Administrative Assistant skills

Essential skills

Organisation and prioritisation — Employers may ask how you handle competing tasks or give you a scheduling exercise.
Written communication — They may review a writing sample, email exercise or your application materials.
Verbal communication — They may assess how clearly and professionally you answer questions and handle role-play scenarios.
Attention to detail — They may use a proofreading, data-entry or document-checking task.
Time management — They may ask how you meet deadlines and keep track of ongoing work.
Customer service — They may ask for examples of how you respond to requests, resolve problems or deal with frustrated people.
Confidentiality and discretion — They may ask how you would handle sensitive information and discuss relevant work examples.

Office software — Employers may ask you to demonstrate common tasks in word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and email.
Calendar and meeting coordination — They may ask you to schedule a meeting, manage a calendar conflict or prepare an agenda.
Document preparation and records management — They may review how you format, file, retrieve or update documents.
Data entry and accuracy — They may use a sample task to check your speed, accuracy and ability to follow instructions.
Phone and inbox management — They may assess how you prioritise messages and respond to routine enquiries.
Expense, invoice or purchasing support — If relevant to the role, they may ask about your experience checking expenses, processing invoices or maintaining records.
Role-specific systems — They may ask which scheduling, database or document-management tools you have used, or assess your ability to learn a new system.

Reliability — Employers may ask for examples of how you follow through and meet commitments.
Adaptability — They may ask how you respond when plans or priorities change.
Initiative — They may ask about a time you noticed a problem and took an appropriate next step.
Problem-solving — They may present a workplace scenario and ask how you would handle it.
Teamwork — They may ask how you coordinate with colleagues and support shared tasks.
Professionalism — They may assess your judgement, tone and conduct throughout the hiring process.

Tailor these examples to match your real experience, and include specific tools or outcomes only when accurate.

Coordinated calendars, meetings and travel arrangements, resolving scheduling conflicts and sharing clear updates.
Prepared and maintained correspondence, spreadsheets and records, checking documents for accuracy and completeness.
Responded to enquiries by phone and email, directing requests appropriately and handling sensitive information with discretion.

Practise common office tasks, such as formatting documents, creating spreadsheets, managing calendars and organising digital files.
Use a task list or calendar to plan work, track deadlines and review priorities at the start and end of each day.
Improve writing by drafting clear, concise emails and checking them for tone, accuracy and spelling before sending.
Look for opportunities to support meetings, records, enquiries or other administrative tasks in your current role, studies or volunteering.
Practise explaining how you handled a challenge, managed competing priorities or protected confidential information.
Review job descriptions and build experience with the tools and procedures that appear regularly in the roles you want.

See which skills you still need for your target role.