In office work, many tasks are performed that require a variety of skills. However, most people write similar phrases in their CVs to the office , which do not attract anyone’s attention. You certainly want to stand out and show yourself as a professional, thanks to which you will have a chance to receive an invitation to an interview, and then to negotiate salary and employment conditions. See how to write a cover letter and a CV for an office worker step by step.
From this article you will learn:
- Where to start writing an office worker resume?
- CV office worker – section with experience
- Office worker skills – how to enter them?
- Skills in an office worker’s CV – template
- How to describe education? Are the courses useful?
- Interests in a CV office work – do you need to provide them?
- Office Worker Cover Letter – 5 Practical Tips
Where to start writing an office worker resume?
A professional summary (also known as a professional goal or profile) is an excellent introduction to any professional CV for office work. If you attract the recruiter’s attention at the very beginning with a few catchy sentences, you will have a chance to be remembered. When many people apply for one position, only the best-polished CVs are read in full. The professional profile should be at the top of the document
What to write in the professional summary? CV administration
A professional role model for an office worker should include a brief description of their key skills, work experience, and the qualities that make them a valuable employee. Here are some tips on what you can consider:
- Professional experience. Write who you are and emphasize how many years of experience you have. If you are just starting your career, focus on providing an education.
- Technical skills. Indicate the knowledge of specific office programs, such as: Microsoft 365, Open Office, Power BI. Indicate how familiar you are with database management systems, how to operate office equipment, etc.
- Soft skills. Describe competencies such as teamwork skills, communication skills, work organization, time management, problem-solving skills. Be guided by what is expected of the candidate and match your CV to the office or office.
- Achieve. If possible, mention specific achievements, e.g. improving office processes, managing large projects or good ideas. You can use numbers that illustrate your impact on the company’s development.
CV administrative and office worker – professional profile templates
“As an organized office worker with 3 years of experience, I specialize in administration and database development. I manage my time effectively, organize meetings, and coordinate schedules. I am fluent in English and use tools such as Excel, Power BI and CRM. My goal is to continue to grow, especially in the field of data analysis.”
“As a Master of Science in Administration at the University of Szczecin, I am full of enthusiasm to start my career as an office worker. I am fluent in LibreOffice, Excel and Power Pivot. I speak and write English at C1 level. I am ready to put my theoretical knowledge and enthusiasm for learning into practice. I would like to develop my skills in customer service and project management.”
CV office worker – section with experience
Type the work periods, specifying the dates in months and years. Focus only on positions related to the position you are applying for. Skip seasonal classes or those in which you did not perform any tasks relevant to the office worker’s resume.
Remember to adjust the scope of responsibilities to what was highlighted in the advertisement. This will increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
Office worker CV – make the employer notice your experience
If you write your CV in English, add a short description of the companies, this will help foreign employers comprehensively familiarize themselves with your candidacy.
Many people only describe very popular duties in their CVs, which every recruiter has seen hundreds of times when reviewing resumes. You can write in the first person singular (e.g. I prepared statements instead of preparing statements). This will make your office worker resume more personalized.
The division into main and additional tasks will help to systematize the entire content.
If you add a description of your most important achievements, you will create the perfect CV that will present you as a professional who strives for a set goal.
Working in an office – what do you need to know? Example description of responsibilities
Main responsibilities:
- I managed HR documentation
- I edited magazines
- I had phone conversations in English
- I received, sent and sorted correspondence
- I prepared invoices and kept records of expenses
- I prepared comprehensive sales offers
- I monitored and reported financial progress
- I handled the calendar of board meetings
- I entered and analyzed data
- I generated reports and statements
- I created presentations
Additional responsibilities:
- I archived documents
- I monitored the state of office supplies
- I managed service contracts
- I operated office equipment (computer, projectors, photocopiers)
- I copied and scanned documents
- I coordinated the flow of information between the company’s departments
- I handled incoming mail, answered customer questions
- I planned meetings and prepared conference rooms
Duties in English – CV template office worker
- Performing clerical duties including typing and filing;
- maintaining filing systems;
- extensive written assistance provided to English-speaking customers;
- effective contact with the customers via emails and phone;
- providing reliable and accurate information in response to questions and problems presented by customers;
- maintaining efficient circulation of documents;
- generating shipping documents and transferring them to the warehouse;
- handling complaints.
Office worker CV – add your achievements in the experience section
If you are wondering how to write an office worker CV that will immediately make you stand out from the rest, reach for a simple solution. Add in the experience section your success in your previous position. Enter one or two items.
Remember that the employer has little time to read the candidates’ CVs, so these documents should be very concise. When you want to show off more of your accomplishments, write a cover letter for an office worker.
Office worker CV – sample description of successes
“I trained 20 employees on how to use the new CRM system, which significantly improved the efficiency of customer relationship management.”
“I introduced a new database management system that improved the accuracy and availability of the data by 40%.”
“I initiated and coordinated regular department meetings, which improved the flow of information and collaboration between teams.”
Office worker skills – how to enter them?
Many people create this column and follow a repetitive pattern, writing: “knowledge of Office”, “communicativeness”. There is nothing wrong with this, and it is not a mistake. However, it is worth entering the same or similar positions in the Curriculum Vitae that are in the job advertisement, then the recruiter will immediately see your fit for the position. List only a few items so that the document fits on one A4 page.
In your office worker CV , include hard skills and specify the level of proficiency (e.g. English language level B2). Do not forget about your character traits that prove professionalism.
Skills in an office worker’s CV – template
The skills you can put in an office worker resume cover a very wide range. These are both hard and soft skills that will improve everyday activities and help in coping with difficult situations.
Here is an example of a description of skills in a CV for an office or office.
Hard skills:
- knowledge of English at the level (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 or very good, fluent, etc.);
- fluency in Excel;
- very good support for Microsoft Dynamics 365;
- support for databases in MS Access;
- very good knowledge of Power BI;
- proficiency in Google Docs;
- advanced knowledge of Microsoft Project;
- practical knowledge of Symfonia software;
- practical knowledge of applicable regulations (e.g. labour law, telecommunications law, etc.).
Soft skills:
- excellent work organization;
- Multitasking;
- excellent interpersonal skills;
- negotiation skills;
- regularity and punctuality;
- building and maintaining positive relationships with customers and business partners.
How to describe education? Are the courses useful?
If you graduated from university, skip high school. When you are a high school or technical school graduate, include this in your CV for an office worker. When you want to type multiple items, put the most recent one at the top.
Courses and training in the use of basic office programs will prove to the employer that you really know how to use them. In most cases, these types of certificates are paid, but it is worth investing in your development. For example, Excel courses can be tailored to specific industries, such as logistics, human resources, accounting and finance, or accounting. It will be a valuable entry in your CV for office work.
If you have a secondary education and have completed training that prepares you to perform important tasks in an office position, emphasize this and you will increase your chances of getting a job.
Office worker CV – what studies will be the most valuable?
When applying for the position of an office worker, you should primarily have skills, but higher education will be a huge advantage. This section should include the studies you have completed.
Majors that will be particularly valuable are:
- administration;
- business and administration;
- accountancy;
- management;
- economics.
Postgraduate studies will also be a great idea, for which you should have a university degree in any field. If you have completed postgraduate education, you must enter it in your office worker’s CV.
Popular fields of postgraduate studies are, m.in, the following:
- organization and management of work in the office;
- public administration.
If you have not completed your studies, you can acquire knowledge in a post-secondary school. You will not get a bachelor’s or master’s degree after it, but it is worth mentioning the title of technician you have, and confirm your competence with a passed state professional exam.
The offered post-secondary school majors in this field are:
- administration technician,
- archivist technician,
- OHS technician.
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CV administrative and office worker – template and examples of sections with education
Example 1:
10.2022-06.2023 Warsaw School of Management
Postgraduate studies: “Organization and management of work in the office”
10.2016-06.2021 University of Adam Mickiewicz Hospital in Poznań
Direction: English Philology
Title obtained: Master
Example 2:
2018-2020 Post-secondary school in Żak
Direction: Archivist technician
2013-2017 XVI High School in Leszno
Interests in a CV office work – do you need to provide them?
This section of the resume is not mandatory. However, you can supplement it in an interesting way. People with little experience, who are just starting their career path, should interest employers with their personality. On the other hand, if your resume is already very long, skip mentioning your hobbies.
CV office worker sample section with interests
“Chess has always been my passion. In my spare time, I often take part in online chess tournaments.”
“I’ve been creating a travel blog for three years, and I also post my own photographs on it.”
Office Worker Cover Letter – 5 Practical Tips
- Do not copy information from your resume. These are two different documents, an office worker cover letter should have a more personalized form and directly show interest in a specific position.
- Emphasize your soft skills, as an office worker must demonstrate excellent communication, organizational and teamwork skills. Highlight these qualities by giving examples of situations in which they have been used.
- Present your successes to show the employer that your actions bring truly profitable results. In an office worker cover letter, you have more space to present your effectiveness insightfully.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the company and the industry, even a brief mention of the company and its values can show your commitment and interest.
- Remember about the GDPR clause both in your CV and cover letter for an administrative position. You can use an extensive formula with a legal basis, or a simplified version: “I consent to the processing of my personal data by (company name) for the purpose of recruitment for the position I am applying”.