Skills
Administrative Assistant Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in administrative assistants, and how to build and show them.
Administrative Assistants need technical skills such as microsoft 365 or google workspace, calendar and email management, and document formatting and spreadsheets, plus people skills like organization and professional communication. They also use tools such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and Google Workspace.
Technical (hard) skills
- Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace
- Calendar and email management
- Document formatting and spreadsheets
- Records management
- Travel and event coordination
- Bookkeeping basics
People (soft) skills
- Organization
- Professional communication
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Anticipating needs
Tools, equipment and technology
- Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- Google Workspace
- Video meeting platforms
- Scheduling software
- Expense management tools
- Phone systems and CRM software
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how administrative assistants put their skills to work:
- How to take effective meeting minutes
- How to manage a busy executive’s calendar
- How to create a mail merge
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace” and “Calendar and email management.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “organization,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as CAP (IAAP) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our administrative assistant glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Administrative Assistant training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.