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How do you write an office assistant cover letter?
If you are considering sending a cover letter along with your resume for office assistant jobs, you are on the right track.
An office assistant cover letter can not only help you pose as a serious candidate but will also increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
However, not just any thoughtless cover letter.
Your letter has to be compelling enough to hit the mark and written with a particular employer in mind.
Anything less will not stand a chance in the current fierce job market.
Read on to get clarity about the following questions related to the office assistant cover letter:
- What are the duties and responsibilities of an office assistant?
- Why do you need a cover letter for an administrative assistant position?
- What should an administrative assistant cover letter say?
- What skills should an office assistant have?
- How to write an office assistant cover letter with no experience?
- How much do office assistants make?
What does an Office Assistant Do?
Before you begin writing an office assistant cover letter, you must be clear about their job description.
Also known as administrative assistants, office assistants are responsible for scheduling appointments, managing office inventory, organizing files, etc.
They streamline the workflow for the senior management and ensure a smooth workflow in the office.
Although their duties may vary depending on the industry they’re in, listed below are some of their general responsibilities:
- Maintaining inventory of office supplies
- Making travel arrangements for senior executives
- Responding to client calls and emails
- Performing data entry and updating paperwork
- Creating and maintaining calendar schedules for executives
Also read: What is the job description of an administrative assistant?
Why Do You Need a Cover Letter for Office Assistant Position?
It's no secret that for a single job vacancy, recruiters receive hundreds of resumes from job seekers.
Out of this pool of applicants, only 35% send a cover letter with their resume, while surveys show that 56% of recruiters want candidates to send a cover letter.
So, by sending a well-written office assistant cover letter with your resume, you’ll be a step ahead of candidates who didn’t bother to send one.
Additionally, an office assistant cover letter can help you do the following to present yourself as a determined candidate:
- Explain your motivation to join the company
- Describe what you can do for the company
- Align your skills to their requirements
- Explain the reasons for a career change or employment gaps (if any)
Also read: How to write a stellar office assistant resume in 2023?
How to Write a Cover Letter for Office Assistant?
Given below are some tips to help you write a compelling office assistant cover letter with ease:
Use the Correct Format
Small details like the format of your office assistant cover letter can determine its readability and appeal to the recruiter.
Here are some pointers you must follow:
- Left align the contents of your cover letter
- Keep 1” margin on all sides
- Use professional fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, and Ariel
- To maintain uniformity, use the same font style in your resume and cover letter
- The font size can range between 10-12 points
- The word count must range between 200-300 words
- Use a simple design with subtle accent colors
- Save your cover letter in PDF format, unless mentioned otherwise
Personalize Your Office Assistant Cover Letter
One of the important details that can grab the recruiters’ attention to your office assistant cover letter is a personalized address.
Instead of writing “To whom it may concern” like an average candidate, address the letter with the hiring manager’s name.
You can research the company to find out their name and to know more about your potential employers.
This will increase the chances of the recruiters reading your office assistant cover letter.
You can even personalize the salutation by writing:
“Dear Mr../Ms. XYZ (the last name of the hiring manager)”
Hiration Pro Tip: Avoid using salutations like Miss or Mrs. if the hiring manager is a female. Instead, practice using Ms. or any other professional title like Dr. or Prof. if they have one.
Analyze the Job Description
The best way to know which skills and experiences you must highlight in your office assistant cover letter is by analyzing the job description provided in the listing.
Identify the employers’ key requirements and illustrate your ability to meet them.
For instance, if one of the requirements mentioned in the listing is proficiency in using Office Suite, you must highlight your familiarity with the same in your office assistant cover letter.
Highlight Important Skills
Listed below are some of the top office assistant skills that you can highlight in your cover letter with reference to the job description:
| Calendar Management | Datasheet |
| File/Folder Organization | Inventory Management |
| Office Administration | Reporting & Documentation |
| Travel Bookings | Leadership Support |
| Scheduling | Data Entry |
Focus on the Company
Most candidates make the mistake of talking only about their personal goals, objectives, and expectations from the company in their cover letters.
Don’t make it all about the yourself. You can state how it'll be a great opportunity for you but focus on showing what you can bring to the table and how you can benefit them if they hire you.
Write about how your skills and experiences can streamline workflow for them.
This also means that you must write your office assistant cover letter with a specific employer in mind, instead of being generic.
Research the company and mention how their company values or recent projects resonate with you.
Doing so will help you portray your interest and dedication to the company effectively.
Proofread Your Office Assistant Cover Letter
It's normal to make some spelling mistakes and grammatical errors while writing your office assistant cover letter.
But it is not acceptable to send it through without correcting these errors and proofreading it.
You can run your office assistant cover letter through Grammarly to identify typos or errors and have a friend read it once to ensure that you haven’t missed anything.
Also read: What are the top interview questions for administrative assistants?
Entry-level Office Assistant Cover Letter
The basic guidelines for writing a cover letter for an office assistant with no experience are the same as that for candidates with experience.
The only difference is that you must focus on highlighting your academic achievements, volunteer work, and internship experiences as a fresher.
If you have taken up certification courses or training for office assistants, you must highlight that as well as it can help you make up for the lack of experience.
Through your entry-level office assistant cover letter, you must tell the recruiters how you can benefit the company by leveraging your skills and knowledge.
Also read: How to write a resume with no experience?
Sample Cover Letter for Administrative Assistant
Office Assistant Salary
Office assistants in the US make an average salary of $65,167 per annum.
This salary figure can widely vary depending on your location, employer, skills, and experience.
Given below are some of the highest-paying companies for office assistant jobs:
| COMPANIES | AVERAGE SALARY |
|---|---|
| University of Alabama | $142,435 |
| Northside Hospital | $119,018 |
| Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office | $82,560 |
| University of Nebraska Medical Center | $81,925 |
| State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company | $75,495 |
| San Bernardino County | $73,663 |
| State of Alaska | $73,556 |
| Northwell Health | $72,963 |
| Fresno Superior Court | $72,769 |
| University of Alabama, Birmingham | $72,068 |
While the following US cities are the best places to earn more as office assistants:
| US CITIES | AVERAGE SALARY |
|---|---|
| New York, NY | $75,513 |
| Washington, DC | $75,416 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $71,499 |
| Chicago, IL | $70,718 |
| Atlanta, GA | $68,506 |
| Baltimore, MD | $68,240 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $68,033 |
| Houston, TX | $66,541 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $64,191 |
Also read: When should you ask for a raise at work?
Key Points from the Blog
The following are the core points of the blog:
- You must use professional fonts like Times New Roman, Calibri, and Ariel that don’t have special characters to enhance the readability of your office assistant cover letter.
- The word count of your office assistant cover letter must range between 200-300 words and must be saved in PDF format, unless mentioned otherwise.
- Personalize your office assistant cover letter by addressing the letter with the hiring manager’s name.
- Analyze the job description provided in the listing to identify the key requirements of the company.
- Your office assistant cover letter must exemplify what you can do for the company rather than talking about your personal goals.
- Ensure to proofread your office assistant's cover letter to avoid typos and grammatical mistakes.
If you want to create a compelling cover letter for an office assistant position without breaking a sweat, use Hiration’s Cover Letter Builder which is powered by AI. You can write to us at support@hiration.com if you have any questions.
