Virtual Assistant Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Virtual Assistant resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Virtual assistants are an integral part of many organizations’ workflows—managing schedules, handling administrative tasks, and helping their bosses run their businesses. If you enjoy working independently and want a job where you can wear many hats, a virtual assistant position could be a great fit for you.
When writing your resume for a virtual assistant role, think about how you can best showcase your administrative expertise and flexibility. Here are some tips and an example resume to help you write a compelling virtual assistant resume that will get noticed by hiring managers across industries.
How to Write a Virtual Assistant Resume
Here’s how to write a virtual assistant resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When it comes to writing bullet points, the more specific you can be, the better. Rather than saying you “assisted with administrative duties,” you could say that you “provided administrative support for busy executive by scheduling meetings, drafting correspondence, and preparing expense reports on deadline.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific details about what you did and the results of your work. It also includes a quantifiable result (preparing expense reports on deadline).
Related: What Is a Virtual Assistant? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a virtual assistant role, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This software looks for specific terms related to the job, like “administrative skills” or “data entry” in order to determine whether your skills are a match for the position. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure to include relevant keywords throughout all sections of your resume. Here are some common virtual assistant keywords:
- Virtual Assistance
- Administrative Assistance
- Administration
- Event Planning
- Data Entry
- Event Management
- Time Management
- Social Media
- Office Administration
- Teamwork
- Public Speaking
- Customer Service
- Blogging
- Social Media Marketing
- Typing
- Organization Skills
- Research
- Communication
- Executive Administrative Assistance
- Photography
- Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Marketing Strategy
- WordPress
- Google Analytics
- Project Management
- Copywriting
- Social Media Advertising
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a virtual assistant, you use a variety of technology tools to manage your work. This might include programs like Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Additionally, virtual assistants often use project management software and communication tools like Skype and Zoom. So be sure to list all of the programs and tools that you are familiar with in your technical skills section.
Related: How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, there are a few basic rules to keep in mind.
Create Scannable Sections
There are a few things you can do to make your resume more readable and skimmable for employers. First, use left-aligned text, plain fonts, and avoid centered text. You should also use bullets instead of paragraphs to list your experiences, and keep your bullets to no more than 2 lines. Additionally, you can use bolding and italics to emphasize important information, but should avoid using all-caps or too much formatting variation. Finally, try to leave some white space on the page to make the document less overwhelming.
Be Concise
There is no set length for a resume, but a one-page resume is typically the best option for recent graduates or those with less than five to eight years of professional experience. If you have more experience than that, you can make a two-page resume, but be selective about the information that you include. Remember to focus on the most relevant and recent experience, and be concise when writing your resume.
Proofread
Proofreading your resume is important in order to make sure it looks professional and error-free. Spell checking is a must, as are punctuation and grammar checks. It is also helpful to have someone else proofread your resume for you, as they may catch mistakes that you have missed. Beware of easily confused words, and make sure that your tense is consistent throughout the resume.
Consider Including a Summary
A resume summary statement can be a great way to orient the reader and give them a snapshot of your qualifications. It should be concise and focus on your relevant skills and experiences. When writing your summary, be sure to target the role you’re hoping to land and highlight the skills that are most relevant. Keep it to a couple of sentences and make sure it’s well written and easy to understand.
Related Resume Examples
