Administrator skills to include on your CV

By Sophie · Published 30 October 2026

Administrative skills

Diary and meeting coordination

Show whose diaries you supported and what meeting arrangements you handled.

On your CV Coordinated meeting rooms and calendar invitations for a team of 12.

Data entry and record keeping

Describe the records you maintained and how you checked their accuracy.

On your CV Updated customer records and checked new entries against order forms.

Document preparation

Name the documents you produced and the purpose they served.

On your CV Prepared meeting agendas and circulated minutes to attendees.

Email and telephone handling

Explain the enquiries you dealt with and when you passed them to a colleague.

On your CV Answered supplier enquiries by phone and directed invoice queries to the finance team.

Invoice processing

State which stage of the invoice process you supported.

On your CV Checked supplier invoices against purchase orders before sending them for approval.

Office supplies and ordering

Describe how you monitored supplies or placed orders.

On your CV Kept a stationery inventory and placed orders when agreed stock levels were reached.

Qualities

Attention to detail

Give an example of a check you carried out before completing a task.

On your CV Checked customer contact details against submitted forms before updating the database.

Discretion with confidential information

Describe how you handled sensitive records in line with workplace procedures.

On your CV Filed personnel documents in restricted folders using the office access procedure.

Prioritising competing requests

Show how you agreed or adjusted priorities when several tasks needed attention.

On your CV Checked deadlines with the office manager before rearranging a day of meeting bookings.

Clear communication

Give an example of information you communicated to help someone take action.

On your CV Sent meeting attendees the revised venue and start time after a room change.

Tools and software

Microsoft Excel

Name a spreadsheet task you performed and any relevant feature you used.

On your CV Used filters in Excel to review outstanding purchase orders.

Microsoft Outlook

Describe how you used Outlook to manage correspondence or calendars.

On your CV Managed a shared Outlook calendar for meeting room bookings.

Microsoft Word

Identify a document you created or formatted in Word.

On your CV Formatted standard letters in Word using the office template.

Microsoft Teams

Show how you used Teams to support meetings or share information.

On your CV Set up Teams meeting links and sent joining details to external attendees.

Qualifications

Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration

List the qualification with the awarding organisation and completion date.

On your CV Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration, City & Guilds, 2022.

Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel

Give the certification name and the year you gained it.

On your CV Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate, 2023.

International Computer Driving Licence

List the ICDL certification you completed and its date.

On your CV ICDL Workforce certification, 2021.

Choose administrator skills for the role

Start with the duties the employer needs someone to carry out. If the role involves booking appointments, look for evidence of calendar management in your own work. If it involves maintaining records, describe the information you entered and the checks you made. Use the employer’s wording where it accurately describes what you have done.

You can draw on experience outside an office job. For example, arranging appointments for a community group can show coordination, while handling enquiries in a shop can demonstrate telephone communication. Give enough context for the reader to understand the task and your part in it.

Include a qualification when you hold it and it is relevant to the post. Many office administrator roles accept different routes into the work, so practical evidence can still be useful if you do not have a business administration qualification.

Where to show skills on your CV

A short skills section near the top of your CV can help an employer see your relevant capabilities. Use specific terms such as diary management or invoice checking. Keep the list focused on skills you can support with an example elsewhere.

In your employment history, put the strongest evidence under the role where you gained it. A bullet such as “Prepared agendas and circulated minutes for weekly team meetings” tells the reader what you did. Add a number if it helps explain the scale and you know it is correct.

Put diplomas and certifications in your education or qualifications section, with the awarding organisation and date. For software, name the application and the task you used it for. This helps distinguish everyday use from a course you attended without applying the skill at work.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not claim experience with a system or procedure you have not used. If an employer asks for a particular database and you have worked with another, name the system you know and explain what you did in it. You can also mention relevant training that is underway, making its status clear.

Avoid listing personal qualities without evidence. Instead of simply claiming attention to detail, describe a check you performed on records or invoices. Keep confidential details out of your examples: the type of document and your responsibility are usually enough.

Check that dates and job titles agree across your CV. Read each bullet for a clear action and remove duties that belong to someone else. CV Ajuste can help tailor your CV to an advertisement using the facts you provide; review the result before sending it.

Official source on this job: Admin assistant job profile, National Careers Service