Clerical Jobs: What to Put on Your Resume

Clerical Jobs

When applying for clerical jobs, your resume is often the first opportunity to show an employer that you have the organization, communication, computer, and administrative skills needed to succeed in an office environment.

A strong clerical resume should do more than list where you've worked. It should clearly demonstrate what you can do, the office tools you know how to use, and how your previous experience could benefit a future employer.

Whether you're applying for an administrative assistant, receptionist, office assistant, data entry, or other clerical position, here's what to include on your resume.

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Start With a Strong Resume Summary

The top of your resume should quickly tell employers what you bring to the position.

Keep your professional summary short and focused on qualifications relevant to clerical work.

For example:

Organized administrative professional with experience supporting daily office operations, customer communication, data entry, scheduling, and document management. Proficient in Microsoft Office with strong attention to detail and communication skills.

If you're applying for entry-level clerical jobs, emphasize transferable skills rather than worrying about a lack of direct office experience.

Include Relevant Clerical Skills

Employers often scan resumes quickly, so make your most relevant skills easy to identify.

Useful clerical resume skills can include:

• Data entry

• Microsoft Excel

• Microsoft Word

• Microsoft Outlook

• Google Workspace

• Calendar management

• Appointment scheduling

• Filing and recordkeeping

• Customer service

• Phone etiquette

• Email communication

• Document preparation

• Typing

• Inventory or order entry

• Accounts payable and receivable

• Office equipment

• Attention to detail

• Time management

Don't add a skill simply because it appears in the job description. Only include skills you actually possess and could comfortably discuss during an interview.

Highlight Your Computer Skills

Technology proficiency is increasingly important for clerical jobs.

Instead of simply writing "computer skills," identify the programs and systems you know.

For example:

Software: Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Google Workspace

If you have experience with specialized software such as an applicant tracking system, CRM, accounting platform, scheduling system, or ERP system, include that as well when it's relevant to the position.

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Describe What You Actually Accomplished

One of the biggest opportunities to strengthen a clerical resume is within your work experience section.

Avoid filling it entirely with generic responsibilities.

Instead of:

Responsible for answering phones.

Consider:

Managed incoming calls and directed customers to the appropriate departments while maintaining professional customer service.

Instead of:

Did data entry.

Consider:

Entered and maintained customer and order information while reviewing records for accuracy.

The second versions give employers a better understanding of how you performed the work.

Use Numbers When Possible

Numbers can make your experience more specific and credible.

For example:

• Processed 75+ customer orders per day.

• Managed calendars for four department managers.

• Responded to 50+ incoming calls during daily operations.

• Maintained hundreds of digital and physical records.

• Entered customer information while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Don't invent numbers just to make your resume sound impressive. Use metrics when you genuinely know them.

Include Customer Service Experience

Many clerical positions involve regular interaction with customers, vendors, employees, or the public.

Customer service experience can therefore be highly transferable.

Your resume might highlight experience:

• Answering customer questions

• Handling incoming calls

• Greeting visitors

• Responding to emails

• Resolving basic issues

• Processing orders

• Scheduling appointments

• Communicating with different departments

This can be especially helpful if you're transitioning from retail, hospitality, or another customer-facing industry into office work.

Show Your Organizational Skills

Organization is central to many clerical jobs, but simply listing "organized" on your resume isn't particularly convincing.

Show how you've used the skill.

For example:

Maintained electronic and physical filing systems to keep employee documentation organized and easily accessible.

Or:

Coordinated calendars, appointments, and meeting schedules for multiple team members.

Examples provide evidence behind the skill.

Match Your Resume to the Job Description

Using the exact same resume for every application can limit your chances of standing out.

Read each job description carefully and identify recurring skills, responsibilities, software, and qualifications.

If the employer emphasizes:

• Excel

• Scheduling

• Data entry

• Customer service

• Accounts payable

• Filing

and you have those skills, make sure they're clearly represented on your resume.

This also helps your resume better align with applicant tracking systems, or ATS, that employers may use to screen applications.

Include Relevant Education and Certifications

Your education section doesn't need to dominate your resume, but it should be easy to locate.

Depending on your background, you may include:

• High school diploma

• GED

• College degree

• Professional certificates

• Microsoft Office training

• Administrative training

• Relevant continuing education

If you've recently completed a course that directly relates to the position, consider highlighting it.

What If You Don't Have Clerical Experience?

You don't necessarily need previous clerical job titles to have relevant experience.

Many jobs develop transferable administrative skills.

For example, retail experience may demonstrate customer service, cash handling, organization, and communication.

Warehouse experience may demonstrate inventory tracking, data entry, documentation, accuracy, and time management.

Hospitality experience may demonstrate scheduling, customer communication, multitasking, and problem-solving.

Focus your clerical resume on the parts of your previous experience that relate most closely to the job you're pursuing.

Clerical Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Before submitting your resume, check for common problems such as:

• Spelling or grammatical errors

• Outdated contact information

• Unprofessional email addresses

• Long paragraphs

• Irrelevant information

• Inconsistent formatting

• Skills you can't actually demonstrate

• Generic descriptions of previous jobs

Attention to detail is important in clerical work, so mistakes on your resume can send the wrong message.

Keep Your Resume Easy to Read

A resume doesn't need complicated graphics or elaborate formatting to be effective.

Prioritize readability.

Use clear headings, consistent formatting, concise bullet points, and enough white space to make important information easy to find.

For most candidates applying to clerical jobs, a straightforward professional resume is often the strongest approach.

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Clerical Jobs Final Thoughts

A strong clerical resume should quickly show employers that you're organized, dependable, comfortable with technology, and capable of supporting everyday office operations.

Highlight your relevant skills, computer proficiency, accomplishments, customer service experience, and administrative responsibilities. Most importantly, tailor your resume to the position you're applying for.

When employers can easily see how your experience matches what they need, you give yourself a better chance of turning your application into an interview.