3 Tips to Improve an Administrative or Operational Resume
Language Examples for an Administrative Resume
I have a few friends and former colleagues right now who worked as Executive Administrators or in Operational roles dusting up resumes to job hop or return to the working world. Sometimes, it can feel challenging to capture all of the skills and capabilities inherent in these roles. Many of my friends express that this type of job is such a Swiss Army Knife—one minute you’re managing extensive travel plans for someone in the C-Suite, and in another you’re diffusing a major client incident that has bubbled up to the Executive Office.
I just worked with a client under my “substance” offering that we shaped into resume writing services, to give her resume a facelift. Here are just a few examples of the language changes we made so that she will better stand out in job applications and ensure that she is using the right key words to highlight her talents for recruiters and hiring managers.
Resume Makeover
Example 1
Old Language
Assisted with all office scheduling and appointments
New Language
Directed all scheduling for the office of the CEO and other senior executives, with exceptional attention to detail around executive preferences and a focus on a strategic prioritization
Why Is This Better?
Here, we’re emphasizing that she gets it. She is C-suite material, and emphasizing that she understands “executive preferences” means that she gets to know her senior leadership, and partners with them on what’s important. She’s also not a call center bot booking spots on a calendar, she understand who and what is important, and supports her leadership accordingly.
Example 2
Old Language
Create client power points and produce sales and expense reports
New Language
Led executive office’s content creation and financial reporting to include production of weekly client presentations, organization-wide training material, and five separate streams of monthly reporting for executive sales & expenses
Why Is This Better?
My client was totally selling herself short in all of the reporting she created, managed, and briefed senior leadership on. From fliers and training material to major client presentations, she held the pen for some pretty important content, as well as had to ensure that timely, accurate sales reporting was always delivered. We enhanced this language to also try to give some quantitative angle to what she was handling.
Example 3
Old Language
Travelled to support sales conferences and client meetings
New Language
Frequently accompanied executive leadership at client meetings, sales conferences, and national training events to represent the firm and build our brand in the North American Market
Why Is This Better?
This is an example of shifting outcome-oriented language. It’s not just that she was a presence at all of these events—what was she doing there? Being the face of the company, enhancing their presence with the community they were working in, and ensuring that the offerings of the firm were on display when other business partners couldn’t be there.
