- What should your secretary resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a secretary?
- Include a fitting secretary resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for a secretary resume?
- How to select the most impactful secretary resume template
- Copyable secretary resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a secretary resume
Secretaries are the heartbeat of an organization, applying top-level organizational skills and a strong attention to detail to support smooth business operations. Whether you’re just starting out on your administrative career or looking to move up, having a strong resume will ensure you land the best opportunities.
This resume guide, along with the corresponding secretary resume example, will cover the following topics:
What should a secretary resume include
Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education)
Adding relevant key skills to your resume
Choosing the right resume template for a secretary
What should your secretary resume include?
Hiring managers are looking for secretaries with top-flight multitasking capabilities. To that end, your resume should have details that show recruiters you can handle busy schedules, field calls, collaborate with customers, and perform finance duties (as well as a million other things). Communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to complete tasks with minimal supervision are also traits you need to highlight.
Your secretary resume should contain the following elements:
The resume header with your contact information
The resume summary
The employment history section
The resume skills section
The education section
How can you create a professional summary?
As a secretary, you’ll need to introduce yourself as efficient, reliable, and trustworthy whether you’re targeting a small firm or a major multinational. The professional summary is the first thing a hiring manager will see, so it needs to be your elevator pitch. Stick to around three sentences that outline your core experience, top soft skills (communication, leadership, analytical skills, etc.), and the unique value you offer. This could include any specific language or technical skills that set you apart in the candidate pool.
See our adaptable secretary resume summary below.
Dynamic, service-driven Receptionist with over 15 years of experience overseeing logistics and managing complex schedules for busy, high-profile executives. Excellent communicator known for collaborating with customers, colleagues, and leadership effectively. Strong analytical ability and attention to detail. Bilingual in English and Korean. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
How should you describe your work experience as a secretary?
The work experience section is the jewel in the crown. Recruiters will review this information to figure out whether your experience aligns with the job description and see what you’ve accomplished in the workplace. Balancing short paragraphs of core responsibilities with bullet pointed achievements is the best way to show the reader what you have achieved.
Secretaries often don’t have a lot of quantifiable achievements to showcase. Instead, you can highlight any special projects, system improvements, and other ways you’ve performed above and beyond in terms of your job responsibilities. Any example that shows initiative and creativity is worth including.
For example:
Optimized the company scheduling system following customer feedback, leading to increased appointment accuracy.
If you’re an entry-level secretary, then highlighting transferable soft skills could help you get a foot in the door. Check the secretary duties in the job description so you can relate any academic studies, part-time jobs, or volunteer work directly to the job opening. Soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and team leadership are all good skills to highlight too.
Take a look at the adaptable secretary resume employment history section below.
Receptionist at Dulwich College: The Sports Club, Dulwich 2014 - present
Manage all incoming calls and provide responses to enquiries.
Stay up to date with sports and wellness services, current promotions, and new products.
Maintain accurate member accounts.
Assist in maintaining club's cleanliness and upbeat culture to generate more business.
Provide exceptional customer service to all visitors and clients while providing prompt resolutions to all customer complaints.
Facilities Coordinator / Receptionist at Shepherd & Wedderburn, Nashville 2007 - 2014
Maintained front-desk and print room areas.
Greeted visitors and clients at check-in desk and connected them with the appropriate party.
Performed orientations for new staff members at all levels.
Planned and arranged conferences and evening events.
Supervised upkeep of investment properties. Signed off solicitations, commission office work, and audited/sourced contractual workers.
Managed computerized journal for eight busy meeting rooms across three destinations.
Conducted bookings for hotels, taxis, flights, and trains for executives.
Acknowledged for outstanding performance and received promotion from Receptionist to Head Receptionist and later to Facilities Coordinator position.
Effectively organized and orchestrated an office move and relocation of 100 staff.
Head Receptionist at AW Media, Nashville 2001 - 2007
Conducted recruitment, induction, training, and development of reception and operations staff.
Coordinated all administration and operational procedures related to the day-to-day management of reception.
Assisted Media Director with administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, organizing paperwork, and maintaining operational standards.
Answered, screened, and forwarded incoming phone calls.
Redesigned scheduling system, resulting in increased appointment accuracy.
Expert Tip
Avoid overused buzzwords in your secretary resume
Choosing the right buzzwords on your resume can create impact and attract the attention of the hiring manager. On the flip side, including overused buzzwords can have the reverse effect. Buzzwords such as passionate, motivated, and successful are really overused. Instead, try shaped, driven, or maximized to stand out. Check out our article for attention-grabbing resume buzzwords.
Include a fitting secretary resume education and certifications section
Most secretary positions don’t have educational requirements stricter than getting a high school diploma or GED. Still, associate or bachelor degrees in business administration or communication are definitely worth highlighting on your resume. When crafting your education section:
List your education in reverse order with the highest qualification first. If you’ve completed a degree in business administration, include those details as well as the school you attended and its location.
List any certifications you’ve completed or are working towards—administration, IT, event management courses—as they demonstrate your commitment to personal development.
Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounts at the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
Which key skills are relevant for a secretary resume?
When the hiring manager is reviewing your resume during their initial first scan, they’ll be laser-focused on finding key skills that demonstrate your suitability. Added to that, ATS systems will most likely scan your resume for keywords that closely match the job description. According to recent studies, ATS is used by 70% of large organizations, 20% of small/medium companies, and a whopping 75% of recruiters.
Incorporating a key skills section on your resume (placed just after your professional summary) is a great way to include specific keywords. Here you can list nine keywords that highlight your secretarial superpowers. The job description is the best reference point for keywords for your secretary resume. Look out for terms that are repeated or emphasized as important as these will be the ones you want to include.
Also, sprinkle some keywords in your work history and professional summary. You don’t need to go overboard, but having specific examples of how you used these core skills will interest employers.
Here’s some secretary keywords to give you inspiration:
Calendar management
Event planning
Customer service
Travel coordination
Call screening
Process optimization
Customer Service
Bookkeeping
Database Management
Organization & Planning
Calendar Management
Call Screening
Time Management
How to select the most impactful secretary resume template
Your resume needs to be organized, polished, and professional—qualities of a good secretary. Select a clean and modern resume design with clear sections so that the resume can be easily read by hiring managers and ATS. Stick to one or two pages in length, and reverse chronological format is best for the work experience section.
Our sample secretary resume ticks all these boxes and is compact, simple, and legible. When exploring our many resume templates in our resume builder, start by selecting the resume layout that fits your situation best. Find inspiration with our over 100 available resume examples.
Copyable secretary resume example
Summary example
Dynamic, service-driven Receptionist with over 15 years of experience overseeing logistics and managing complex schedules for busy, high-profile executives. Excellent communicator known for collaborating with customers, colleagues, and leadership effectively. Strong analytical ability and attention to detail. Bilingual in English and Korean. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
Employment history example
Receptionist at Dulwich College: The Sports Club, Dulwich 2014 - present
Manage all incoming calls and provide responses to enquiries.
Stay up to date with sports and wellness services, current promotions, and new products.
Maintain accurate member accounts.
Assist in maintaining club's cleanliness and upbeat culture to generate more business.
Provide exceptional customer service to all visitors and clients while providing prompt resolutions to all customer complaints.
Facilities Coordinator / Receptionist at Shepherd & Wedderburn, Nashville 2007 - 2014
Maintained front-desk and print room areas.
Greeted visitors and clients at check-in desk and connected them with the appropriate party.
Performed orientations for new staff members at all levels.
Planned and arranged conferences and evening events.
Supervised upkeep of investment properties. Signed off solicitations, commission office work, and audited/sourced contractual workers.
Managed computerized journal for eight busy meeting rooms across three destinations.
Conducted bookings for hotels, taxis, flights, and trains for executives.
Acknowledged for outstanding performance and received promotion from Receptionist to Head Receptionist and later to Facilities Coordinator position.
Effectively organized and orchestrated an office move and relocation of 100 staff.
Head Receptionist at AW Media, Nashville 2001 - 2007
Conducted recruitment, induction, training, and development of reception and operations staff.
Coordinated all administration and operational procedures related to the day-to-day management of reception.
Assisted Media Director with administrative tasks such as scheduling meetings, organizing paperwork, and maintaining operational standards.
Answered, screened, and forwarded incoming phone calls.
Redesigned scheduling system, resulting in increased appointment accuracy.
Education example
Certificate in Bookkeeping and Accounts at the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
Skills example
Customer Service
Bookkeeping
Database Management
Organization & Planning
Calendar Management
Call Screening
Time Management
Key takeaways for writing a secretary resume
Working as a secretary offers a lot of variety and opportunities to progress, whether you’re working for a large organization or a small/medium enterprise.
In order to land the best secretarial opportunities, your resume needs to showcase your efficiency, flexibility, and strong attention to detail.
Target your resume by including keywords in each section, like diary management, system optimization, or logistics coordination.
Make your life easier by using our online resume builder to create your secretary resume with adaptable templates and AI-powered content.
