Office Manager CV Tips

1. Personal Details

At the top of the first page of your Office Manager CV, you should list your personal information. Include your full name and contact details – an email address, home address and phone number – checking that all information provided is up to date. You can also add the URL of your LinkedIn profile or an alternative phone number which gives recruiters another way to get in touch with you about relevant Office Manager jobs.

2. Professional Profile

The next section of your CV is the professional profile or personal statement. This is a brief summary of your key skills, employment history and achievements, but it should also outline what you are looking for in your next Office Manager role. It should be around four to five sentences long – remember it is only a summary and you will be able to expand on this information later on. Think of it as a way to summarise your skills and aspirations to sell yourself to an employer.

An example Office Manager personal statement is as follows:

A dedicated and organised Office Manager with over 4 years’ experience in handling all aspects of administrative operations. Highly skilled in the provision of executive support with a proven ability to enhance office operations and resolve issues through implementing efficient, innovative solutions and systems. Possesses exceptional communication skills with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with team members, external departments and customers. Proficient in all Microsoft Office programmes with a profound knowledge of email and diary management. Currently seeking a challenging role which offers wider responsibility, in addition to the opportunity to develop and enhance existing skills.

3. Key Skills

After your professional profile, you should include a key skills section to highlight relevant skills and competencies. This is especially important in an Office Manager CV, because due to the varied nature of the role, employers are going to be looking for a wide range of skills.

Although no two roles are the same, a typical Office Manager skills list might look like this:

• Administrative operations
• Team management and supervision
• Customer services
• Secretarial support
• Communication and relationship building
• Staff training and development
• Email and diary management
• Expense reduction
• System streamlining

If you’d like to find out more about Office Manager duties and responsibilities, read our Office Manager job description article, here.

4. Career History

The next section should summarise your employment history. In reverse chronological order, list your current and/or past positions that help to demonstrate your key competencies as an Office Manager.

Any previous administrative work experience or other Office Manager roles are crucial for this section. When structuring this section, give the title of the role, employer name and time spent in the role.

Underneath this, list your duties and key accomplishments in this position, using quantifiable evidence when possible. If you don’t have examples of numerical evidence, think about the key achievements in your professional experience that would be of interest to employers.

E.g.

Office Manager – Anybusiness, 2017 – present

• Supervised and mentored the administration team comprising of 4 staff, ensuring the efficient delivery of technical, administrative and executive support.
• Implemented new software to enhance the recording of data and financial information, streamlining processes and improving efficiency by X%.
• Organised the coordination of office restructures and maintenance repairs across the business.
• Arranged the preparation and delivery of presentations and training to new and existing staff members, reducing costs by £X.

5. Education and Qualifications

This section is an overview of your existing educational achievements, including A-levels and GCSEs, in addition to any other relevant qualifications that enhance your Office Manager skills. A degree in a related subject (including business management or administration), or qualifications offered by bodies such as the Institute of Administrative Management (IAM) would certainly enhance any application.

Though these qualifications are beneficial, the most important thing an employer is looking for in a prospective Office Manager is demonstrable skills and experience.

As with your career history, you should list your academic achievements and professional qualifications in reverse chronological order.

Example:

Institute of Administrative Management: IQ IAM Level 4 Diploma in Business and Administrative Management Level 4, 2018

University of Anytown: Business Management - 2:1, 2011 - 2014

Anytown College: A-levels –Business Studies (A), English Language (B) and French (C), 2013 - 2014

10 GCSEs – grades A-C, 2013

Final Tips

When proofreading your CV, you should make sure that all information is accurate, consistent and concise; including only relevant details. Ideally, your CV should by no longer than two sides of A4.

Tailoring your Office Manager CV to each role is particularly beneficial when applying to different jobs. Carefully read each job description and pick out the key buzzwords and use these in your CV and cover letter, giving examples of your competence in these areas. Showing that you can meet specific job criteria is likely to impress any employer.

If you think your CV needs an extra boost, ask a friend or family member to read through it, or why not make use of Top CV’s free CV review service? Get your CV reviewed by one of their expert consultants today.