Those who work in administration are the real lifeblood of their organizations. Without individuals keeping things running behind the scenes, many businesses simply wouldn’t be able to operate.
Whether you’re applying to become a clerical assistant, office administrator, secretary or personal assistant, you’ll need to demonstrate a variety of skills and stand out from the crowd.
Here we’ve got three great tips to start you on the route to a career in administration.
Kick off your job search
One of the most difficult aspects of hunting for a new job can be knowing exactly where to start. First think about the specific role or roles you wish to apply for. Write a list of the skills you have and think how these could be applied to specific admin jobs. Once you’ve done this the ideal way to begin your search is by using an online job search such as Jobstoday. This will give you the starting point to define your search by factors such as job description, salary requirements and location. The next step is to register your CV online as this will enable you to be provided with notifications when and jobs that meet your requirements are posted.
Make sure your CV is specific to the position
Whatever the sector you’re applying for, the most important tool you have at your disposal is your CV. It’s your chance to sell yourself and show to potential employers why they’d be foolish not to hire you. With that in mind the most fatal mistake you can make is to sell yourself short and simply send out the same CV for all the jobs you apply for. When applying, look specifically at the job description and specifications and tailor your CV for that particular job. Think about your previous employment or skills and how they apply. This means not necessarily listing your achievements in chronological order. Think about which is the most relevant and lead with that. Employers can immediately spot a CV which applies specifically to the position. This is the first step on getting a head up of the competition.
Shine in your interview
Interviews for admin jobs are the classic job interview and often contain a lot of standard questions you could expect in any interview. You may think this is a blessing in disguise, but it is often an area that many candidates slip up on. Don’t just prepare stock answers and recite them in the interview; you won’t stand out. Think about your answer and make it worth listening to. Often admin jobs will require similar skill sets, so it’s important that you show you have superior skills than the competition. When responding to a question use descriptors that identify your skill levels and show strong job values to the employer.
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