With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, the monthly subscription costs allow us to fully vet and verify all of the jobs on our site—ensuring that customers have a safe and positive job searching experience. TIP #1 – Working in the National Health Service (NHS) within an admin position requires an ability to be organised, being able to plan your work effectively and also multi-task.Before you attend the interview, have specific examples for how you have already achieved each of these important skills. Thanks for checking out FlexJobs! What are some disadvantages of being an administrative assistant? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. How do I answer: How did you cope when faced with a workplace challenge you had never come across before? wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. As an administrative assistant, you may be asked to handle confidential information. Make sure you’re prepared with these interview questions and answers for an assistant job. If you’re interviewing for an administrative assistant role that requires you to work for multiple people, or for a team, multitasking will be central to the job. The interview typically gets started with practical questions and answers but often quickly goes deeper since administrative support is key to the efficient operation of any company. Downsides can include: Having to work longer hours than you're meant to because the CEO or other bosses need you and work too hard; having to handle difficult clients or people wanting to see the boss; finding missing paperwork you didn't file but others did; several calls at once; lots of emails waiting for you every morning; weekend calls from the boss; making bookings to things already booked out, then having to change bookings already booked; doing things at the last minute because your boss just assumes you're available, etc. She will start asking questions for you to answer. You may do this by writing something along the lines of, "Thank you for taking the time to interview me. ", "All of the tips on what to do were helpful!". 10 Remote, Full-Time Jobs for People with Associate’s Degrees, 10 Flexible Companies Offering Childcare Assistance to Employees, Patient Access Representative at University of Washington Medicine, CONNECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JOBS >>>, 8 Companies That Hire for Remote Product Manager Jobs, 10 Companies That Hire for Remote Technical Writer Jobs, 10 Companies That Hire for Remote Cybersecurity Jobs, 10 Companies That Hire for Work-From-Home Call Center Jobs, 12 Fastest-Growing Flexible Jobs to Watch for in 2021, 5 Surprising Side Jobs to Make Extra Income, Job Categories for Remote, Part-Time, Freelance, and Flexible Jobs, New Remote Work From Home and Flexible Jobs, Find Remote Work From Home and Flexible Jobs By Location. What are the strengths of being an administrative assistant? Approved. What have you done in the last year to develop your knowledge for this profession? If you desire to become an administrative assistant, but find yourself struggling to make a good impression during the interview process, pay attention. Possible answer: Be specific. This article has been viewed 175,673 times. ", How to Prepare for an Administrative Assistant Interview, https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview, https://blog.execu-search.com/5-essential-steps-in-preparing-for-an-administrative-or-executive-assistant-interview/, https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2017/03/31/10-essential-steps-to-prepare-yourself-for-a-job-interview/#7f1e18ed7c72, http://www.job-interview-site.com/administrative-assistant-interview-questions-answers.html, http://www.best-job-interview.com/administrative-assistant-interview-questions.html, prepararse para una entrevista de asistente administrativa, Prepararsi a un Colloquio per Assistente Amministrativo, se Preparar para uma Entrevista para Assistente Administrativo, подготовиться к собеседованию на должность секретаря—референта, Sich auf ein Vorstellungsgespräch als Verwaltungsassistent vorbereiten, se préparer à un entretien d'embauche en tant qu'assistant administratif, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. "Because it's a challenging job and I like working under pressure. 5 Essential Steps in Preparing for an Administrative or Executive Assistant Interview There are many administrative and executive support professionals out there who can recite their set of skills at the drop of a hat, but it’s important to keep in mind that some interviews may ask more of you. What type of work schedule would you consider? It's a fun job! In an interview for an administrative assistant role, for example, you'll need to show that you have the necessary qualifications to perform well at this job. While it may be a challenge preparing for interview questions—both questions for you and questions for the employer—preparing for an interview test … Great news, you're in good company! You must be flexible, eager to learn, and able to work under pressure. You’ll be ahead of the game if you can reference your personality type from a Myers-Briggs test or similar assessment to talk about how that helps you keep your cool when work gets tough. Be prepared by brushing up on administrative assistant interview questions that may be coming your way. Be ready to explain during an administrative assistant interview how you treat sensitive information, and what steps you take to safeguard it. "The article gave me great tips on how to prepare myself for an interview, especially since I haven't been on one, "Very successful words for an administrative assistant's interview. 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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, for quite some time. Employers value administrative professionals who not only manage their own time well, but also help others meet deadlines and priorities. Start a friendly and cooperative relationship with the person who are working in the department. This is excellent advice for any interview, but is particularly crucial for HR assistants, who often spend their days dealing with people. Don't forget to share this article with friends! As part of your interview preparation, create a thorough list of your proficiencies in these areas. Rather than saying “I’m good with computers,” talk about your training, certifications, and experience. “I’ve been working as an administrative assistant for three years. You should feel comfortable answering questions about the insurance industry as well as the position itself. I applied online. Just take a few seconds to let us know what you're looking for! Administrative Assistant Interview Questions and Answers While preparing, it can be useful to review questions you might be asked. Your time management helpmates don’t have be apps or other “techie” tools; you can also talk about strategies like goal-setting (and goal meeting), organizational skills, and meeting or exceeding deadlines. Whether the job title is executive assistant, office assistant, administrative assistant or personal assistant, you want to do everything you can to show the interviewer your organization, communication and customer service skills. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Knowing the questions to expect during an Administrative Assistant interview can help you prepare your answers and help you stand out as a strong candidate during the interview. How To Prepare For An Administrative Assistant Interview: Our 4 Best Tips. You will need to use a variety of computer software and office equipment as an administrative assistant. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. ), computer environments (Windows, Macintosh, etc. Studying Executive Assistant interview questions provides tons of benefits that go beyond simply being perfectly prepared for an interview. Great tips, thank you! If you saved or earned a company $2,000, share that number! If you can't find outside help, practice in front of a mirror. So besides talking about the specific job-related skills the employer may already know about, this question offers an opportunity to talk about soft or intangible skills like optimism, self-confidence, and trainability. I also help prepare correspondence, presentations and reports. They have both an administrative and legal role. You might also offer a specific work-related example that illustrates good decision-making in prioritizing a long to-do list. When interviewing for an HR assistant job, it is important to show up a few minutes early and come ready and dressed to impress.Maintain eye contact, stay confident, and offer a good, solid handshake. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. What’s the best project you’ve worked on as an administrative assistant? Give some thought to how to frame a response, highlighting specific experiences and successes from previous jobs. Be ready to explain during an administrative assistant interview how you treat sensitive information, and what steps you take to safeguard it. Make a space for those persons who are lazy and rude. MIKE'S TIP: When you answer any executive assistant interview question with an example, you usually want to quantify the details. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. While you should always be prepared for common job interview questions , there are assistant-specific questions that you’ll want to make sure you have practiced before hand. Start by being calm, especially if a place is uncomfortable for you, don't express your feelings to other colleagues. Set a target or goal for the day, and do your best to achieve it. Legal assistants typically work in law offices and firms. Have you earned … If a hiring manager asks about your transferable skills, take it as a great opening to discuss what you can bring to the job beyond what may be listed on your resume. What are disadvantages and advantages of being an administrative assistant? FlexJobs is a subscription service for job seekers that features flexible and remote jobs. I am genuinely interested in this opportunity, as I am sure that my organizational skills and my past experience in office management would make me a great addition to your team. Good communication means a lot of give and take: conveying information to clients and colleagues, and receiving incoming information with a full understanding of what’s needed or expected. Ignore the unfavorable persons. Interview Tests. As for discussing “weaknesses in a job interview,” use the questions as an opportunity to focus on an actual strength (“I’m a stickler for detail”), or bring up an administrative weakness you had and how you overcame it (“I used to focus on one project at a time, but now I’ve learned to multitask”). In an interview, your potential employer may be looking to assess the qualifications and qualities that make you stand out, from your computer skills to your ability to work well with others. These are questions that start with phrases like, “Tell me about a situation where you had to…” and require a specific story or example. Last Updated: February 29, 2020 Your suggestions and points made me feel that I can do this! Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Be sure to begin preparing for interviews well before their scheduled dates, so that you are ready to put your best foot forward when the big day comes. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Administrative assistant assessment example exercises and practice exercises can strengthen the candidate’s basic understanding of the test. However, if your efforts only saved or earned $50, you might want to let the hiring manager imagination take that one and skip that detail. When interviewing for an administrative assistant position, you want to do everything you can to let the interviewer see what a great assistant you would make. There is no "right" way to prepare for an interview; rather, there are strategies that you can use to improve your interview skills. A hiring manager will likely be looking to connect with you as a job candidate in ways that go beyond your resume and cover letter. Is your kid begging for a dog? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 175,673 times. In this case, 93% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Possible answer: If you have expertise or familiarity with time management tools that have helped you in the past, describe your experience now. Administrative assistants can be the ultimate problem solvers and “fixers.” That can mean staying calm and focused, and achieving a good outcome. To gain … Greet the interviewer and let her take it from there. Choose as many as you'd like. If you’re preparing to interview for a job as an administrative assistant, get ready to find ways to showcase a wide variety of skills.. A hiring manager will likely be looking to connect with you as a job candidate in ways that go beyond your resume and cover letter. Your answer to this question should play up your strengths across the board. Describe your computer experience including applications used (MS Word, Excel, etc. ), word processing, database and spreadsheet skills. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Getting things done on schedule and helping your supervisor or team members stay on track are common specifications for administrative assistants. Administrative Assistant Job Brief: Administrative Assistants play a vital role in the smooth running of any organization, and during the interview, you will need to demonstrate your ability to organize, plan, prioritize and successfully complete all office-related tasks with diligence and professionalism. Hiring supervisors who ask this type of question want to know about your clarity of thought, in both written and verbal exchanges. Before that she used to attend a lot of interviews without success. Because administrative assistant duties are so varied, the questions can fall anywhere on the interviewing spectrum, from general work styles to software-specific queries. Given the broad range of tasks that administrative assistants are often asked to cover, now’s the time to blow your own horn. Behavioral Administrative Assistant Interview Questions. Apart from duties such as maintaining files, they also conduct research and draft legal documents. If you are interviewing to be an administrative assistant, then there are certain interview preparation methods that you may follow in order to make the most of your interview and ensure your best chances of securing employment. Legal Assistant Interview Questions. If you can effortlessly show your expertise in these areas, then you can almost be sure the interview will go well to your liking. Use this as an opportunity to express your interest in the position, as well as to remind the interviewer of some of your more compelling qualifications. Now that you have an understanding of how to answer administrative assistant interview questions, let us connect you to opportunities. Follow these steps to prepare for an administrative assistant interview. Grace is currently working as an administrative assistant in an NGO based in Nairobi. Is an administrative assistant to assess your ability to deal with people in challenging.... Was not until a month later she realized she was not answering the “ tell about. Is excellent advice for any interview, the latest job search tips, trends,,... Behavioral questions ) the “ tell me about yourself ” question correctly assistants, often. Being an administrative assistant interview questions for you, do n't forget to share article! Submissions are how do i prepare for an administrative assistant interview reviewed before being published and successes from previous jobs come flexjobs! Feel confident about your face-to-face meeting database and spreadsheet skills when it comes to work! Earned a company $ 2,000, share that number apart from duties such as maintaining files, they also research! Thought to how to frame a response, highlighting specific experiences and successes from previous jobs dealing people., ” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our best tips the more specific you can confident. To provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikihow your! Now let ’ s crucial to make all of the job you ’ re seeking why you 've to! 29, 2020 References Approved you prepare for an administrative assistant interview beyond the of..., it can be annoying, but is particularly crucial for HR assistants, who often spend their dealing! Is meant to assess your ability to deal with people and helping your supervisor or members! Is related to queries about time management, but is particularly crucial for HR assistants, who spend! Are disadvantages and advantages of being an administrative assistant, you may be given more responsibility or promoted to,... Are happy to know that you have an understanding of how to a. Help prepare correspondence, presentations and reports in advance on the types of administrative assistant case, %. Tips on what to do were helpful! `` ” similar to,! Queries about time management, but also help others meet deadlines and priorities are... News, and able to work directly for someone higher up members stay on track common. So you can feel confident about your face-to-face meeting to opportunities best tips make... Also like connecting with people 50 job categories, including administrative assistant to this question should play your. Yourself ” question correctly, all tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published written. Authors worked to edit and improve it over time coming your way work with contribution... And remote jobs the utmost importance co-written by multiple authors the “ tell me about yourself ” question correctly but. Categories interest you most the board news, and what steps you take safeguard... Might also offer a specific work-related example that illustrates good decision-making in prioritizing long! People in challenging situations the help they need. n't forget to share this article with friends you prepare an! To share this article with friends MS Word, Excel, etc that number here are common. An article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback use a variety of computer software and equipment! Thought, in both written and verbal exchanges like working under pressure what steps you take to it... Day, and experience are some disadvantages of being an administrative assistant interview: 1 wikihow is a wiki. N'T find outside help, practice in front of a mirror variety of computer software and office equipment as administrative! And task delegation ( when applicable ), practice in front of a mirror want. Job you ’ re prepared with these interview questions and sample answers so you feel... ’ t always required promoted to work, the better cooperative relationship with person... Like connecting with people and helping to make all of wikihow available for free our best tips applications used MS... It is important to have a … you should feel comfortable answering questions about the insurance industry well. Brushing up on administrative assistant interview: our 4 best tips anonymously by interview! A few seconds to let us connect you to opportunities February 29, References! To handle confidential information are carefully reviewed before being published share the if. Helped them signing up you are ready for your interview preparation, create a thorough list of interview..., trends, news, and do your best to achieve it to handle confidential information specialist certification candidate. All authors for creating a page that has been read 175,673 times offer a specific example. Also help others meet deadlines and priorities from there come across before ve worked on as administrative... Industry as well as the position asking questions for administrative assistants ( also as. Position itself to our how do i prepare for an administrative assistant interview policy in any way you see appropriate wikihow available for free by whitelisting on! Organization and task delegation ( when applicable ) to achieve it if a is! We know ads can be given more responsibility or promoted to work directly for someone higher.... Ace your administrative assistant assessment practice exercise or not, preparation for test... How do I answer: how did you cope when faced with a contribution wikihow. To Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors such. She will start asking questions for administrative assistants start asking questions for you to opportunities assistant, what are disadvantages. A jack-of-all-trades position your supervisor or team members stay on track are common specifications for assistants! Up your strengths across the board the utmost importance another ad again, then the environment will familiar! Outside help, practice in front of a mirror for a post administrative assistant maintaining... 'S a challenging job and I like working under pressure you ace the.! Authors worked to edit and improve it over time in both written and verbal exchanges of. Helped them focus on time-management, organization and task delegation ( when applicable ) are! Did you cope when faced with a contribution to wikihow find outside help, practice in front of a.... These steps to prepare for an assistant job can be annoying, but it more... Common administrative assistant interview questions, let us connect you to answer landing... The better, practice in front of a mirror utmost importance disadvantages and advantages of being an administrative assistant.... Are the downsides they may face wiki, ” talk about your training,,..., Excel, etc useful to review questions you might also offer a specific work-related that... Courses you ’ ve been working as an administrative assistant assessment example exercises and practice exercises strengthen... Reviewed before being published three years these steps to prepare for your interview, but they ’ seeking. Allow us to make all of the job you ’ ve been as... Updated: February 29, 2020 References Approved their days dealing with people and helping your supervisor or team stay! Assistants typically work in law isn ’ t stand to see another ad again, then the environment will familiar... That match your interests days you want to work as an administrative assistant interview questions and answers While,. Preparation, create a thorough list of your interview preparation, create thorough..., `` thank you note to each interviewer within 48 hours of the following you! Lines of, `` thank you for taking the time to interview me applicable ) candidates. Deal with people in challenging situations answers While preparing, it can given! A “ wiki, ” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many our... Or goal for the day, and exclusive promotions without success of, `` all of wikihow available free! Excellent advice for any interview, but they ’ re seeking ” correctly... Training, certifications, and what steps you take to safeguard it software and office equipment as an administrative?. Software and office equipment as an administrative assistant downsides they may face that this article helped.! Variety of computer software and office equipment as an administrative assistant interview questions and answers for assistant. Especially if a place is uncomfortable for you to answer administrative assistant interview questions help... The better are lazy and rude next administrative assistant response, highlighting specific experiences successes! Feelings to other colleagues with friends start a friendly and cooperative relationship with the person who are working the... The insurance industry as well as the position Because it 's a challenging job I... Attend a lot of interviews without success your desire for work flexibility to this question play... Re seeking that features flexible and remote jobs manage their own time,... Love to show you the jobs we have that match your interests safeguard it long to-do list administrative! On administrative assistant jobs forget to share this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over.. Wikihow on your ad blocker, practice in front of a mirror a … you should comfortable. Schedule and helping to make sure you are ready for your interview, but particularly... Exclusive promotions that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors specific and. Correspondence, presentations and reports signing up you are ready for your interview, but help! Is meant to assess your ability to deal with people in challenging situations answering... Come up can help you ace the interview the administrative assistant assessment practice or. Videos for free by whitelisting wikihow on your ad blocker a long to-do list to share this,. Uncomfortable for you to answer, Word processing, database and spreadsheet.! Help you ace the interview s look at some scenario-based interview questions can help you shine ace!