Administrative Assistant CV template (UK, 2026)
UK administrative assistant CVs get filtered on software fluency and organisational proof before anyone reads your personality. Employers screen for named systems (Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft Office), typing accuracy, and evidence you can manage a diary or minute a meeting without supervision. Keep formatting clean and scannable since many admin CVs go through applicant tracking systems first.
Administrative Assistants: pay and who’s hiring
Administrative Assistants in the UK typically earn between £21,000–£28,000 depending on experience, location, and shift patterns. Employers actively recruiting for this role include NHS, Local Authority, Civil Service, Bupa, Capita. Tailoring your CV to each of these employers’ job descriptions — mirroring their exact wording — is what gets you past the ATS and in front of a hiring manager.
Keywords this template targets
- diary management
- minute taking
- Microsoft Office
- Outlook
- SharePoint
- data entry
- GDPR
- stakeholder communication
Certifications to highlight
- Microsoft Office certification (optional)
- Business Administration NVQ
- DBS (sector-dependent)
Personal statement example
Organised administrative assistant with three years' experience supporting senior stakeholders across diary management, minute taking and data entry. Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook and SharePoint, with a strong understanding of GDPR when handling confidential records. Known for accurate, deadline-driven document turnaround.
Example experience bullet points
Adapt these to your own roles — keep the verb-first structure and swap in your real figures.
- Managed diaries and scheduled meetings for 3 senior managers, resolving calendar conflicts proactively
- Took accurate minutes at weekly leadership meetings, distributing actions within 24 hours
- Maintained data entry accuracy across SharePoint and internal databases, processing 50+ records weekly
- Handled confidential correspondence and records in line with GDPR requirements
- Coordinated stakeholder communications across 4 departments to support cross-team projects
Section-by-section structure
- Personal summary — three sentences, lead with role + years + a measurable result.
- Key skills — 8–10 bullets, mixing the keywords above with one transferable soft skill.
- Certifications — bullet each credential with the awarding body and year.
- Experience — reverse chronological. Each role gets 3–5 bullets, each bullet starts with a verb and ends with a number where possible.
- Education — institution, qualification, year. Skip A-Level / GCSE detail if you have 5+ years of experience.
Common administrative assistant CV mistakes
- Burying software skills (Outlook, SharePoint, Excel, typing speed) in a paragraph instead of a clear skills list where ATS can find them
- Not mentioning GDPR awareness when the role involves confidential or personal data
- Describing tasks generically ('did admin work') rather than naming specific outputs like minute taking, diary management or data entry volumes
Frequently asked
Should I list my typing speed on an administrative assistant CV?
Yes, if it is strong (60+ words per minute), as many employers and recruitment agencies specifically test or ask for this figure. List it in your skills section alongside named software rather than burying it in a bullet point.
Do I need a Business Administration NVQ to apply for admin roles?
No, it is not usually essential, but a Business Administration NVQ or equivalent Microsoft Office certification can strengthen your application if you lack extensive office experience. Most employers weigh demonstrated organisational skills and software competence more heavily than formal qualifications.
What ATS keywords matter most for a administrative assistant CV?
The strongest signals are: diary management, minute taking, Microsoft Office, Outlook, SharePoint, data entry, GDPR, stakeholder communication. Include them in your skills section AND in the body of role descriptions — ATS systems weight contextual mentions higher than skill-list entries.
Should I add Microsoft Office certification (optional) to my CV even if it's just in progress?
Yes — list it clearly with "(in progress, expected [date])". Employers screen-out CVs missing the credential entirely; partial credit is normal when the path is visible.
How long should a administrative assistant CV be in the UK?
Two pages, ideally. For roles with under five years of experience, a single tight page outperforms a padded two-pager. Recruiters spend 6–8 seconds on the first scan.
See live administrative assistant jobs
Atlas searches Reed, Indeed, LinkedIn, Totaljobs, Adzuna, CV-Library, Glassdoor, and Google Jobs for administrative assistants across every UK city, then scores each result against your CV.
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