How to Write a Cover Letter for Admin Job (With Example)

Updated 7 September 2023

Creating an effective office administrator cover letter can help you express your skills to a hiring manager. When drafting a cover letter, it's important to address the job description's criteria. Learning about a cover letter for admin jobs with an example can help you prepare one for yourself. In this article, we provide an example of a cover letter for an admin job, discuss the responsibilities for this role, explain how to become an administrator and provide examples of administrative skills.

Example of cover letter for admin job

Here's a cover letter for an administrative job example:

David Chan
+65 9234 5678
david.chan@email.com
January 8, 2022

Dear hiring manager,

I'm delighted to be applying for the office administrator position at Wright & Parsons. I am great at meeting deadlines, consistently surpassing expectations and collaborating with a diverse group of individuals. I enjoy the workplace environment and the challenge of achieving company objectives. My long-term professional objective is to work as an office administrator, and I feel this role provides an ideal opportunity for me to demonstrate my diverse skill set.

I formerly worked at Blue Spring, where I was responsible for administrative assistance for five senior-level executives and the coordination of numerous schedules and meetings. Additionally, I worked on several unique initiatives, which resulted in a 30% boost in overall office productivity over the previous year.

Maintaining a high degree of professionalism is always a priority, and I feel that each employee is important and deserves respect. I also realise how critical it is for your personnel to have the skills to guarantee that projects are on schedule and organised. I earned a four-year degree in business management from the Singapore School of Management and graduated in the top 10% of my class. My education and past professional experience, I feel, offer me a good chance of success at Wright & Parsons.

I am sincerely grateful for your time and attention in going through my job application. I would be excited and honoured to join your team. Please contact me with any questions or to explore this opportunity in further detail.

Sincerely,
David Chan

The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards. Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

What does an administrator do?

An administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a business. While the specific nature of these responsibilities varies by industry, they often include scheduling, bookkeeping, enabling communication between departments and managing workplace routines. Among the additional responsibilities of administrators are the following:

monitoring projects and developing quantifiable performance indicators
analysing the financial implications and staff requirements for each of the company's initiatives
creating and maintaining a database of client information
ensuring that the work environment adheres to business rules and requirements
keeping a positive working relationship with the business's customers

How to become an administrator

Here are the steps that you can take to become an administrator:

1. Choose a specific industry

An administrator's job varies by industry. You can seek out a field that excites you to remain motivated in your profession. Finding a workplace that provides professional development possibilities can assist you in increasing your career options for the future.

2. Finish your schooling

For this role, it's a good idea to obtain at least a diploma or its equivalent. A diploma enables you to secure many entry-level occupations. Obtaining a bachelor's degree may help you extend your work options. Additional experience and a bachelor's degree are typically necessary for mid- and upper-level employment.

3. Develop your soft skills

It's helpful for administrators to possess soft skills such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking. You can improve these skills by consistently practising them. When developing your resume, include a skills section that highlights your relevant talents to demonstrate to employers that you can succeed in the position.

4. Gain experience

If you're looking for an administration position in a certain field, begin by seeking entry-level roles. Certain admin roles, particularly ones in specialised fields, may require some prior experience. Concentrate on sectors and job situations that are a good fit for you. You can obtain experience and develop the soft skills necessary for a career as an administrator by working as a receptionist, administrative assistant or customer service representative.

Examples of administrative skills

A skilled administrator often uses a combination of hard and soft skills. While the technical abilities necessary for administrative duties differ per organisation—for example, competency with certain software or platforms—individuals with good administrative skills share numerous soft skills or interpersonal qualities. Here are a few examples of common administrative skills:

Organisation

Strong organisational abilities are necessary to maintain order in your personal workspace and in the office you oversee. Having an organised desk, computer and calendar may assist you in completing administrative activities with a high level of quality and efficiency. Office administrators are in charge of the arrangement of numerous documents and tasks, many of which are confidential. Because of this, it's important to acquire fundamental organisational abilities to file, save and source each item. Additionally, office administrators are frequently in charge of keeping and buying office supplies such as staplers, printer paper and folders, which demands strong organisational abilities.

Communication

When completing administrative duties, communication is a critical ability to possess. It's important for you to effectively convey procedures and information to others, such as answering queries and requests in a clear and concise manner. Additionally, admins may communicate in different ways, including spoken, nonverbal, written and visual mediums. Office administrators are frequently the initial point of contact for clients and employees. They take calls, greet clients, respond to enquiries and book appointments. As a result, candidates for these positions may possess exceptional communication skills, a good mindset and a pleasant attitude.

Teamwork

Teamwork skills are the characteristics and talents that enable you to collaborate well with others in talks, projects, meetings and other situations. Having good collaboration abilities may help you collaborate on administrative initiatives, build new processes, implement new processes and delegate jobs. Being a good teammate entails demonstrating empathy, humility and the ability to communicate effectively. Good teammates also look for opportunities to help those with whom they work, even if not directed to do so by a supervisor.

Customer service

Customer service skills are a collection of behaviours that you employ when dealing with a customer. Additionally, these skills can be beneficial for following up on an initial encounter. It's typical for administrators to answer enquiries for others or to undertake activities that others are unable to complete. You may successfully carry these obligations out with good customer service abilities, which include active listening, expectation setting and communication.

Responsibility

Accepting new job responsibilities and committing to new projects indicates that you're willing to take on additional employment tasks to help the team. By taking an initiative like this, you can become better prepared for more advanced responsibilities and even more advanced positions. Administrative tasks are frequently critical to the efficient operation of a company. As a result, having the responsibility to execute assignments on schedule and with a high level of quality without much supervision helps your team succeed.

Time management

Due to the diversity of tasks involved in business administration, time management is a critical skill. Keeping track of your schedule, allocating time to finish work and establishing realistic deadline expectations are all components of being an effective administrator. Managers often assign office administrators a variety of jobs. While some of their responsibilities are predictable, others frequently come unexpectedly. There may be situations when office administrators need to execute certain responsibilities within a certain time frame.

Time management abilities can aid in the prioritisation of these tasks. Office administrators can utilise their time management skills to develop a list of documentation to be filed, data to be inputted and reports to be submitted. By being prepared, you can be more adaptable when unpredictable circumstances or assignments come up.

Multitasking

It may be necessary for you to perform many tasks concurrently as an administrative assistant. It's not unusual to have the tasks of responding to emails, taking calls, addressing in-person enquiries and managing project requirements in a timely manner. Combining other abilities, such as organisation and time management, enables you to multitask, allowing you to efficiently manage many obligations at once. Keeping a paper or digital copy of a weekly to-do list can also help you manage simultaneous responsibilities.