Office administrators are found in the administrative teams of all types of companies, and it is a role that is vital to businesses in all sectors.
Before an interview, you should ensure you have a sound knowledge of the company, the industry they are in, and the position you are applying for. You need to turn up on time and smartly dressed, and conduct yourself in a professional manner.
What makes a good administrator?
To make a successful administrator, you must be reliable and resourceful, and be able to solve problems quickly, using your own initiative.
Administrators need to have good communication skills, as they will often become the first impression for clients and customers whether in person or over the phone.
Administrators also need to have finely tuned organisational skills, as it is a detail-orientated role where you may be required to multi-task effectively.
Typical Interview Questions
- What experience do you have?
Draw upon skills you have gained with any previous employer and demonstrate how your experience elsewhere can be beneficial in this role. - Give an experience of a time when you delivered excellent customer service
This should be an example of a time where you went above and beyond your job specification in order to fix a problem or turn a negative experience into a positive one for a customer. - How do you work within a team?
The interviewer wants to hear that you are happy communicating with a range of people, are willing to help others out, and can take direction well. - How do you prioritise your workload?
If you use any tools to stay organised, or you have a method for prioritising, the interviewer wants to hear about it and how effective your methods have been previously. - What IT skills do you possess and what software can you use?
In the digital age, an employer will be keen to know that you can navigate your way around a computer and you have some experience with software that they use. - In what ways have you contributed to improving efficiency within an office environment?
If you have ever come up with a way to simplify a day to day office procedure, go into detail here as this shows initiative and helpfulness. - How do you cope with busy periods?
Being able to keep your cool during stressful moments/days is a desirable trait for a busy administrator, so give an example of an especially busy time during a previous role, and describe your coping mechanisms. - Do you enjoy interacting with clients/customers?
This question will also reveal whether you are a sociable and friendly person on the whole, which is important for an administrator, who will also have a lot of interaction with internal employees. - Are you good at solving problems?
An office administrator needs to be the eyes and ears of the business at times, and if things go wrong they need to be able to spot it, raise it, and come up with solutions.
Hopefully now you should feel more prepared for your interview, so now you just need to remember to keep eye contact and extend your arm for a firm hand shake.
