Administrative Assistant CV Example & Writing Guide (UK)

What to Include in Your Administrative Assistant CV

An administrative assistant CV should signal that you keep an office running smoothly — organised, accurate, and trusted with sensitive information. Open with a personal statement that names your environment (corporate, public sector, NHS, education, legal) and a defining strength: "Organised administrative assistant with 4 years' experience supporting a 30-person team, streamlining diary and travel management and introducing a filing system that cut document retrieval time by half."

Follow UK convention — one or two pages, no photo or date of birth — and a clean single-column layout, since admin roles attract high application volumes and are routinely screened through ATS. A key skills band near the top (MS Office/365, diary and inbox management, minute taking, data entry, expense processing, document control) lets recruiters and parsers match you to the person specification fast.

Your experience should show the breadth and reliability of your support: managing diaries and meetings, handling correspondence, raising purchase orders, maintaining databases and records, onboarding paperwork, and being the dependable point of contact. Quantify where you can — number of people supported, volume of records maintained, time or cost saved through a process you improved. Confidentiality matters in admin roles, so mention experience handling sensitive or GDPR-relevant information appropriately.

Name your software explicitly (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, plus any sector systems — SIMS in education, finance or HR systems, case-management tools). Include typing speed if strong, and any relevant qualifications (Business Administration NVQ/apprenticeship, AAT for finance-leaning roles). If you are early-career, foreground organisation, reliability, and any transferable experience from customer-facing or coordination roles.

Key Skills for an Administrative Assistant CV

• Microsoft Office / 365 — Confident Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams use is a baseline expectation; advanced Excel or SharePoint is a differentiator.

• Diary & Inbox Management — Coordinating calendars, meetings, and travel for busy managers shows you can juggle competing priorities.

• Accuracy & Data Entry — Maintaining records, databases, and documents without errors is core to the role and a frequent QA point.

• Communication & Coordination — Acting as a reliable point of contact, drafting correspondence, and liaising across teams keeps an office moving.

• Minute Taking & Document Control — Producing clear minutes and managing version-controlled documents demonstrates professionalism.

• Discretion & GDPR Awareness — Handling confidential information appropriately is essential in most administrative settings.

CV Tips for UK Administrative Roles

1. Lead with organisation and reliability. These are the qualities every admin employer screens for — evidence them with specifics.

2. List your software explicitly. MS Office/365 and any sector systems are common ATS filters; name them in your skills section.

3. Quantify efficiency wins. A process you streamlined, time saved, or volume handled makes your support tangible.

4. Show discretion. Mentioning experience with confidential or GDPR-relevant information reassures employers.

5. Keep it tidy and ATS-safe. One to two pages, single column, consistent formatting, and UK spelling — a clean CV is itself proof you can do the job.

Administrative Assistant CV Template

A neat, ATS-friendly administrative assistant CV is quick to build with CV Pro Maker. Our UK-ready templates give you a key-skills band, a software section, and an organised experience layout that parses cleanly. Choose a template, add your details, and download a polished CV ready for office and support roles.