What Are The Qualities That An Administrative Assistant Need To Be Successful
Administrative Assistant is a managerial position that requires a combination of other general characteristics to be successful. These traits are so vital that even the most experienced Administrative Assistant may struggle to succeed without them. The interviewer wants to know if you possess all of the attributes that a competent Administrative Assistant possesses.
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Sample Answer
A good administrative assistant should have excellent communication skills, organizational skills, great team skills, interpersonal communication skills, task-oriented, optimistic, can-do mentality, flexibility, ability to priorities, honest, helpful, accountable, reliable, competent, ability to stay calm under pressure, proactive, credible, and most importantly, excellent calendaring skills.
Have You Ever Had To Juggle Multiple Supervisors As An Administrative Assistant If So How Did You Handle It
Administrative assistants dont always have just one boss or supervisor. Often times, administrative assistants need to support multiple executives or team leaders that are each in superior positions. Its important that administrative assistants can handle direction from multiple parties without sacrificing productivity.
- Yes, I have. I was the executive assistant for three members of our executive team. To keep up with delegated tasks and give each executive ample support, I dedicated portions of my workday to each person. This ensured that each executive felt cared for everyday. However, if a priority task did come up, I would address it promptly so deadlines were met.
What Kind Of Work Schedule Are You Seeking
This is one of the administrative assistant interview questions that gives you an opportunity to express your desire for work flexibility. Its always best to be clear up front if youre looking for a part-time schedule, work-from-home flexibility, an alternate schedule option, or some other iteration of flexible work.
Possible answer: While the job description may spell out a required schedule, be specific in your response and focus on the type of work flexibility youre seeking. The more specific you can be about the hours and days you want to work, the better.
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More Admin Assistant Questions You Should Prepare For
Recap: How To Prepare For An Administrative Assistant Interview
You should now know what to expect in an admin interview. If you follow the tips above, youll be well-equipped to land your next administrative position.
To recap, make sure you do ALL of the following:
First, make sure to study the job description and know about their job before going in.
Next, make sure to practice all of the administrative assistant interview questions we looked at so you sound confident when answering. This is especially important for the behavioral questions we covered because youll need to be ready to name specific situations and scenarios, and walk the interviewer through detailed stories of what happened.
And as a final step dress for success, practice your handshake, and arrive 5-10 minutes early so that youre not stressed at the beginning of your interview.
We didnt cover these last minor steps in-depth, so if you need more help with general preparation steps, we have a complete interview preparation checklist.
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Additional Administrative Assistant Interview Questions
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What kind of computer experience do you have? What programs have you used in the past?
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Tell me about a time you had to prioritize multiple tasks and manage them through completion.
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You have multiple project deadlines due in the next three days. They are all from different supervisors. How would you handle this?
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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?
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If you were hiring an administrative assistant, in general, what would you be looking for in a candidate?
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What have you done in the past to foster communication within the office or between departments?
Salary Information For Secretaries And Administrative Assistants
Secretaries and administrative assistants earned a median annual salary of $38,730 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, secretaries and administrative assistants earned a 25th percentile salary of $30,500, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $48,680, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 3,990,400 people were employed in the U.S. as secretaries and administrative assistants.
References
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Describe Your Administrative Experience
This is the first thing the interviewer is going to want to hear about . So be ready to provide details about what you did recently as an admin.
Or if you dont have this type of experience, prepare to talk about what youve done thats most similar. In this case, you should say, I dont have this exact experience, but and then share the relevant experience you do have
Think Through Your First Impression
What will your facial expression convey when you walk into the room? How about that first welcoming handshake? What will you choose to wear to your interview? What kind of impression do you want to leave the hiring committee with? These are all questions that you must consider as the big day approaches. You should convey an image of competence, confidence, and uniqueness that makes you stand out from the rest of the crowd. How can you convey all of this to your new boss?
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Describe Briefly About Your Experience
This is frequently the first question asked by interviewers. While the objective of the question is to basically get to know you, when asked, describe your previous achievements and talents, previous work experience, and current circumstances as they apply to the administrative positions criteria.
Sample Answer
I grew up in a little Michigan town and graduated from high school with honors. I subsequently moved to New York to continue my education at NYU, where I am currently pursuing an associate degree in business administration. I recently finished my internship as an office assistant at a local financial firm, where I feel I improved my organizational and data management skills, as well as my customer service abilities.
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.
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Q This Job Is Repetitive And It Can Become Boring How Do You Plan To Motivate Yourself In Work
Not an easy question, especially for people with a typical mindsetpeople who believe that someone else should motivate them in work.
The only true motivation, however, one that will not perish in a few hours, or in a few weeks at best, comes from within. It comes from the goals we carry in our heart and mind, from the beliefs and values we follow in our life. That is the only real driving force. What does it stand for in your life?
Obviously you can say that you prefer repetitive jobs, that you do not like to think much in work. But you can also say that you have big plans with your family , and understand that without a job , you can not pursue your dreams.
There are several good answers to this question, and your choice depends on your values, and the expectations you have on your life and professional career.
Special Tip: To know how to answer a questions, and to actually come up with a great answer on a big day, when facing a panel of interviewers, are two different things. If you experience anxiety, or generally struggle in the interviews, have a look at our Interview Success Package. Up to 10 premium answers to virtually all questions you may face in your admin. assistant interview will help you streamline your interview preparation, outclass other job candidates, ace your interview, and get the job. Thank you for checking it out!
Medical Administrative Assistant Interview Questions
Medical administrative assistants are responsible for booking appointments, greeting patients and managing patients’ personal information by recording and filing the information appropriately. Medical administrative assistants are also responsible for answering phone calls, responding to emails, and answering any queries made about the healthcare facility.
When interviewing medical administrative assistants, the ideal candidate will have excellent computer literacy and interpersonal skills. Be wary of candidates who are disorganized and fail to prioritize tasks efficiently.
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Describe A Time When You Made A Mistake And How You Handled It
When interviewers ask this question, they’re trying to determine how you’ve handled bouncing back from an error or mistake that you made. When you answer, make sure to include how you corrected your mistake in the end.
Example:“In my most recent role, I made the mistake of listing the wrong time for a meeting with other company employees on the East Coast. A day before the meeting, I checked my calendar and realized my error. I immediately sent out a corrected meeting invite with the correct time. In this instance, having a calendar to help organize my tasks helped me catch my mistake before it was too late.”
What Type Of Boss Do You Prefer To Work For
Most employers will want to find out the type of manager you like to work for. Theyre not going to feel comfortable hiring you if you dont seem like youll get along with the management team.
So one of the best tips I can offer is: Be ready to explain how you can work well under a variety of management styles. Its okay if theres one management style you like best, but make sure to show that you can work well with all types of people when you describe your ideal manager.
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What Do You Enjoy About Being An Administrative Assistant
People who enjoy what they do are usually more productive and efficient in the office. This question helps the interviewer determine what you like about being an administrative assistant and how much you enjoy the work that you do. When answering this question identify one or two things you enjoy the most about being an administrative assistant and support your answer by describing a previous experience doing what you like most.
Example:What I enjoy most about being an administrative assistant is being able to know everything going on throughout the office and being a key person who makes sure everything in the office runs smoothly. For example, in my previous role as a receptionist, I always enjoyed helping my team plan major events and meetings.
Deeper Dive Into Work Styles
Managers often dont know the work style of candidates until theyre on the job, but its worth asking about the way they take direction, their communication style, how they prefer to structure their day and whether theyre adaptive, dependable, efficient, able to multitask and so on.
16. Can you walk me through a typical day in your current/most recent position?
17. Have you ever reported to multiple supervisors at once? If so, how did you juggle each persons priorities?
18. What is your first step when given a large project to manage? How would you organize it?
19. Can you describe a challenging project you were assigned in the past and how you approached it?
20. Are there any tools, equipment or procedures you would replace or change at your most recent/current job? If so, what changes would you make and why?
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What Are Common Administrative Assistant Interview Questions
Here are some questions you should be ready to face: 1. Why did you apply for this job and what makes you think youll be a good administrative assistant?2. This job requires you to spend some time answering phones. How comfortable are you with multiple lines and high volumes of incoming calls?3. Would you consider yourself a team player? Do you work well with others?4. How do you work when faced with stress or pressure?5. Tell me about a past job you had that you really enjoyed and why you liked it.
Executive Assistant Interview Questions
Scheme up your answers to these questions to prepare for your upcoming interview. We recommend using a software like monday.com to help you organize candidates and also track where they are at in the interview process.
Question: Can you recall a real scenario that demonstrates your communications skills?
- Why theyre asking: They want to know that you have strong communications skills, and they want to hear about a specific scenario that illustrates your communication skills in an understandable way.
Interviewers will especially want to hear about scenarios where you overcame obstacles that arose as a result of poor communication in the workplace. These scenarios include communication breakdowns, widespread confusion, and a general lack of consensus.
- How to respond: Provide the specificity your future employer wants. Limit your mental scan to a few specific situations to avoid getting overwhelmed by all the possible scenarios youve experienced in the workplace. For example, since a lot of workplace communication happens during meetings, limit your memory search to meetings to make it easy to find examples of communication successes and failures.
A good answer to this question needs to include two main components:
1) What exactly you did and said
2) What exactly you accomplished or what problem you solved.
If your answer lacks either of these components, then it could be empty.
1) How you get started
2) How you overcome obstacles to get things done
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How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work
Any task requires a great deal of motivation. Work becomes exceedingly frustrating without motivation, and you begin to lose productivity. Different roles necessitate different approaches to staying motivated, with interest being the most crucial one. You can answer this question in any way you like, but the most appropriate response is as below.
Sample Answer
When I am able to assist/help my coworkers, guests, or customers with their needs, I get extremely motivated. The joy of meeting their needs while also educating them what they require and learning from them and getting the task done right, as well as the satisfaction of completing reports or projects on schedule is simply great.
Potential Second Interview Questions
The biggest difference between first interview questions and second interview questions really lies in the type of question that you are asked.
Generally speaking, in the first interview the company will want to get a feel for the type of person you are, and the questions they ask will emulate that desire.
But in the second interview, you can expect there to be more specificity regarding the position itself as well as a bit more prodding to determine how well you will fit the culture of your potential new team.
Having said that, this is not set in stone.
Every company goes about the questions a little bit differently, so you really need to be prepared for any type of question in both the first and second interview.
Having fun yet?
One thing is for sure at this point in the game employers are really trying to make sure youre a good fit, so expect that these are going to be tougher than the first round.
Read through these questions and come up with your answers. Weve given an example answer for the first two to get you started. If you need some more help learning how exactly to formulate a perfect interview answer, head over to our blog post Job Interview Questions and Answers 101.
- Why should we hire you?
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