Office Support Assistant

Administrative assistants have to work effectively as part of a team or group. Your answers should highlight your ability to build relationships with other group members and show how you contribute to team success.

Yes. I have used all of these at the previous job as well as company's own oracle based enterprise software application

One of the hallmark duties of an administrative assistant is answering a stream of telephone calls. You must remain courteous at all times and maintain a high level of efficiency. With these kind of administrative assistant interview questions and answers, the hiring manager wants to know that you are completely capable of this task.

I enjoy travelling. It will be my pleasure to travel for official work.

There were several things that I had to fit into one work day including taking phone calls, directing visitors to the right departments, taking minutes of meetings, assisting in procurement of supplies and equipment and of course managing mail.

Most people try to get this job simply because it is convenient, offers routine duties and clean working environment. And a decent salary of course…

Well, we naturally apply for a job to earn money (nobody would work full time for free). But earning money should not resonate in your answer.

Oppositely, you should try to convince the hiring manager that you really want to have this job. Motivation is crucial for every administrative assistant, do not forget on it. If you want to get hired, you can't look like someone who takes this job as a last option only.

ABC is a small company with limited opportunities for advancement. While I have thoroughly enjoyed my work there, I decided it was time to move on in order to advance.

Say that an administrator plays an important role in ensuring that diaries are properly managed and that all outgoing correspondence is well written and all incoming correspondence is read and delivered to the relevant managers quickly.

Administrative assistants are typically pretty busy people. A big pile of papers on a table of an assistant is a common picture we see, not only in the films. And obviously, there's "a mess" in their computer too :)

Interviewers are aware of it and try to find out if you are able to prioritize your tasks, or to work on different tasks simultaneously. Your goal is to convince them about your time management skills, an ability to organize work and recognize the most important tasks to take care of immediately.

Yes, these timings are perfect for me and I am readily available and willing to work overtime and on weekends.

Meeting people and speaking to customers is often a vital part of being an administrator. Say that you enjoy talking to people and that interaction with other people is often what makes the work most interesting.

If pushed too far you would consider speaking to your manager about workloads and expectations and try to resolve the situation.

When you are asked about your strengths, you want to relate your response to skills and abilities that are relevant to your prospective position. Perhaps you are excellent at speaking and working with clients or keeping the office impeccably organized. Either of these can be highly prized in the right environment. Frame your strengths as an asset to your prospective employer.

If you have experience, mention the packages you have used. If not, get some training in the most important packages before your interview. Ask your recruitment consultant what are the best packages to learn.

Multitasking is a necessary part of an administration job, so say that you enjoy multitasking and the challenge of ensuring that multiple functions and jobs are completed accurately and on time is part of what motivates you in your work.

I am a people person. I like to work with people. If I couldn't, it would be difficult.

Yes, I possess Houston State Driver's license with no tickets

At this point, salary is not an issue for me. I'm more concerned with the position and the opportunity to learn.