Administrators are professionals responsible for the daily management and upkeep of an office or organisation. Administrators provide high-quality clerical support and keep things running smoothly, so it’s essential that employers see candidates applying for administrative roles as efficient, structured and organised. Your CV structure is no different! We’ll help you create professional, attractive CVs to help you captivate potential employers and kickstart your administration career. Let’s begin!
Formatting Your CV
Your CV should include the following components:
- Header
- Personal Statement
- Work History
- Skills
- Education
Here at cvapp.nz, we recommend using a Reverse Chronological format for your CV. It’s the most common and accepted CV format and allows you to emphasise your most recent employment positions first. You can also opt to use Functional or Combination CV formats, which may suit applicants who wish to highlight other aspects of their professional profile, such as their skills or education. We have plenty of advice, tips and guidance for applicants unsure of which CV format is best for them on our website and blog! If you’d like to know more, head on over to our cvapp.nz website and check out our article: “How To Write A Successful CV.” We’ll get you sorted!
Professional Statements
Your professional statement is a brief introduction to your professional profile. Think of it like an overview of what you can bring to the administrative role and why you are the ideal candidate for a job position. We know how humble Kiwis can be – don’t be shy! Briefly summarise who you are in a few sentences and try to highlight your strengths as an administrative candidate. For example, you could choose to emphasise your administrative skills, e.g. “motivated and efficient administrative professional with seven years experience managing teams and office operations.” The key idea is that you only include significant and relevant details. Read over the job description for inspiration – including keywords from the job description in your professional statement and throughout your CV is a surefire way to increase your chances of landing the role. Still unsure about how to structure your personal statement? No worries, we’ve got you! Check out our example of a CV professional statement here:
Diligent and dedicated administrative professional with high-level organisation skills. Proficient in customer relationship management and performing administrative duties. Managed several office environments successfully. Committed to maintaining the daily operations of a company in an efficent and productive manner.
Work History
In your work history section of your CV, you should list your employment history in reverse chronological order. What do we mean by this?
Essentially, you should list your previous jobs from most recent to least recent. For example, if you worked at The Warehouse in 2014, Farmers in 2016 and Kathmandu in 2020, you should list your work experience at Kathmandu first. You should elaborate on your job role title, the dates you worked at each organisation, the name of each organisation and a brief summary of the duties you performed in your roles with each company. If you have any outstanding achievements or certifications from your time working at a company, be sure to include them! Remember to be as specific as possible! Check out our sample example here:
Administrative Assistant at Sunny Orchards, Gisborn
May 2018 — November 2021
- Assisted with phone and email queries, escalated urgent matters to relevant staff members
- Arranged all staff and client appointments
- Ensured all meeting minutes were recorded and disseminated appropriately
- Ordered office supplies and maintained inventory across all staff offices
- Arranged all travel, logistics and accommodations as necessary for staff
Receptionist at Tairawhiti Group, Gisborne
March 2017 — March 2018
- Answered emails and calls, escalating to individual staff as necessary
- Greeted guests and offered refreshments and beverages
- Maintained reception area, ensuring all common spaces were neat and tidy
- Ordered office supplies and maintained inventory
- Updated office databases and software with client details
Skills
It’s no secret that administrators are organised, methodical and productive. Does this sound like you? If you’re an administrator, we’re nearly certain it does!
When it comes to potential employers, however, it’s important that you convince employers that you possess a skill-set that would provide value to the job role you’re looking to fulfil. Employers want to know that you’re the ideal candidate for the role and that your skills are a match! Create a skills section that describes the skills you have to offer. Are you proficient at budgeting? Do you have 5+ years experience with project management? Are you a wiz at Excel? Let your employers know!
Do you know what skills you’d like to mention but unsure of how to set it up? Check out our skills example below:
- Customer Service
- Communication Skills
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
Education
Finally, your education section should list any academic qualifications you have and any outstanding academic achievements. If you have a degree or any relevant certifications, list these in reverse chronological order with the most recent listed first. Try to be specific and include details where possible, including the name of any institutions you’re affiliated with and any relevant dates.
Here’s an example of a well-formatted education section:
Bachelor of Business, University of Waikato, Hamilton
February 2014 — February 2017
NCEA Level 3, Gisborne Girls High School
- Graduated with NCEA Level 3 with Merit.
We hope you enjoyed our comprehensive guide for writing a stellar administrator CV! We also hope you know that the fun doesn’t stop here – feel free to check out all of our free tools and resources on our website and blog for more guidance and advice. We’re proud to help Kiwi professionals unlock the next chapter of their career story, and we hope we’ve made your job-hunting journey a little easier.
Ngā mihi nu!
