Office Manager Resume: Examples and Writing Tips

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.

Summary

1. Resume Template
2. Formatting
3. Writing Your Resume Summary
4. Areas of Expertise
5. Writing Your Work Experience
6. Writing Your Education Section
7. Additional Sections
8. Resume Points to Remember
9. Resume “Don’ts” to Remember
10. Some Helpful Tools

Let’s 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.

Office Manager Resume Example (Text Version)

As 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.

The 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:

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.

After 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 Expertise

• Problem Solving
• Teambuilding
• People Management
• Google Calendar
• Labor Law
• Customer Service
• Detail-Oriented
• Scheduling

Try 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, making 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.)

Now 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 attention 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:

Can 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 Bots

The 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 common 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 – 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 warehouse

Paragraph:

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.

Since 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 2010

Reminder that any other relevant trainings, certifications or online courses can also go in this section.

Example:

• “Advanced Excel Techniques,” Weekend Course, Cleveland, OH
• Leadership Workshop, Ohio State University Online

Possible Sections to Include

If 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 honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What if You Have no Experience to Include in Your 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.

Get a second opinion

It 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 – they might just catch something that you missed.

Utilize the job description

This 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 materials 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 spacing

Remember 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.

Don’t skip the basics

Did 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 pronouns

It 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 yourself

You 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.)

Office Manager Power Words

• Advocated
• Coordinated
• Delivered
• Developed
• Formulated
• Handled
• Improved
• Initiated
• Launched
• Maintained
• Managed
• Organized
• Provided
• Scheduled
• Streamlined
• Visualized

Office Management Skills List

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 Statement

How Long Should a Resume Be?

Creating Really Good Resumes

How to Get the Applicant Tracking System to Pick Your Resume

8 Design Ideas to Make Your Resume Pop

6 Tricks to Makeover Your Resume…Fast

How to Write a Cover Letter