Because of the competitive nature of job markets, a single application for an administrative assistant position can draw hundreds of applicants.
As a result, employers typically scan resumes in mere seconds, usually about thirty seconds.
For this reason, your administrative assistant CV must have all the right features that will encourage the reader to read through your resume.
Typically, badly written CVs end up in the bin so it is vital to avoid the pitfalls when writing your own administrative assistant resume.
You should write your administrative assistant CV in 2 pages.
This should be sufficient for you to highlight relevant administrative skills, expertise, experience and qualifications.
If you have been in an administrative position for a considerable period of time and have taken up positions with increasing responsibility, you may require more than 2 pages to fully document your career.
This is acceptable so long as the information is relevant.
When compiling your administrative assistant CV, keep the layout and format simple so that the presentation is easy on the eye.
Your CV should be written in black with Arial or Times Roman font and size 10 or 12 for the content.
Your heading should be written in size 14 or 16 and the document should be consistent both in layout, font style and size.
It is important that the reader understand your career goal quickly from your resume.
You should therefore start your CV with a persuasive profile briefly detailing your background in administration and your objective.
Your professional profile should be kept to a short paragraph of no more than 3 or 4 sentences.
Your introductory professional profile statement should be followed by a bulleted list of your key skills relevant to administrative job positions.
The list should contain no more than 8 short lines.
If you are entering an administrative position for the first time, then your key skills should include relevant transferable skills such as attention to detail, organizational skills and ability to work accurately under pressure.
Your key skills summary should typically include the following:

• A methodical approach to work
• Your organizational skills
• Your ability to work proactively within a team setting
• Your ability to work effectively on your own initiative
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Sound computer skills and competent typing ability
• Your attention to detail and ability to work accurately
• Ability to work to deadlines and work effectively under pressure

If you are entering an administrative post with no previous experience, perhaps because you are a recent graduate, then you should add details of your education and training before your work experience, highlighting areas that are directly applicable to your remit in administration such as English, numerical qualifications and computer literacy certifications.
If on the other hand you have amassed previous experience as an administrator, then your professional work experience should precede your education and qualifications.
When presenting your work experience, try to describe the skills you used in your remits and how the position helped you hone those skills further, along with other skills you acquired within the post.
Your CV should be written in the third person with minimal use of "I" in your document.
Also, always mention dates, names of employers and names of educational institutions attended.
You should also highlight achievements and other significant results that bear relevance to a position in administration.