The Office Manager Resume Template You Need Now

The Office Manager Resume Template You Need Now From managing administrative staff to overseeing day to day operations, office managers are essential to making sure that everything in a workplace is running smoothly.As a natural multitasker used to wearing many different hats, you may find it difficult to describe exactly what it is that you do.Deciding what skills to include in your resume can feel daunting, especially since your job involves a wide range of responsibilities.How can you best showcase your abilities and stand out from the other applicants?This article will explain everything you need to know in order to position yourself as the best possible candidate.SummaryResume TemplateFormattingWriting Your Resume SummaryAreas of ExpertiseWriting Your Work ExperienceWriting Your Education SectionAdditional SectionsResume Points to RememberResume “Don’ts” to RememberSome Helpful ToolsLets begin with a sample office manager resume to demonstrate how all the resume pieces fit together. Then we will break each section down to really drill into how to write the best office manager resume you possibly can.Find Resume Advice in Your IndustryBrowse our categories of resume samples to get industry-specific advice on writing your next resume.FinanceAdministrationBusinessConstruction MaintenanceCreativeCustomer Service RetailEducation LearningEmergency ServicesEngineeringFood ServiceHealthcareInformation TechnologyLawMarketingManagementOffice Manager Resume (Text Version)CONTACT INFO:Edwin Burch EBurch@email.com 1 (937) 555-5500 Dayton, OH 45377SUMMARY STATEMENTOffice Manager: Dynamic, high-energy, organized office resource manager efficiently supporting cross-functional coordination in a fast-paced environment and possesses excellent judgment. Thrives on helping an office run like a well-oiled machine and building teams of talented people to reach business goals.AREAS OF EXPERTISEPeople ManagementCustomer ServiceMicrosoft OfficeDenticonCPR CertificationLabor LawsPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:Calpha Industries Dayton, OH | Office Manager | Apr 2016 â€" PresentProvide clerical and administrative support to CEOHandle day to day operations of the HR functions and dutiesMaintain office organization, professional work environment, and functionalityResponsible for daily operations of supply chain and warehouseMidwest Dental Dayton, OH | Office Manager | May 2013 â€" Mar 2016Delivered extraordinary customer service to every patient in every circumstanceEnsured completion of daily operational functions, including scheduling, charting, and maintaining accountsExceeded office and provider performance goals through teamwork, marketing, promotion, and operational efficiencyDayton Kids Dental Center Dayton, OH | Office Manager | Jan 2010 â€" May 2013Advocated for team members through relationships and problem solvingEffectively managed the schedule and business aspects of the practiceEnsured the office ran in a consistent fashion to provide the best patient experienceEDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONAssociate D egree | Office Management Sinclair Community College Class of 2010FormattingAs an office manager, you understand the importance of organization. It’s impossible to be efficient if everyone cannot find the information they are looking for. Resumes work the same way.It’s important to note that resumes need to be easy to understand not just by human reviewers, but also bots (more on this topic later). Be sure that your text is free of typos and use a standard, sensible font like Times New Roman or Arial. A funky font or unique formatting will make you stand out in a bad way. Keep it simple.Remember: best work first! Did you know that hiring managers only look at each resume for an average of six seconds?This means that you need to put your work history in reverse chronological order so your most recent, relevant details will be seen right away.Whitespace helps guide the eye, so be sure to use bullet points to create space, keep things neat and avoid big blocks of text.Crafting Your Office Manager Resume SummaryThe best way to quickly show that you are the right candidate for the job is to begin your office manager resume with a summary.A resume summary at the top of the page is an easy way to make an impression and capture the attention of the hiring manager.Be sure that your summary is brief, informative and interesting. Accomplish this by being as specific as possible about why you would be a great office manager.What information should you include?The summary is a collection of your top-selling points or your “greatest hits.” Avoid being repetitive and only include your most relevant work experiences that make you perfect for this position.Next, take a look at some good and not so good examples of summary statements for office managers:Yes!Dynamic, high-energy, organized office resource manager efficiently supporting cross-functional coordination in a fast-paced environment and possesses excellent judgment. Thrives on helping an office run like a well- oiled machine and building teams of talented people to reach business goals.No!Experienced office resource manager seeking new opportunities. I have experience in many professional work environments and a wide range of skills.How are they different?The first summary uses descriptive language and examples that make you an excellent candidate.Though the second example may be true, it is very general and would not convince a hiring manager that you are well suited to this particular position. It also repetitive and uses the first person, which is generally not advised in a resume.Key Accomplishments/ Skills QualificationsAfter the summary, it’s time to talk about your important accomplishments.But remember, the hiring manager may only have a few seconds to look at your resume. That’s why it’s best to follow your summary paragraph with a bulleted list, so it’s easy to read while still showing off your most impressive talents.This section should include the attributes that would tip the scale in your favor over other candidates.One approach is to take a look at the job description in the application and see if it mentions anything specific, like proficiency in certain software programs or leadership skills. Job postings often describe exactly what they are looking for, so be sure to include those skills in your resume if they are accurate.Use this bulleted list to showcase the abilities that make you stand out.Key Accomplishments/Areas of ExpertiseProblem SolvingTeambuildingPeople ManagementGoogle CalendarLabor LawCustomer ServiceDetail-OrientedSchedulingTry to think of your qualifications in two categories: hard skills and soft skills.Hard skills are technical, things that you learned at work or in the classroom, and got better at the more you practiced. They are teachable, objective, and easy to quantify, like data-entry or knowing how to use a certain kind of software.On the other hand, soft skills are more subjective and not necessarily teachable, maki ng them more difficult to quantify. You’ve probably heard soft skills called “people skills,” things like leadership, problem-solving, and teamwork.As an office manager, your key attributes should include a mix of hard and soft skills.(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skill ideas to inspire you in writing your skills section.)Writing Your Work ExperienceNow we’re getting into the bulk of your resume; your work history.After your office manager resume grabs the attention of the hiring manager, your experiences are what is going to convince them that you are the best person for the role.Your most recent job is probably the most relevant and impressive, so be sure to list your work experience in reverse chronological order. Sometimes there are exceptions, like if you’ve been in roles that aren’t relevant to the job you are applying for, or if you don’t have much work experience.Remember that a resume should fit on only one page. How? Pay atten tion to the formatting tips mentioned earlier and be selective about which jobs you include. Don’t feel like you have to include absolutely everything you’ve ever done.Like you did in the summary, be sure to make your descriptions as specific as possible. See if you can include quantifiable information, such as the results of a campaign or an increase in profits, if they are easy to understand.Save space and keep the hiring manager’s attention by being clear and concise. The experiences you list should be related to the position you’re applying for and show off your strongest skills.Here are some examples:Yes!Calpha Industries | Dayton, OH | Office Manager | Apr 2016 â€" Present • Provide clerical and administrative support to CEO • Handle day to day operations of the HR functions and duties • Maintain office organization, professional work environment, and functionality • Responsible for daily operations of supply chain and warehouseNo!Calpha Industries | Dayton, OH | Office Manager | Apr 2016 â€" Present • Assist CEO • Observe day to day operations • Maintain a professional work environmentCan you tell the difference?The first example provides detail and begins each bullet point with an action word that shares what the office manager accomplished in the position. Each bullet point is unique, descriptive, and inspires confidence in the candidate’s abilities.The second description does not show us how this candidate is actually a good office manager it just lists some of the job’s basic duties. This example does not stand out in any way.PRO TIP: Here’s another place where it is helpful to read the job description. The skills they are looking for will probably be listed and can help you draw out what you learned from your previous positions.More About BotsThe internet makes it very easy for job searchers to look for and apply to jobs, often leading to too many applications for hiring managers to handle. That’s why it’s very comm on for employers today to use software called  Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).ATSs, or bots, are systems that help employers sort through applications and find candidates that seem to be a good fit for a particular position. By searching for specific keywords in resumes with an ATS, hiring managers can quickly find the right people to bring in for an interview.That means your office manager resume needs to be able to impress not only humans, but also bots. How do you impress a bot? By incorporating keywords from the job description into your resume.Even if you are qualified for a position, if you don’t include the right keywords, a bot will discard your resume before a person even sees it.One way some applicants get around this is to write their work histories in paragraph format.While this approach allows for the space to fit in more keywords, it’s also risky to assume that the person who ultimately reads your resume will work through the text-heavy paragraphs.Let’s look at both approaches.Traditonal:Calpha Industries | Dayton, OH | Office Manager | Apr 2016 â€" PresentProvide clerical and administrative support to CEOHandle day to day operations of the HR functions and dutiesMaintain office organization, professional work environment, and functionalityResponsible for daily operations of supply chain and warehouseParagraph:Provide clerical and administrative support to CEO while handling day to day operations of the HR functions and duties. Maintain office organization, professional work environment and functionality. Also responsible for daily operations of supply chain and warehouse.As you can see, the two formats use the same number of diverse keywords. It is very possible to get through an ATS while using bullets, so for this reason, at Big Interview, we recommend using the bulleted-list format.Bullet points are more aimed at a reader, rather than a bot, and ultimately the goal is to have a human reviewer call you in for an interview. This format can be keyword-rich without boring a hiring manager.Writing Your Education SectionSince the work history takes up the bulk of a resume, the hard stuff is over!Now let’s focus on your educational background. This is where you list any education or other certifications and training you may have.Think about this section with a similar mindset as the rest of your resume: highest degree first. (For example, a master’s would be listed before a bachelor’s.) Be sure to include what field of study you earned your degree in, the school, and the year you graduated.Newer graduates may also choose to list a GPA. As you gain more work experience, the education section will become less important.Example:Associate Degree | Office Management Sinclair Community College Class of 2010Reminder that any other relevant trainings, certifications or online courses can also go in this section.Example:“Advanced Excel Techniques,” Weekend Course, Cleveland, OHLeadership Workshop, Ohio State Universit y OnlinePossible Sections to IncludeIf you have space left on your resume and/or other areas of interest that don’t fall into the other categories, you can consider adding more sections.Some sections to consider including are:Awards and honorsPublicationsNoteworthy ProjectsSocial Media InfluenceSpeaking EngagementsHobbies/InterestsVolunteer WorkWhat if You Have no Experience to Include in Your Coach Resume?This situation is more common than you might think.It may feel like you can’t get a job with no experience, but you won’t have experience until you’ve been working in that field. But if you’re newly graduated or just making a career change, there are still ways to explain how what you have accomplished makes you a good candidate.You should still begin your office manager resume with a strong statement. However, move your education section under your summary as opposed to placing it after your work history.Don’t panic! You probably have more experience than you realize, it’s just possibly not in the form of paid work.Specific courses, workshops or certifications can all help show your knowledge of a particular field, so be sure to call them out. Don’t forget about any internships, summer jobs or volunteer work that might fit with the position.PRO TIP: There are plenty of soft skills that are relevant to an office manager position. Do you have any leadership or team-building experience? Those skills could work to your advantage.Resume Points to RememberGet a second opinionIt can be easy to miss a typo or two after staring at the same paragraph for hours. When you think your office manager resume is finished, have a friend take a look for spelling, formatting issues, and spacing â€" they might just catch something that you missed.Utilize the job descriptionThis was mentioned above, but it’s worth repeating: Carefully read the job description. Rereading the job description will help make sure that you’ve submitted all of the required material s and give the necessary keywords you need to include to get through any ATS programs. Use the specific words the description uses, not synonyms.Be a stickler for spacingRemember that your resume should ideally be no more than one page. Put the impressive stuff at the top of each section and utilize bullet points. Make sure the resume itself looks nice, with straight margins and even spacing. Simple is best.Resume “Don’ts” to RememberDon’t skip the basicsDid you submit all the required materials? Be sure to include contact information, like your LinkedIn profile and email address. This might sound silly, but when you’re so focused on crafting a great work history, it can be easy to overlook the simple stuff.Don’t use personal pronounsIt feels strange not to use words like “I” or “me” when describing yourself, but it’s best to avoid the first person when it comes to your office manager resume.Don’t repeat yourselfYou want to use strong language when describing yourself and your responsibilities, but make sure to use a diverse set of words. There are so many incredible words at your disposal, so don’t re-use the same ones over and over. Repeats will stick out in a bad way.(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)Some Helpful ToolsOffice Manager Power WordsAdvocatedCoordinatedDeliveredDevelopedFormulatedHandledImprovedInitiatedLaunchedMaintainedManagedOrganizedProvidedScheduledStreamlinedVisualizedSkills ListHard SkillsSoft SkillsMicrosoft OfficeReliabilityPlay TechniquesMotivationalHR PracticesDiscretionSupply ManagementCommunicationFile SharingInitiativeDigital CalendarsLeadershipFurther Resources:We have many great resources available to you 100% free on the Big Interview blog. Read the articles below for more information on resumes and cover letters.The Art of Writing a Great Resume Summary StatementHow Long Should a Resume Be?Creating Really Good ResumesHow to Get the Applicant Tracking System to Pick Your Resum e8 Design Ideas to Make Your Resume Pop6 Tricks to Makeover Your ResumeFastHow to Write a Cover Letter