Whether you are applying for an administrative assistant job or looking to hire one in the hospitality industry, it is imperative to know the key skills that signal a great hire.

Traditionally, a receptionist sat at a front desk at reception and greeted visitors, received mail and often kept the office running smoothly as the de facto office manager. In today’s business reality of flat org charts, open concept, remote working, and technology, most receptionist jobs have morphed into several different roles requiring a multitude of skills. Now more than ever, administrative assistant roles are a great way to get your foot in the door and showcase your skills and fit within an organization. In any hospitality organization, administrative professionals are important for the daily smooth running of the workplace.

Since April 27 is Administrative Professionals’ Day, we want to recognize the vital inputs of ALL Administrative professionals in our industry, they are a supporting framework that can never be ignored.

Top Skills of an Administrative Professional in Hospitality

1. Excellent Communication skills: Honed communication skills are probably one of the most critical requirements of this role. Thankfully, your application has plenty of opportunities to highlight this key skill. Make sure that your resume looks well-written and is free of typos. You can use free plugins such as ‘Grammarly’ to get your punctuation and grammar spot on. Highlight any experience that involved active listening skills or great customer service such as, experience using multiple line phone systems, greeting visitors, and email correspondence.

2. Professionalism: As an admin professional, you might be the first point of contact for any outsider and it is imperative that you always display professionalism. Different hospitality organizations expect different levels of professionalism pertaining to your communication style, your appearance, and general attitude. Make sure to tailor your resume to match the hospitality industry. It is a good idea to generally keep a formal tone. After all— you only get one chance at making a first impression.

3. Organizational skills: Any supporting role in the 21st century will have multiple responsibilities. Multi-tasking and organizing are your two key skills. Administrative support is the organizational hub of any office, which means the role may not be limited to managing incoming visitors, calls and general inquiries. It can also extend to maintaining, updating or organizing databases, scheduling and arranging conference calls, managing office supplies and maintaining important documents (contracts, leases etc.). It may also include keeping track of any payables to vendors, utilities etc. All these functions must be managed proficiently and calmly. When applying, highlight these functions to let your employer know of your capability and competency to handle multiple functions in a timely manner.

4. Technical ability: In today’s world there is no industry devoid of technical advancements. An administrative role demands you to have some basic technology skills. Being adept in Microsoft Office programs is a must. But some businesses also look for additional specialized skills such as expertise in a particular database software. Include any software programs that you have worked on in the past to make your resume stand apart. Even if the software may not be relevant to the current role you are applying for, it shows your potential employer that you are willing to learn new technology. 

5. Dependability: To an employer, it is important that an employee is dependable and trusted with work. Demonstrate situations where you worked unsupervised. As a candidate, make sure to highlight these aspects of your personality in your resume.

6. Proactive problem-solver: Admin assistants perform a multitude of tasks that go beyond the traditional functions outlined in your resume. At times, this may need you to perform independently or handle unique complex functions that you may have not handled before. It is a great idea to highlight examples of such tasks from your past experience in your resume. This depicts your ability to take initiative and your problem-solving skills.

While many of these skills can be developed on the job by entry-level assistants, many of them are actually required beforehand on job descriptions. Sometimes they can be acquired through work experience, while other times they are related to a person’s personality.