How Do I Prepare For An Administrative Assistant Interview

Tell Me About A Time You Had A Conflict With A Supervisor Or Coworker What Happened And How Did You Resolve It

Workplace disagreements and conflicts are natural. As an administrative assistant, you interact with a lot of the staff, so the likelihood of a dispute arising is higher. Hiring managers use this question to assess if you possess the ability to self-reflect, self-analyze, and learn from past experiences.

What Computer Programs And Software Are You Comfortable Using

Hiring managers generally dont mind doing some computer training, but they want to see you have some experience using different software and are willing to learn any other programs needed on the job.

People who are hiring admin assistants are often looking for experience in Microsoft Office Suiteespecially PowerPoint to help craft internal or external presentations for the team. Depending on the job, hiring managers might want a candidate who is proficient in social media, can manage online conferencing, is adept in document creation, or has experience using collaboration software, says Stephanie Naznitsky, the executive director of OfficeTeam, a division of Robert Half that specializes in placing highly skilled office and administrative professionals.

Q How Do You Handle Multitasking

Multitasking is a challenge for everyone, especially because, technically speaking, our brain can not multitask. We can focus on one task at a time onlyat least on the conscious level.

It doesnt imply, however, that we can not do more things at a time. We actually can, because we do some things automatically, without a need to think about them, or focus on them .

Tell the interviewers that you try to work simultaneously on tasks you had to focus on, and tasks your hands take care of, without a need to get some guidance from your brain. Alternatively you can say that you excel in planning your work, and organizing your office, and focus on one task at a time onlythe most important one, the one with the highest priority.

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Describe A Situation Where You Had A Conflict With A Colleague And How You Resolved It

Administrative assistants work with every department and employee in the office. Occasionally, conflict may arise because of miscommunications or differences of opinion. This question tests your perception of conflict in the workplace, your problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. When answering this question, provide an example of a conflict you were involved in and how you resolved the situation.

Example:I know that conflicts in the workplace are sometimes unavoidable. In my previous position, I disagreed with a colleague on whether we should keep the office open over the holiday period. I organized a meeting where we could sit without distractions and discuss the pros and cons. We found a middle ground which involved closing the office, but making ourselves available by phone and emails throughout the period.

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Why Did You Apply For This Job And What Makes You Think Youll Be A Good Administrative Assistant

This one is pretty much a no-brainer. No hiring manager is going to bring someone onboard who isnt ready to be a good administrative assistant and the best way to prove that youre up for the job is through concrete examples from your past work experiences.

Be open and honest when answering this question and focus on the aspects of being an administrative assistant that you really enjoy.

Is it thinking outside the box? Getting to see how the company is run from the inside out? Maybe its the constant variety of tasks and the ability to work with different departments?

Whatever it is, focus on that and make sure to include the ways youve taken those things you enjoy and used them to create victories for yourself and your employer in the past.

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Need More Interview Prep

Dont leave your next interview up to chance. Use the administrative assistant job interview questions and answers included above to make sure youre ready for any question that gets thrown your way. After reviewing these questions, give our tips for a successful job interview a read to further improve your next interview performance.

What Do You Feel Are The Most Important Skills An Administrative Assistant Should Have

This is another one of the most common administration interview questions, and employers ask this to make sure you understand the role and its purpose.

Be ready to name two or three skills that you feel are essential. And most importantly, explain why.

So you should format your answer like this: I believe the most important skills for an administrative assistant to have are communication, attention to detail, and the ability to work accurately under a tight schedule. I believe this because ___.

Also prepare for questions like, What do you feel is the purpose of administrative assistants in a company like ours?

This is going to be much easier to answer if youve carefully read the job description, so make sure you do that before every interview.

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Have You Ever Had To Juggle Multiple Tasks Tell Me About How You Stay Organized

Next, the company will want to know about your ability to multi-task and organize multiple projects.

So be ready to share an example of that, too. Theyll feel a lot more comfortable hiring you for the job if you can tell a story about how you have been successful while managing a high number of tasks. Show that you have great communication skills, that youre able to manage and organize lots of moving pieces, etc.

What Skills And Qualities Are Most Important In An Administrative Assistant

It is important to have a full understanding of the role of the administrative assistant in an organization in order to answer this interview question competently.

These job descriptions list the duties, responsibilities and skills for the administrative assistant position.

ADMIN JOBS

Be ready for these and other Basic Interview Questions and Answers

Expect some tough questions in your job interview about reason for leaving, gaps in employment and salary. Use these sample job interview answers to handle these difficult questions with confidence.

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What Interested You About This Particular Role

Next up you should also expect to be asked why the job caught your attention or why you chose to apply. Saying, Im unemployed and just need a job is NOT good enough. So have a specific reason or two why you chose to apply, based on the job description.

They might also ask, why do you want this job? which is the same idea but even more direct. So prepare for that, too.

Why Do You Want To Work For This Organization As An Office Administrator

Another question that may be asked during your interview is this one. The objective of this question is to give the interviewer an idea of how enthusiastic you are about your work and the position.

Sample Answer

I prioritize and value administrative responsibilities such as maintaining schedules, assisting with data entry, and engaging with customers. Ive always been interested about assisting others in staying organized and providing administrative assistance. Due to my experience and my skills, I believe I would be a good fit for the administrative assistant position.

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What In Your Opinion Does It Take To Excel In This Job

As already mentioned, the recruiters might want to verify that you know what is necessary to be an excellent administrative assistant, especially if youve never done this job before. Use the information provided in this article to explain your main responsibilities and what skills you consider essential.

Top tip

Avoid talking about skills you havent mastered yet because the next question could be about the specific skill youve just mentioned.

Take A Hard Look At Your Soft Skills

Weve covered soft skills before on this blog here. Make sure you go over this list and really focus in on the soft skills the job requires and how they match up to the soft skills you have. Being technically proficient on your hard skills as an administrative assistant is only half the job. Having a solid grasp of the soft skills you need for the position youre interviewing for and showcasing them in your cover letter, resume and interview will help turn you from job seeker to employed!

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Preparing For The Interview

One of the ways to prepare is to analyze the job description to try to get a sense of whether there is a particular skill set on which the position focuses.

For example, is there an emphasis on travel planning, project coordination, day-to-day meeting scheduling, personal assistance, or anything else?

Be sure to emphasize your most relevant experience when answering job-specific interview questions.

Make a list of the skills mentioned in the job posting, and feel free to add some others that you think would be applicable as well. Then take a look at your own administrative and office skills, and match your qualifications to the job.

This will help you tailor your answers in the most relevant way to the specific position.

Watch Now: How to Answer 4 Common Questions For Administrative Jobs

Admin Support Is Always In Demand Prepare Your Interview Answers In Advance To Dazzle Employers

Highlight your organizational skills during an admin job interview.

Administrative jobs are necessary in nearly every industry, making them among the hottest positions for employers and job seekers alike. Knowing how to answer administrative assistant interview questions will give you an advantage. Admins are also some of the hardest working employees they multitask behind the scenes to make sure the supplies closet is always fully stocked, invoices are processed on time, and the executives know where they need to be and when.

Because of how crucial admin positions are, employers have high expectations of candidates applying for these jobs. Dont fret thoughafter your admin resume wows a hiring manager, weve identified five questions you can expect at an administrative job interview and how to best prepare for them.

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Questions About Experience And Background

During your interview as an administrative assistant, you’ll also be expected to answer questions related to your experience in this profession. Here are some examples of questions you might be asked to determine how you perform and react during certain situations:

• What’s your favorite thing about being an administrative assistant?
• What’s your least favorite thing about being an administrative assistant?
• What qualities make you a great administrative assistant?
• What skills do you have that would help you do well at our company?
• Describe your worst day as an administrative assistant. What did you learn from the experience?
• What do you consider to be your biggest professional accomplishment as an administrative assistant to date?
• What do you consider to be your biggest professional failure as an administrative assistant to date?
• What tools do you use for time management?
• Can you tell me about your strengths and weaknesses as a communicator?
• Can you tell me about other skills you have that could be used in this administrative assistant role?

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Describe Your Communication Strengths And Weaknesses

Good communication means a lot of give and take: conveying information to clients and colleagues, and receiving incoming information with a full understanding of whats needed or expected. Hiring supervisors who ask this type of question want to know about your clarity of thought, in both written and verbal exchanges.

Possible answer: Avoid giving an answer that says Im good at this, but not good at that. Instead, talk factually about a communications-based task you did wella report or a presentation before a group, for example. As for discussing weaknesses in a job interview, use the questions as an opportunity to focus on an actual strength , or bring up an administrative weakness you had and how you overcame it .

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How Do You Handle A Demanding Supervisor What Is Your Experience With Dealing With Difficult Visitors Or Callers

Its important that you remain pleasant and professional in a variety of circumstances on the job. Many executive assistants are often the face of the executives they work with, and the person who deals with clients or visitors first. Unfortunately, sometimes these people can be unpleasant. The interviewer is looking for your experience with handling these situations, as well as your ability to do so professionally.

Some skills to share include:

• Customer service

• Resourcefulness

• Ability to reflect professionalism and company values

Give an example of what you would do in this situation. For example, you may politely offer to take a message, reassure the visitor the message will be seen by the executive, and youll have them contacted as soon as possible. You may also provide the option of speaking to someone else who is available or can help resolve the situation faster.

Common Administrative Assistant Interview Questions And Answers

Key takeaways:

• In your next administrative assistant interview, prepare to address your organizational, communication and time management skills.
• Prepare specific examples of times youve made an impact in previous roles with the STAR response technique.
• Review the job description to weave the employers requirements into your answers.

Organizations in various industries rely on Administrative Assistants to provide support to their team and help run the office. Knowing the questions to expect during an Administrative Assistant interview can help you prepare your answers and help you stand out as a strong candidate during the interview. In this article, we discuss some of the questions you can expect to be asked during an Administrative Assistant interview and provide tips for answering these questions with sample answers.

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What Are Your Favorite Aspects Of Working As An Administrative Assistant

People who enjoy what they do at work are frequently more productive and effective. This question allows the interviewer to learn more about what you appreciate about your job as an administrative assistant and how much you enjoy your work.

Sample Answer

What I like best about working as an administrative assistant is being able to keep up with everything that is going on in the office and being a crucial figure in ensuring that everything works well. In my former position as a receptionist, for example, I always enjoyed assisting my team in planning important events and meetings.

Describe Your Daily Routine As An Administrative Assistant

This question may be asked by the interviewer to see how well your administrative and organizational skills meet the job requirements. Your response will also provide the employer an idea of how youd handle administrative chores like keeping track of different schedules and appointments, as well as whether youd be able to fulfill your daily activities competently and on time.

Sample Answer

Organization is really important to me in my job as an office assistant. I begin each day by making a to-do list of all the tasks that need to be performed that day. Then I go over my calendar to see if there are any meetings, appointments, or other scheduled events that I should be aware of. I am always answering calls and checking my email for any new duties that arise so that I can respond appropriately.

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How Do You Feel The Administrative Assistant Role Has Changed Or Will Change In The Future

Indicate to employers that you can see the bigger picture and anticipate changes. Then, show them that you can and already have adapted to that change through your skillset or work history.

• While some think that administrative assistants will be replaced by technology, I would actually argue that they will be enhanced by technology. Technology on its own cant accomplish everything, the people behind it are what make it effective. If administrative assistants can adapt to new technological advancements it will only help them better support their teammates and executives. Thats why I focused on developing my Microsoft Outlook and Excel skills in past positions.

Go Beyond Question Lists Using Interview Simulators

With interview simulators, you can take realistic mock interviews on your own, from anywhere.

My Interview Practice offers a simulator that generates unique questions each time you practice, so youll never see whats coming. There are questions for over 120 job titles, and each question is curated by actual industry professionals. You can take as many interviews as you need to, in order to build confidence.

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Good Questions To Ask In An Administrative Assistant Interview

Before wrapping up your interview, odds are your hiring manager will ask you if you have any questions for them.

While its tempting to bail as quickly as possible , resist the urge to bolt, and instead, take the time to ask your own questions. Not only will it show the interviewer that youre genuinely interested in the position, but you might just learn something about the job you didnt know before.

Prior to the interview, make sure you do your research on the company and prepare your questions based off of that research.

Good questions to ask are:

Of course, this list is just our list of suggestions. Based off of your research and your own personal concerns, feel free to come up with your own questions youd like to ask the hiring manager.

Additional Administrative Assistant Interview Questions

• What kind of computer experience do you have? What programs have you used in the past?

• Tell me about a time you had to prioritize multiple tasks and manage them through completion.

• You have multiple project deadlines due in the next three days. They are all from different supervisors. How would you handle this?

• How would you feel if you worked on a task for a week only to complete it and be told by your manager that it needs to be redone in a different format?

• If you were hiring an administrative assistant, in general, what would you be looking for in a candidate?

• What have you done in the past to foster communication within the office or between departments?

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