CV skills. Such limits pertain only to your administrator CV skills section, and now you’re creating your own admin CV skills repository. Take a look below at what such a list can look like.

Admin CV skills

• Office Management Software
• Administrative Support
• Calendar Management
• Data Management
• Communication Skills (Verbal and Written)
• Organisation and Time Management
• Problem Solving
• Multitasking
• Attention to Detail
• Prioritisation
• Meeting and Event Coordination
• Customer Service Skills
• Software Proficiency (MS Office Suite, Google Suite, etc.)
• Resourcefulness and Adaptability
• Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Confidentiality and Data Security
• Record-Keeping and Reporting
• Budgeting and Expense Management
• Travel Arrangements
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Leadership Skills

Read the job description again, but this time do that to select matching positions from your main list of admin skills for your CV. Take a look at the admin CV skills example below.

Administrator CV skills example

Pro Tip: Double-check that your work experience section backs up your soft and hard skills. If that’s not the case, edit this section by rephrasing the bullet points to make your admin CV more convincing.

5. Add some extra sections to your CV for admin job

The additional sections of an administrator’s CV are always a delightful surprise for recruiters. Just think of how good it feels to discover an extra stash of office supplies hidden behind a secret bookshelf. Yup, that’s exactly how you’ll make them feel if you go the extra mile and add sections like relevant certifications, awards or accolades, projects, and so on.

If you’re just beginning your career, you can include your academic awards,language skills, and volunteer work. Got any interesting hobbies? Don’t hesitate to mention them in your CV hobbies and interests section. 

Administrator CV example: additional sections

Read more: Best CV Writing Tips

6. Wow the recruiters with your administrator CV summary or objective

A CV personal statement, also known as a CV profile, is like a movie trailer. It showcases all the attention-grabbing bits to make the recruiter want to know more and actually read your whole CV.

If you’re an experienced professional, write a compelling administrator CV summary. And what if you’re writing a career change CV or have little experience? In this case, a CV objective will be your best solution.

You may be tempted to write just one CV personal statement. Don’t do that. Tailoring this part of your CV can make a huge difference.

Just use the same simple method we relied on to write your skills section:

• Scan the job description for keywords such as job title, responsibilities, and skills.
• Keep them in mind and read through your CV to catch all the things your potential employer is looking for.
• Select two or three top accomplishments and skills from your work experience, education, and skills sections. You can use the proven formula below to write an attention-grabbing admin CV summary or objective.

Don’t be tempted to skip the last part, where you charm the recruiter with your plans to benefit the company. You shouldn’t also forgo the adjective, which sets the tone for your entire CV personal profile.

Administrator CV summary examples

While the first administrator CV summary example highlights tangible results and is personalised for a specific company, the second one fails to do so. It’s way too generic. Plus it states what the candidate wants for themselves and not how they’re planning to add value.

Administrator CV objective examples

The first admin CV objective example showcases the candidate's skills and enthusiasm. It also mentions what he’s willing to do for the specific company he's targeting.

The second example lacks all these things. It’s too vague and focuses only on what the candidate wants for themselves. Thinking about yourself just like Logan Roy won't get you the job you're dreaming of.

Pro Tip: Continuing with the movie trailer metaphor: write your CV personal statement only when you’re done working on the rest of your CV. It’ll save you plenty of time and effort. After all, no trailer editor ever accomplished compiling a blockbuster-worthy teaser before the movie was actually done!

7. Don’t forget about a cover letter for your admin CV

You can think of a cover letter as caffeine and a job application as a cup of coffee. Without caffeine, a latte or an espresso simply doesn't have the same effect.

It's the same with an admin CV without a cover letter. Granted, some like their coffee decaf, just as some recruiters don't demand a cover letter. However, you never know who you’re dealing with, so to maximise your chances of getting your dream job—always attach a short cover letter.

Keep it concise, catchy, and to the point. Your potential employer will certainly appreciate your investment, since not many candidates actually make an effort to write a cover letter. The fact that you cared enough to send over a cover letter may be the deciding factor in getting you a call for an interview.

Read more: How to Write a Cover Letter: Guide & Tips.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your CV will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key takeaways

That’s all you need to know about creating a CV for an admin job. Let’s sum up. How to write an administrator CV?

• Showcase your work experience by highlighting your achievements.
• Include an education section and expand on it if you have little to no experience.
• Tailor your skills, work experience, and CV profile to the job description.
• Stand out from the crowd with additional CV sections.
• Catch the recruiter’s attention with a well-written CV personal statement.
• Remember to attach a cover letter to increase your chances of nailing that dream job.

That’s it! Now you’re ready to write an excellent admin CV. Feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments section. I’ll be happy to help.

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