Skills
Office Clerk Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in office clerks, and how to build and show them.
What skills do office clerks need?
Office Clerks need technical skills such as typing, data entry, and filing, plus people skills like reliability and friendliness. They also use tools such as Microsoft Office and Phone systems.
Technical (hard) skills
- Typing
- Data entry
- Filing
- Phone skills
- Microsoft Office
- Scheduling
People (soft) skills
- Reliability
- Friendliness
- Organization
- Flexibility
Tools, equipment and technology
- Microsoft Office
- Phone systems
- Copiers and scanners
- Filing systems
- Calendars
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how office clerks put their skills to work:
- How to prioritize a busy office day
- How to answer a multi-line office phone
- How to keep office supplies stocked
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Typing” and “Data entry.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “reliability,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Microsoft Office Specialist near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our office clerk glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Office Clerk 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.