Personal Assistant Resume Examples with Job Description
The personal assistant resume examples and writing guide on this page will show you how to effectively present your experiences, skills and work experience in your resume.
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Personal Assistant Resume
Use this personal assistant resume sample and the key writing tips on this page to make a strong personal assistant resume.
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Four keys for a successful personal assistant resume
Here are four keys to showing you’re the ideal candidate for a personal assistant job.
Match your skills and qualifications to the job
When applying for personal assistant jobs, it’s important to tailor your resume to fit the specific job description. Target keywords from the job posting that explain the required skills and experience. Those keywords are programmed into applicant tracking systems (ATS) that select qualified job candidates that match keywords. If it’s a personal assistant role in a busy law office, keywords may include text like “handle confidential information, meet strict deadlines, oversee court schedules, answer phone calls and manage the office filing system.”
Emphasize results and achievements
To be a great personal assistant means having many job responsibilities, and showing that you can excel at them. Impress the hiring manager by highlighting measurable accomplishments like how you handle administration for a 10-person team of tax accountants or how you’ve prepared a specific number of correspondence, reports and presentations for a CEO.
Show you have the right mix of hard and soft skills
Whether you’re an executive, household or celebrity personal assistant, you will be required to have specific hard skills, technical skills, to handle tasks such as scheduling appointments, administrative duties, event planning, organizing a filing system and possibly making travel arrangements. However, it’s your soft skills, personality traits, like multitasking skills, organization, communication, presentation and leadership that will convince an employer that you will work well with others and seamlessly keep the office running.
List any related certifications or credentials you have
Your certifications prove your extensive knowledge, additional training and skills as a personal assistant. Certifications can be for software like Microsoft Office or Google Assistant. Specialized credentials can be certifications like Certified Personal Assistant (CPA), Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), IAAP Certification or Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).
Action words for your personal assistant resume
To bring your experience and skills to life, use action verbs to describe your qualifications. As a personal assistant, what “actions” do you perform to get the job done? In your resume summary and work experience sections, write something like, “Managed calendars and travel arrangements for a team of 20 employees.” or “Handled 30+ incoming calls and responded to 50+ emails daily.”
Here are some action words to consider:
- Managed
- Supported
- Prepared
- Organized
- Scheduled
- Coordinated
- Collaborated
- Arranged
- Prioritized
- Communicated
- Streamlined
- Reviewed
- Facilitated
- Anticipated
- Liaised
- Executed
- Resolved
- Implemented
- Monitored
- Tracked
Choose the right format for your resume
There are three formats to choose from when it comes to organizing your resume:
Chronological resume format: Also known as reverse chronological format, this format emphasizes work history.
Functional resume format: Highlights skills and training.
Combination resume format: Also known as hybrid format, this format focuses on both work experience and skills.
Choose the best personal assistant resume format that suits your career level:
Experienced: Chronological resume format highlights your ample years of work experience and also lists relevant skills as bullet points.
Less experience: The functional resume format focuses on your relevant or transferable skills instead of focusing on work history or lack of experience.
Some experience, career change or employment history gaps: The combination resume format focuses on both skills and work experience, best for experienced personal assistants who also have an impressive skill set and work history.
20 key skills for your personal assistant resume
Personal assistant, secretary, executive personal assistant or office assistant roles will each require a specific set of hard skills and soft skills. Refer to the job description so you match those skills on your resume.
Here are some skills to consider for your resume for personal assistant:
- Computer skills
- Microsoft Office
- Teamwork
- Multitasking
- Problem-solving skills
- Project management
- Scheduling
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Expense reports
- Presentation skills
- Attention to detail
- Answering phones
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Prioritization
- Email correspondence
- Event planning
- Travel arrangements
- Leadership
- Patience
Use our Resume Builder with templates, personal assistant skills and wording suggestions to make a compelling resume in minutes.
How to write a personal assistant resume
Regardless of the resume format you select, personal assistant resumes will always include a header, a resume summary or resume objective, skills, work experience and education. Here are tips for writing each section of your resume for personal assistant.
Resume header
The header should contain your full name, location and contact information, such as your email and phone number. If you have a LinkedIn profile link, then this is also a good place to add it.
Resume summary or objective
A resume summary is for an experienced personal assistant focusing on the years of experience, achievements, skills and mentions academic degrees. A resume objective also includes skills and education but instead of work history it focuses on career goals and industry passion. An objective is great for recent graduates and job candidates with less relevant experience.
Personal assistant resume summary example:
Results-oriented personal assistant with seven years of experience providing comprehensive administrative support to executives in a 15-person law office. Proven ability to manage court calendars, coordinate travel arrangements and handle confidential information. Skilled in prioritizing, multitasking and maintaining attention to detail. Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
Personal assistant resume objective example:
Highly organized personal assistant with two years of experience in a busy marketing office seeking opportunities with tech industry. Skilled in calendar management, travel coordination, expense reporting and event planning. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and adept at managing multiple tasks with attention to detail and accuracy.
Resume skills
Besides soft skills like organization, communication and multitasking and hard skills like Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, your personal assistant resume should include abilities that make you stand out from the competition in the skill section, such as these:
- Bilingual – English/Spanish
- Law office knowledge
- Medical office knowledge
- Interpersonal communication skills
- Expense reports
- Email correspondence
- Adherence to budgets
- Social media management
- Event planning
- PTO schedules
- Project management
- Travel scheduling
- Calendar management
- Reviewing internal reports
Resume work experience
Include any relevant work history in this section with the employer’s name followed by the location and dates of employment.
Work experience example:
ABC Company New York, New York Jan 2018 ‐ Dec 2021
Personal Assistant
- Managed executive’s calendar, scheduling appointments and meetings.
- Arranged travel arrangements and accommodations for four business trips monthly.
- Screened and prioritized 20+ incoming calls and 30+ emails daily.
- Prepared monthly reports, semi-annual presentations, and pertinent documents as needed.
- Provided administrative support to a five-person management team.
- Managed office supplies and equipment inventory monthly.
- Assisted in organizing company events and meetings.
- Handled confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Education on resume
Feature your highest education credential, whether it’s a high school diploma or a college degree.
Education example:
Master of Business Administration, May 2023
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Bachelor of Science – Marketing, May 2018
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
Resume certifications
Show any certifications that prove you acquired knowledge and training as a personal assistant. Write each certification by name and add additional details, such as the name of the certifying organization and date.
Example of certifications:
- Certified Personal Assistant (CPA), March 2022
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), - IAAP Certification, December 2021
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) - Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) September 2021
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) - Certified Management Accountant (CMA) July 2021
CFA Institute - Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM)
MSI Six Figma Training
Do’s and don’ts for a personal assistant resume
- Create action-oriented and strong statements about you as an assistant (e.g., “Managed scheduling and meeting preparation for an office of 500 employees”).
- Use our Resume Builder to create a professional resume in minutes. Our builder guides you from start to finish.
- Proofread your resume for any typos or misspellings. A personal assistant will be expected to be detail-oriented so your resume should be error-free.
- Send the same resume for every job application. Tailor your personal assistant resume to match the qualifications in the specific job description.
- List non-related skills and mundane tasks. Instead, focus on noteworthy, relevant qualities and accomplishments.
- Make your resume longer than two pages. Most employers prefer a one-page resume.
FAQ: Personal assistant resume
Have questions? We’re here to help.
How do you list a personal assistant on a resume?
To list a personal assistant on a resume, describe how you benefited from previous employers to show what you can offer the new company. Included experience and skills relevant to the job description. Use measurable accomplishments, such as “preparing and submitting 10 expense reports monthly to corporate.” Highlight what sets you apart from other applicants.
What is an example of a personal assistant objective on a resume?
“Diligent personal assistant with two years of experience managing calendar, scheduling meetings and appointments and making travel arrangements for Senior Vice President of Sales. Eager to apply my Microsoft Office, verbal and written communication multitasking and organization skills as a personal assistant in the medical field. A quick learner with a proactive approach, excited to contribute to a team-driven environment while gaining knowledge and growing within the medical industry.”
In the resume objective example above, the candidate highlights that they have two years of experience working for an SVP in sales but is now seeking to work in a medical office. This objective communicates top skills, enthusiasm and a desire to grow within the medical field.
How do you put PA work on a resume?
To put your personal assistant work on a resume, customize the following resume sections:
- Header/contact information
- Resume summary or objective
- Resume skills
- Work experience
- Education
- Certification
Look at a sample personal assistant resume on this page to see how to list your best accomplishments to show that your experience is a good fit for the job role.
What is the typical job description for a personal assistant?
Here is a sample resume job description for a personal assistant to show you what to include in your resume. As you can see, the job posting typically includes a list of key responsibilities and qualifications for the role.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide general administrative support to a 10-person team
- Handle incoming calls and emails
- Manage calendars
- Schedule meetings/appointments
- Coordinate travel arrangements
- Expedite expense reports
- Prepare reports and presentations
- Maintain filing systems
- Event planning
- Order office supplies
Qualifications:
- Proficient using Microsoft Office
- High school graduate or equivalent certificate of completion
- Impeccable communication, time management, organization and interpersonal skills
- Two years experience as a personal assistant or executive assistant
- Proven ability to handle confidential information
Based on this job description, you should be able to tailor your resume for personal assistant by including the required skills (e.g. administrative tasks and good communication skills), your academic background (e.g. high school graduate) and at least two years working personal assistant jobs. Household personal assistant jobs will feature a different job description, typically including cooking, cleaning, running errands, providing companionship and other chores.
Is it acceptable to use resume templates?
Yes, using a personal assistant resume template can be helpful to creating a strong resume. Simply choose from dozens of resume templates, follow wording suggestions using our Resume Builder, download in the file format you need (Word/DOC or PDF formats), and submit your resume along with your job application and cover letter.
What is the most important thing for a personal assistant to do?
A personal assistant handles a number of important tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing expense reports, answering phones, event planning and travel management. Job descriptions and priorities will vary depending on the industry and prospective employer, so always read through the job posting to determine the tasks and responsibilities the employer most values.
What should a personal assistant do to prepare for an interview?
Here are some tips to prepare for a personal assistant interview:
- Read the company’s website to get a feel for the company’s mission.
- Follow the company’s social media accounts.
- Research questions that can be asked in the interview and rehearse your answers.
- Prepare driving directions to the interview location.
- Select professional attire.
- Stay confident, optimistic and calm.
For more tips, check out our ResumeHelp job interview articles.
What is a household personal assistant job?
Unlike a personal assistant that works in an office setting, household personal assistant jobs will typically require job candidates to cook, clean, run errands, provide companionship, grocery shopping and other chores. Use our Resume Builder for further advice and inspiration for writing your household personal assistant resume.
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