To land a job as an office clerk, you'll need a resume that showcases efficiency and organization. This job requires plenty of attention to detail and a strong knowledge of a company's internal systems. You can convey all these skills plus a great personality on your resume sample.
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Resume.io is a resource for job seekers with 300+ resume examples for all fields and career levels. This guide, along with our office clerk resume example will show you how to:
- Choose the best format for an office clerk resume sample
- Write each section using action verbs and details to quantify your abilities
- Create a resume layout that catches the hiring manager's attention
- Organize your employment history section for maximum effectiveness
What does an office clerk do?
Office clerks perform a variety of administrative tasks, such as answering phone calls, organizing office files and records, and managing and updating calendars. Office clerks can work in many different industries where basic office duties need tending to.
Office clerks should have both basic and advanced office skills allowing them to handle everyday administrative tasks as well as more complex duties. They typically need to possess a basic understanding of office equipment, which allows them to do things like make copies, scan reports, and operate mail room machines.
Office clerks should possess excellent organizational skills and strong customer service skills. An ideal candidate holds a high school diploma or equivalent diploma and has some experience in an administrative setting.
Check out our other related guides including this administrative assistant resume example, office administrator resume example and receptionist resume example.
How to write an office clerk resume
To write an effective office clerk resume, you'll need to include many of the elements found in traditional resume samples including:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
By treating these sections as a checklist, you'll be sure to have included all the information relevant to your experience as an office clerk. This structure also allows a busy hiring manager to scan your resume and find all of the information they're looking for.
An office clerk resume should showcase a variety of qualities necessary to properly handle basic office duties. Office clerks should be adept in computer correspondence, scheduling, and handling payments in some cases. It is important that office clerks highlight their administrative strengths, as well as their ability to learn new processes quickly. The ideal candidate works well independently as well as in a team. A winning office clerk resume should highlight one’s ability to provide excellent customer service and work well with time constraints.
Before a hiring manager ever lays eyes on your resume sample, it's likely a computer program has already scanned it. That's right – Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are built into many of today's online application portals and are used to search for keywords in resumes. Only the highest ranking applicants are then passed on to the hiring manager's desk. As daunting as this may seem, there are concrete steps you can take to avoid being filtered out.
- Read the job description closely and look for "keywords" – skills or duties emphasized by the employer.
- Place these keywords into your resume (where appropriate) using the exact language from the job description.
- Label each resume section with a common title like "Employment history" or "Skills" so the ATS knows exactly where to look for information.
Even if you're emailing your resume to employers, it never hurts to make sure you've included the qualities that they're most concerned about. Hunting for these keywords in the job description can significantly increase your chances of landing the position.
Choosing the best resume format for office clerks
Since office clerks generally occupy entry-level positions, you have a few choices when it comes to choosing the best format for your resume sample. If you already have previous experience in administration, the reverse chronological resume format is likely your best choice. That's because this format places emphasis on previous positions through the use of a lengthy employment history section. This is also the resume format hiring managers are expecting to see.
However, if you're looking to land your first job, you may consider a functional resume format which begins with an "Experience" or "Skills" section and allows you to list your strengths without having to attribute them to a particular employer. Since the functional format can sometimes come across as inexperienced, you may prefer to create a combination format with blends elements of both styles and generally includes a shorter employment history section.
In 2019, there were over three million office clerk positions in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These positions are expected to get more competitive as automated processes and software reduces the need for office clerks and manual data entry.
Resume summary example
The resume summary gives employers a taste of all you have to offer without being weighed down with too many details. These 3-5 sentences are designed to hook hiring manager's interest and encourage them to read the rest of the page. Focus on your biggest accomplishments and attributes, along with any noteworthy skills or specialized knowledge. This is also one of the most important sections to include ATS-beating keywords. Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and job specific information as you can. Office clerks play a large role in making sure office procedures run smoothly. Use numbers and concrete facts to add weight to your achievements.
Check out this summary from our resume example to help you create your own.
Passionate and knowledgeable office clerk with vast experience providing administrative and management skills in office settings. Accustomed to addressing the changing needs of an office and supporting colleagues and superiors with excellent assistance skills. I bring forth high quality organizational skills and a self-motivated drive to achieve excellence. Adept in various software applications, filing systems, and office equipment. A commitment to safely and professionally handling confidential tasks. Eager and ready to leverage my managerial and administrative skills to best serve your office.
Employment history sample
If using the reverse chronological format, employment history will take up a major portion of your resume sample. First, list your previous job titles starting with your most recent and working backwards until you've listed all relevant experience. Don't forget to include the employer's name, location and the dates worked. Underneath, create 4-5 bullet points that include your primary duties and accomplishments. Use numbers and action verbs to illustrate your impact on the office and show an employer what you could bring to their company. You can also include related positions that show transferrable skills necessary for an office clerk position.
Here's the employment history section from our resume example.
Office Clerk, PS.91 NYC PUblic School, New York
November 2015 - July 2019
- Performed all administrative and clerical tasks in the school general office.
- Assisted Teachers and the Dean o Students with any administrative work, including the editing, proofreading, and distributing of documents.
- Handled all incoming and outgoing mail.
- Greeted visitors and provided them with general information about the school.
- Handled student health forms and filed them appropriately.
Office Clerk, AIO Healthcare Inc., New York
October 2012 - October 2015
- Greeted visitors with a friendly and helpful attitude.
- Answered calls and scheduled appointments.
- Provided interested parties with general information.
- Sorted incoming mail and handled outgoing mail.
- Processed bills and handled other confidential documents.
- Typed and edited memos and reports.
- Made copies, input data, and performed other important clerical tasks.
- Showed a sincere commitment to the success of AIO Healthcare Inc.
Front Office Desk Assistant, AIO Healthcare Inc., New York
November 2010 - September 2012
- Served as a liaison between health professionals and patients.
- Provided patients with necessary information about the company and it's services.
- Processed insurance claims and paperwork.
- Made and received calls and scheduled appointments.
Office clerk resume education example
Although office clerks aren't required to have any advanced degrees, listing out your education in this section helps the hiring manager understand your background. Make sure to include the degree name, school, location and dates attended. If you are still a student, you can include an anticipated graduation date and your GPA if higher than a 3.0. Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well. If you hold a degree higher than a bachelor's degree, you may leave out your high school.
Bachelor of Communications, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Nyack
August 2006 - May 2010
High School Diploma, Nyack High School, Nyack
September 2002 - May 2006
CV skills example
As an office clerk, your skills should be well-highlighted on your CV. This is the CV section that shows a hiring manager exactly what you can bring to their company. Because of it's bullet-point format, it's a good idea to choose skills that can be summarized in a word or two. Again, make sure to check out the job description for any skills that are particularly important to the employer. Include a mix of hard skills (specialized knowledge) and soft skills (personal attributes) to show why you're the perfect fit for the office environment. In order to be considered a strong candidate you must present yourself as a hardworking and highly organized. Be sure to include job specific skills on your resume sample.
Check out the skill section from our office clerk resume example below.
- Organizational Skills
- Management Skills
- Knowledge of Office Systems
- Fast Typing Skills
- Communication Skills
Resume layout and design
The layout and design of your resume sample are nearly as important as the writing itself. That's because your visual presentation allows the hiring manager to form a first impression of you from the moment their eyes meet the page. Your header is one of the most important sections in creating a great layout because it's one of the few places you'll be able to add color or other design elements to the page. Choose your header carefully taking into consideration the look and feel of the company, their tone and branding. You may need to switch up your design depending on the specific workplace you're applying to. A simple resume template can help you accomplish this quickly.
- Choose a consistent theme for your design including specific fonts sizes and styles.
- Create a balanced page layout to avoid visual fatigue.
- Use an 11 or 12 point font size.
- Go overboard with colors or fancy design elements.
- Create a resume longer than one page.
- Submit your resume without first proofreading for spelling and grammar mistakes.
Key takeaways
- A strong resume will become even more important for office clerks as the field grows increasingly competitive.
- Use common section headings helps a hiring manager find important details and makes it easy for the ATS to scan your resume.
- Action verbs and concrete numbers can help a hiring manager see the value you bring.
- Don't overlook the formatting – your header should make your resume stand out without being over-the-top.
