Writing a CV or resume for an Office Manager position doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It’s about presenting your skills, experience, and achievements in a clear and concise manner to showcase your suitability for the role. In this article, we’ll walk through a straightforward guide on how to create a CV that highlights your capabilities as an Office Manager, providing practical tips and including real examples to illustrate each point. Whether you’re crafting your first CV or updating an existing one, this guide aims to offer useful insights to help you navigate through the process effectively. Let’s dive in and get started on building a CV that opens doors to new opportunities.
Contents
Read The Job Description / Advert
The first step is, of course, to read the job description. We need to know what the firm is looking for so that we can properly highlight these characteristics in our CV. So read back over the job description and try to pinpoint the important points. A lot of times a firm will call things “required”; if you see this, you need to make sure you include that in your CV. Similarly, if certain things are repeated throughout the advert, this indicates they are of high importance, so we will want to make sure our CV shows that as well.
When performing this analysis, take care to copy the ‘exact’ words and phrases that are being used by the hiring manager. We will want to pepper these into our CV later.
Office Manager Job Description Example
Join Our Team: Seeking a Proactive Office Manager
We are on the hunt for a dedicated Office Manager to join our dynamic team. Our ideal candidate is someone who can keep our office running smoothly, ensuring that our staff have the support they need to provide top-notch services to our clients.
Job Description
As our Office Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing daily office operations and providing administrative support to our team to ensure a smooth, efficient, and positive working environment. Your role will involve a variety of tasks, with a focus on organizing office operations, managing administrative staff, and ensuring that our office is a productive and welcoming environment for all staff and visitors.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage day-to-day office operations, ensuring that all aspects of the office run smoothly
- Provide administrative support to our team, assisting with scheduling, correspondence, and other tasks as needed
- Oversee administrative staff, ensuring that all tasks are completed in a timely and accurate manner
- Manage office supplies and equipment, ensuring that staff have the tools they need to do their jobs effectively
- Assist with financial tasks, including invoicing, budgeting, and expense tracking
- Coordinate with IT support to ensure that all staff have reliable access to necessary technology and software
- Plan and coordinate events, meetings, and other activities as needed
- Ensure that the office is clean, organized, and welcoming at all times
Qualifications
- Proven experience in an office management or administrative role
- Strong organizational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other common office software
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to think on your feet
- A positive, can-do attitude and the ability to work well with a diverse team
In return, we offer a competitive compensation package, a vibrant working environment, and plenty of opportunities for professional growth and development. If you are a proactive, organized individual with a passion for supporting others and a knack for managing office operations, we would love to hear from you.
Become a key player in our team and help us ensure that our office is a productive and positive place for all. Apply today and let’s build something great together.
Research The Company
Time to put on your detective hat and do some research on your target company. Look at their website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms. You are looking for any piece of intel that will give you the leg up.
- Find out about recent work/projects they have undertaken or will be embarking on (highlight your experience in these areas on your CV)
- Find out what software/processes they use and make sure you include your proficiency in them in your CV
- Learn what interview questions you might expect should you make it that far
See if you know anyone who works there and/or connect (LinkedIn) with people ahead of the interview. A little nepotism could never hurt, and you might be able to glean more information about the role/hiring process in the meantime.
Find A Good CV Template
When selecting a CV template, it’s essential to opt for a simple design and structure. Not only are straightforward layouts more compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), but they also make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to quickly identify and understand key details. A clutter-free and organized CV ensures that your most important information stands out, facilitating a smoother review process for potential employers.
This is the CV template that we recommend (click here)
Write 2 Or 3 Bullet Points As A ‘Professional Summary’
A handy approach is to craft three sentences: the first highlighting your qualifications and experience, the second showcasing your biggest professional achievement, and the third detailing your most recent experience.
Office Manager Professional Summary Example
- With 10 years of experience in office management and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, expertise has been honed in overseeing administrative operations, implementing efficient systems such as Asana for task management and QuickBooks for financial tracking, and managing budgets within the technology and finance industries.
- Successfully led a team to streamline the procurement process at Stellar Authority, resulting in a 25% reduction in operational costs over two years by implementing a new vendor management system and negotiating bulk purchase discounts with suppliers.
- Recently managed a team of 15 in the administrative department at Tech Innovate, overseeing a budget of $1.5M, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations, and coordinating the organization of 4 annual corporate events, each hosting over 150 participants, without exceeding budget by utilizing Eventbrite for efficient ticketing and coordination.
Detail Your Employment History
Begin by listing your employment history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent role. This allows potential employers to see your recent experience upfront, which holds greater value. Keep in mind that brevity is key.
As you go further back in time, reduce the level of detail to ensure your CV doesn’t exceed two pages. Employers are less likely to read lengthy CVs.
When writing down your responsibilities in your CV, especially for an Office Manager role, make sure to highlight your achievements within those duties. Instead of simply stating your tasks, like “Handled scheduling and correspondence,” try to showcase your impact and skills by adding specifics and results. For example, “Managed scheduling and correspondence, reducing booking conflicts by 30% through the implementation of a new digital booking system.” This way, you’re not just sharing what you did, but also showing how well you did it, giving a clearer picture of your capabilities and experience. Remember, it’s not just about what you did, but how you made a difference in doing it.
Detail Your Education History
Keep your CV concise, aiming for a two-page limit. The education section can often be streamlined.
Highlight the most relevant qualifications. For instance, if you have a degree, your A-levels become less significant. Similarly, if you’re in the U.S., having an MBA overshadows your high school GPA.
Unless an older educational milestone is crucial for the job or highly pertinent, focus on showcasing your Bachelor’s degree, post-graduate studies, or professional certifications. If you lack these, mention your latest qualifications. Remember, having a Master’s suggests you’ve finished school, so no need to state the obvious. Only include your educational background if it’s pertinent to the job.
CV Structure
Tactically structure your CV to the ‘most wanted’ attributes of the job description. For example, if the job description values “qualified”, then place your qualifications first; if they want someone with RECENT experience, put your last job up top. If they want multiple years of experience, highlight your tenure.
We always recommend that you have a Professional Summary up top (after your name/contact info), as it will be the first thing that anyone reads. As discussed earlier, this should be tailored towards the job advert and showcase your experience and skills in what the employer is looking for.
A fairly typical structure would go:
- Name and contact info
- Professional Summary
- Current (or most recent employment)
- Education & Professional Qualifications
- Employment History
WHAT NOT TO DO
Now that we’ve discussed what you should be including in your CV, let’s look at some things that you should avoid doing.
- Do not include personal history or likes. Employers are not going to care about your hobbies, so unless you have some inside information that the hiring manager only hires people who play a particular sport, for example, then leave your extracurricular activities off your CV. This does not extend to things like volunteer or charity work. Definitely include that if you have the space.
- Do not list your skillset and the tools/applications you have experience with. It takes up valuable space and is often obvious (Skilled in Excel…?). Instead, include these in your achievements section (Example: “Used Asana to manage and coordinate tasks for a remote team of 25 members”).
- Do not include references or “references available on request”. If employers want a reference, they will ask you for them; otherwise, this is just wasted space on your CV.
- Do not include a photo of yourself unless specifically asked. In many countries, including the UK and US, you should not include a photo of yourself on your CV/resume. Companies don’t want you to do it, as it opens them up to liability, and there is absolutely nothing for you to gain by doing so – plus, you are making it easier for firms to discriminate against you, either implicitly or explicitly.
- Do not use any fancy graphic or artistic CV format. Most CVs come in a standard format, allowing Application Tracking Software, recruiters and hiring managers to easily pick out the key pieces of information they need quickly based on their experience. If you throw them a CV in an artistic format, they are more likely to get annoyed and throw your application away. This is not a situation where standing out is good. You want your skills/experience to be noted, not your CV format.
- Do not include your previous salaries. This will severely impact your negotiation abilities down the line.
Office Manager CV Tips – Recap
1. Highlight Your Organizational Skills 🗂️
Office Managers are the backbone of the company, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Highlight instances where your organizational skills have directly impacted the efficiency and effectiveness of your previous workplaces. Mention specific tools or methods you’ve used to enhance organizational productivity.
2. Showcase Leadership and Management Abilities 🚀
Being an Office Manager often involves leading a team and managing various aspects of an office, from people to projects. Provide examples of your leadership and management skills, such as successfully leading projects, managing teams, or implementing new systems.
3. Detail Your Budget Management Experience 💰
Managing budgets is often a key part of an Office Manager’s role. Be sure to detail your experience with budget management, providing specific examples of how you have effectively managed budgets in the past, including any cost-saving initiatives you implemented.
4. Emphasize Technical Proficiency 💻
In the modern workplace, familiarity with various software and platforms is crucial. Mention the different systems you’ve worked with, such as CRM software, scheduling tools, or financial tracking systems, and how you utilized them to enhance office operations.
5. Highlight Problem-Solving Skills 🧠
Office Managers often need to think on their feet and solve problems as they arise. Include instances where your problem-solving skills have positively impacted your workplace, such as resolving conflicts, improving processes, or implementing new systems to address issues.
6. Include Relevant Certifications and Qualifications 🎓
Ensure to list any relevant certifications, qualifications, or ongoing professional development courses that are relevant to the role of an Office Manager. This could include project management certifications, administrative professional courses, or any other relevant qualifications.
7. Demonstrate Excellent Communication Skills 🗣️
Effective communication is key in an Office Manager role. Provide examples of how your communication skills have facilitated smoother operations, improved team collaboration, or enhanced customer/client relations in your previous roles.
8. Use Quantifiable Achievements 📊
Wherever possible, use numbers to highlight your achievements. For instance, “Reduced office expenditures by 20% through negotiating with vendors and implementing cost-saving initiatives.”
Office Manager CV Sample
Below is an example CV from someone with a number of years experience in the field. For an editable .DOCX version, click here.