Here are the top Office Manager skills to include on your resume.

Office Managers oversee the daily operations of an office. They can work in a variety of settings – from a corporate office or medical clinic to an industrial warehouse or government agency – and must be adept at coordinating and organizing schedules and administrative tasks while fostering a productive office culture. 

If you're seeking an Office Manager job, you'll need a compelling resume to land interviews. We've provided a list of Office Manager skills below to help. 

Why are Office Manager skills important?

An office needs to run like a well-oiled machine to support optimal business operations and productivity, making superb Office Manager skills a necessity. Office Managers keep the office running in such a way that employees, third-party vendors, consumers, and other stakeholders receive what they need to avoid disruptions and unnecessary challenges. 

Employers realize that Office Managers' roles require the ability to do their jobs well in what's often a fast-paced environment – they must always be on their toes and ready to act when needed. Skills like time management, communication, organization, process improvement, operations, and analysis are essential to success. 

These are just a few of the types of skills employers look for on an Office Manager's resume. Let's talk about some other Office Manager skills you'll want to add to your resume.

Office Manager skills for a resume

To be an effective Office Manager, you must have the right blend of technical and soft skills. Technical skills are the hard skills we learn through education and training. Hard skills can be easily measured and assessed. 

Soft skills, or people skills, are the skills necessary for us to be able to work effectively with others and support a productive work environment. Though not easily measurable, they're vital to career success and generally acquired and enhanced over time. 

Top Office Manager technical skills

Here are some of the most common hard skills required for an Office Manager to succeed:

  • Operations

  • Microsoft Office

  • Scheduling

  • Analysis and assessment

  • Process improvement

Operations

Understanding operations is one of the foundational skills an Office Manager must have to succeed. Operations skills are necessary to ensure proper communication, resource management, workflow, and customer relations so the office runs as efficiently and smoothly as possible. 

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is one of the most common software packages used by organizations. Microsoft Excel, in particular, is a highly sought-after skill by employers for a variety of positions. It's especially important for Office Managers to know how to use Excel for data capture, analysis, and reporting. Excel can also be used as a calendar and project management tool to support office operations.

Scheduling

Office Managers are responsible for scheduling staff, deliveries, meetings, and more. Therefore, they need to be able to schedule effectively and know how to apply scheduling tools and software used by the organization. 

Analysis and assessment

Data analysis and assessment are additional technical skills required by Office Managers. They need to be able to analyze and assess data related to items like budgets, supply and inventory costs, employee retention, customer reviews, employee morale, and employee salaries. 

Process Improvement

Processes are vital to supporting office operations and the projects that support those operations. Office Managers need to be able to review processes and identify areas for improvement. They should be familiar with at least one of the various process improvement techniques, like Lean Manufacturing and the 5 Whys analysis. 

Additional Office Manager resume hard skills

Here are some additional Office Manager hard skills to support on-the-job success:

  • Budgeting

  • Staffing

  • Billing 

  • Recordkeeping

  • Supply and inventory management

  • Policies

  • Negotiation

  • Enterprise Management System: EMS

Top Office Manager soft skills

Now, let's take a look at some of the soft skills required for an Office Manager to succeed. Some of the top considerations include:

  • Communication

  • Problem-solving

  • Organization

  • Adaptability

  • Delegation

Communication

Offer Managers must be able to communicate effectively with employees, consumers or clients, vendors, the leadership team, and others. As such, both verbal and written communication skills are in demand for this role. 

Problem-solving

Office Managers continually face questions and challenges, requiring them to analyze situations quickly and apply critical thinking to devise solutions and solve problems. They also support the organization in developing innovative solutions and new ways of approaching things to improve productivity and efficiency. 

Organization

With so many plates spinning at once, Office Managers must be able to keep things organized so none of the items on those plates fall through the cracks. Effective time management, prioritization, and goal setting are essential functions of optimal organization. 

Adaptability

Things are constantly changing from day to day in business and office operations. Therefore, it's necessary for Office Managers to remain agile and adapt to this continually changing landscape to progress and move forward. 

Delegation

Having so much coming at them at once could run an Office Manager into the ground if they attempt to do everything themselves. That's why it's essential that Office Managers can effectively delegate items to others. Proper delegation not only supports the Office Manager in reducing stress but also provides teaching opportunities and builds trust among team members.  

Additional Office Manager resume soft skills

Here are some additional Office Manager soft skills that add value to a resume:

  • Decisiveness 

  • Time management

  • Attention to detail

  • Coaching

  • Initiative

  • Integrity

  • Teamwork

  • Creativity

  • Proactivity

  • Approachability

  • Interpersonal skills

  • Motivation 

  • Empathy

Tips to add skills to an Office Manager resume

Now that you know what skills are commonly found on an Office Manager resume, how can you best incorporate them into your resume? Consider the following tips:

  • Make a list of your skills. Use the above skills as a starting point, and make a list of all of the Office Manager skills you possess. 

  • Refer to the Office Manager job description. Read the job description carefully and highlight the required Office Manager skills and responsibilities that stand out. Compare those highlights with your list of skills. Be sure to incorporate the skills you possess that are required for the job throughout your resume. 

EXPERT TIP: You also want to tweak your resume for each application you submit to different jobs to increase your chances of landing an interview. 

  • Add a core competencies or skill list. One of the best ways to highlight required skills – especially hard skills – on your resume is to include a core competencies list right under your resume summary near the top of your resume. It's okay to list a few soft skills in these lists, though it's generally better to show vs. tell that you have soft skills, as noted in item #5 below. 

  • Highlight skills in your Resume Summary and Work Experience sections. In addition to a core competencies or skills list, highlight your Office Manager skills in your resume summary and work accomplishments content. 

Expert tip: To learn how to write a stellar Resume Summary and Work Experience section, refer to: 

  • Show vs. tell regarding soft skills. It's common to list technical skills in a core competencies or skills list. However, when it comes to soft skills that aren't easily measured, it's best to show you have these skills by highlighting work achievements that require them. After all, it's one thing to list that you have leadership ability, and it's another thing to show it. Consider this example: “Secured $15M in funding for new training initiative through development of 3 innovative marketing and advertising campaigns using social media and email communication.” 

This example speaks to leadership, as well as the soft skills of initiative, innovation, creativity, organization, critical thinking, and problem-solving, to name a few. 

Include the right Office Manager skills to stand out

Now you know the common skills seen on an Office Manager resume, as well as some tips on how to best include them. By incorporating the right mix of hard and soft skills that align with each job description, you'll be well on your way to crafting an interview-winning resume that you're confident to submit. Good luck! 

Are you confident that your resume effectively represents your Office Manager skills to land interviews? If not, consider submitting it for a professional resume review. This free service can provide valuable insights and help you enhance your application.

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