Landing an administrative assistant position can be a huge win! If you’re looking for a social, public-facing, and important role within a company, an admin assistant position may be exactly what you’re looking for. People can make a career out of administrative assistant work, or they can use it as a stepping stone to other positions.
Looking for admin work? We match job seekers with great employers, and we can do that for you. Contact Liberty Staffing today to find out about the positions we are currently filling!
In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the things you can be doing to get the administrative assistant job you’re looking for!
1. Familiarize Yourself with the Job Requirements
Before you write your resume or go into a job interview, make sure that you know what the job can look like.
Administrative positions vary greatly from one company to another, and from one industry to another. For example, an admin assistant in manufacturing will end up doing some completely different tasks from someone who is in a medical office.
If you have a specific industry in mind, learn about what tasks are commonly performed by administrative workers in that field. Will you be answering a lot of phone calls? Responding to emails? Scheduling appointments? Managing a paper or digital filing system?
How much knowledge do you need to have of the industry itself? The best administrative assistants know how to pick up information quickly and apply it to their work. They may not be executives or in sales and marketing, but they do connect members of the public to each of the departments within the company. Knowing how the business operates will allow you to do a much better job in your new role.
2. Update Your LinkedIn Profile
When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile? Even if you haven’t previously used LinkedIn, now is the time to do so. You can connect with current and previous coworkers, classmates, friends, and networking contacts through your profile. You can also create job alerts to know when companies in your area are hiring for the positions you’re looking for.
Make sure your profile is up-to-date and appealing to hiring managers by using a professional-looking picture, proofreading your content, and including relevant jobs in your work history.
3. Write a Great Resume
Next, it’s time to write an awesome resume.
If you haven’t written a resume in a while, you’ll need to make some updates. Those updates are not just about adding more current information to your work history and contact information. You also need to review how resumes have changed in the last few years.
Some examples: leave off any divisive issues, drop the objective line, and make sure everything is written in the first person, rather than the third.
Not sure where to start? Check out our recent article with advice about how to create a stand-out resume.
4. Develop Soft Skills
Soft skills are in high demand for countless positions in today’s workforce, but administrative assistants need to have an exceptionally high level of these abilities.
What are soft skills, anyway? These are the things you do on the job that aren’t part of your ordinary job tasks. Soft skills aren’t your job duties; they’re how you perform your job duties.
Emphasize in your resume–and later, in your interview–that you are dependable, enthusiastic, motivated, and flexible. Demonstrate your strong communication skills and your ability to think critically to solve problems.
5. Show That You Understand the Latest Technology
Administrative assistants have to be early adopters of most new workplace technology solutions. Even if you are trying to get your first-ever professional job, demonstrate that you can quickly adapt to new software and hardware alike.
Show your interviewer or hiring manager that you have experience quickly implementing new technologies, such as apps, platforms, and programs. You may have had experience with these things for a club, social group, or class. Don’t hesitate to make the connections about how these skills transfer to the administrative position that you are seeking.
6. Work with a Staffing Agency
Staffing agencies help job seekers find their best match. We have connections with employers throughout Southern Ontario. Almost everyone needs administrative support staff, including retailers, warehouses, factories, and offices. Going through a staffing agency means you don’t have to apply to job after job! Instead, let us know what you’re looking for, and we can help you find a great job suited to you.
Reach out to Liberty Staffing today to get connected with the staffing professionals who are ready to help you find an administrative assistant position that meets your scheduling and salary needs!
