Important Administrative Skills That Employers Value

Alison Doyale

Important Administrative Skills That Employer Value

Important Administrative Skills That Employers Value

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Table of Contents

Updated April 23, 2021

Job candidates with strong administrative skills are in high demand for jobs in virtually every industry.

People with these skills help maintain a smoothly run office while supporting the efforts of their supervisors and stakeholders alike. Without them, a company can quickly turn chaotic, hindering productivity and resulting in unhappy employees. Individuals in administrative positions must be able to handle many moving parts and challenging situations at once.

If you're looking to open yourself up for raises and promotions, it's wise to develop extraordinary administrative skills.

What Are Administrative Skills?

Administrative skills are those related to running a business or keeping an office organized, and are needed for a variety of jobs, ranging from office assistants to secretaries to office managers.

Employees in nearly every industry and company need strong administrative skills. These skills are highly transferable, meaning that the same abilities used at a company specializing in real estate will be relevant and needed at a tech company, too.

People with administrative skills offer the support that enables companies to succeed at their core mission, whether it's serving clients or selling widgets. Technical skills, such as an ability to use programs such as Microsoft Office, are important in administrative jobs. But so too are soft skills, such as communication and organizational abilities.

Types of Administrative Skills

The Balance

Take a look at the following list of the important administrative skills that most employers seek in candidates. It also includes sublists of related administrative skills.

Develop these skills and emphasize them in job applications, resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Showing that you have the specific skills the company is seeking will help you get hired and promoted.

Communication

Verbal Communication

Communication is a critical administrative soft skill. Administrative employees often have to interact with employers, staff, and clients, either in person or on the phone. It is important that they speak clearly and loudly, maintaining a positive tone.

Listening

Being a good communicator also means being a good listener. You need to listen carefully to managers, other employees, and clients’ questions and concerns.

Written Communication

Written communication skills are also extremely important. Most administrative positions involve a lot of writing. Administrative employees are often asked to write a variety of documents, including memos for their employers, copy for the company website, or email messages for staff or clients. They must be able to write clearly, accurately, and professionally.

Other communication tasks and skills include:

Answering Telephones
Business Correspondence
Calling Clients
Client Relations
Communication
Correspondence
Customer Service
Directing Clients
Editing
Email
Filing
Greeting Clients
Greeting Employees
Greeting Visitors
Interpersonal
Listening
Oral Communication
Presentation
Public Relations
Public Speaking
Receptionist
Stenography
Teamwork
Writing
Written Communication

Technology

Administrative employees have to operate a variety of technological tools, ranging from the Microsoft Office Suite to WordPress to online scheduling programs. They also have to use, and often maintain, office equipment such as faxes, scanners, and printers.

Here is a list of other tech knowledge or skills required for administrative employees:

Computer
Desktop Publishing
Document Management
Faxing
Internet
Maintaining Office Records
Microsoft Office
Office Equipment
Ordering Office Supplies
Order Processing
Outlook
QuickBooks
Record Keeping
Research
Running Office Machines
Software
Spreadsheets
Time & Billing
Transcription
Typing
Typing from Dictation
Videoconference Preparation
Voicemail
Word Processing

Organization

Administrative jobs of all kinds require strong organizational skills to juggle many tasks. Administrative support staff have to manage various calendars, schedule appointments, and keep the office running efficiently.

Here are organizational skills needed for administrative jobs:

Accuracy
Appointment Setting
Attention to Detail
Billing
Bookkeeping
Calendar & Docketing
Clerical
Efficiency
Filing
Inventory
Legal Familiarity
Multi-Tasking
Office Administration
Office Management
Sorting and Delivering Mail
Time Management
Travel Arrangements

Planning

Another important administrative skill is being able to plan and schedule things in advance. This might mean managing someone’s appointments, creating a plan for when employees are sick, or developing office procedural systems. An administrator needs to be able to plan ahead and prepare for any potential office issues.

Here are other planning-related skills administrative jobs require:

Analytical
Communicating
Evaluating
Event Coordination
Goal Setting
Implementing Actions
Making Appointments
Meeting Planning
Monitoring Actions
Organized
Predicting
Prioritizing

Problem-Solving

Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are important for any administrative position. Administrators are often the go-to person that staff and clients seek out for help with questions or problems. They must be able to hear a variety of problems and solve them using critical thinking.

Here are the problem-solving and critical thinking skills needed:

Assertive
Client Relations
Collaborative
Critical Thinking
Decision Making
Employee Relations
Goal-Oriented
Implementing
Issue Resolution
Mediation
Office Coordination
Research
Supervising
Team Working
Training
Troubleshooting

More Administrative Skills

Here are additional administrative skills for resumes, cover letters, job applications, and interviews. Required skills will vary based on the job for which you're applying, so also review our list of skills listed by job and type of skill.

Dynamic
Equipment Handling
Filing
Flexibility
Maintain Focus
Organizational
Patient
Pleasant
Professionalism
Resourcefulness
Self-Motivation
Strategic Planning
Take Initiative
Written Communication

Review Resume and Cover Letter Samples

Review examples of a resume and cover letter for an administrative position.

How to Make Your Skills Stand Out

ADD RELEVANT SKILLS TO YOUR RESUME: Include the terms most closely related to the job in your resume, especially in the description of your work history.

HIGHLIGHT SKILLS IN YOUR COVER LETTER: Incorporate your administrative skills into your cover letter. Include one or two skills, and give specific examples of instances when you demonstrated these traits at work.

USE SKILL WORDS DURING JOB INTERVIEWS: You can also use these words in your job interviews. Be prepared to give examples of how you've used each of these skills when you're responding to administrative interview questions.

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