9 Common Administrative

Assistant Interview Questions and

How to Answer Them

If you’re in the market for a new job as an administrative assistant, you

need to highlight several strengths in your job interview if you want a shot
at the job offer.

In such a multifaceted role that can require anything from bookkeeping to

social media management and everything in between, administrative
assistants wear a lot of hats to support their teams and keep the company
organized, timely, and successful. And that work is only growing with 60%
of administrative assistants reporting that their workload has increased.

As a vital support system that takes on a lot of work, executives want to

hire assistants that are professional, resourceful, positive, and have a host
of other qualities. Expressing those qualities in your job interview answers
is crucial to making a great first impression with employers.

Having screened and interviewed plenty of candidates as an administrative

staffing agency for the past 50 years, we know the types of questions
employers ask in an interview. To help you prepare and impress, check out
the common administrative assistant interview questions and how to
answer them down below.

Administrative Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

Prepare for interview questions that relate specifically to the administrative
assistant role with the questions and answers we’ve gathered for you.
1. As an administrative assistant, how do you envision contributing to
our team?

Administrative assistants do not have a small role by any means. Show

employers that you can make a big impact by sharing the ways you expect
to contribute to or support their success.

 By keeping the team organized and on schedule, I believe I can help

everyone meet their goals and objectives more effectively. Plus, by
taking administrative work off of their plates, they can use their time
more efficiently and increase their productivity at work.

2. What’s the best project you’ve worked on as an administrative

assistant? Why did you like it?

To gain an idea of the work you’ve completed in the past as an

administrative assistant, but also see what kind of work you enjoy,
interviewers will often ask you to share specific examples of your work
history. If this question or a similar one comes up, walk them through a
project you worked on, why it was important, and why you enjoyed it.

 Our marketing team needed help with executing their social media
plan to attract and engage customers. I enjoyed helping schedule and
write the messages as it exposed me to a new area of business —
marketing. It also allowed me to exercise my attention to detail and
communication skills, which impressed my teammates.

3. How do you feel the administrative assistant role has changed or

will change in the future?

Indicate to employers that you can see the bigger picture and anticipate
changes. Then, show them that you can and already have adapted to that
change through your skillset or work history.

 While some think that administrative assistants will be replaced by

technology, I would actually argue that they will be enhanced by
technology. Technology on its own can’t accomplish everything, the
people behind it are what make it effective. If administrative
 assistants can adapt to new technological advancements it will only
help them better support their teammates and executives. That’s why
I focused on developing my Microsoft Outlook and Excel skills in past
positions.

4. In your opinion, what are the most important skills that a good
administrative assistant should have?

This question is a great opportunity to map your own strengths to the

requirements listed in the job description. Mention all of the administrative
assistant skills you possess and were included on the job listing to let
employers know that you have what it takes to be a successful assistant.

 First and foremost, I believe a good administrative assistant needs to

be organized if they want to help coordinate the team. In addition,
they need to have great time management skills to help with
scheduling meetings and staying on task. Personally, I feel computer
skills and communication also help with those tasks. Because I have
these skills, I feel I would make a successful assistant here.

5. Have you ever had to juggle multiple supervisors as an

administrative assistant? If so, how did you handle it?

Administrative assistants don’t always have just one boss or supervisor.

Often times, administrative assistants need to support multiple executives
or team leaders that are each in superior positions. It’s important that
administrative assistants can handle direction from multiple parties without
sacrificing productivity.

 Yes, I have. I was the executive assistant for three members of our
executive team. To keep up with delegated tasks and give each
executive ample support, I dedicated portions of my workday to each
person. This ensured that each executive felt cared for everyday.
However, if a priority task did come up, I would address it promptly so
deadlines were met.
General Job Interview Questions
Regardless of the position you are applying for, there are some general
interview questions that employers love to ask. Next, we’ll walk you through
some of the common job interview questions and how to answer them.

6. Tell me about yourself.

This question tops the list as it is usually the first question asked by
interviewers. When sharing your story, showcase your past
accomplishments, strengths, and past work experience while also relating
your story back to the requirements included in the job description. But
avoid sounding too technical or rehearsed. Employers also want to get a
sense of your personality.

 I’m from a small town in Wisconsin, but attended college here in the
Twin Cities. After receiving my associate’s degree in business
administration, I worked as an administrative assistant at a local law
firm. While there, I really honed my organizational and time
management skills, which I feel make me a great candidate for this
role.

7. Why do you want to work here?

Simply put, employers want to work with people who want to be there and
have good reasons behind their interest. This question is your chance to
provide them with those answers and show that this opportunity is one you
really want.

 I immediately became interested in this position because your

company prioritizes the local community and giving back. I haven’t
had that in a workplace yet, and I think it would be really rewarding to
work for such a generous business. This role also plays to my
strengths as an extremely organized and helpful professional. I think I
could really make a difference here.
8. Why did you leave your last job?

This can be a hard question to answer because there could be a number of

reasons you left your last job, and some of them might give a less than
stellar impression of your previous employer. The best approach to this
question is to be honest and take the high road. Don’t paint your previous
employer in a negative light.

 I’m looking for a role that is a little more challenging because it will
allow me to learn new things and progress in my career. I think this
role will provide the growth I’m looking for.

9. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?

This question can be tricky because it’s a behavioral interview question and
it makes you focus on a time you failed. To answer this question
successfully, show how you were able to bounce back and correct the
mistake.

 I once missed an attendee on a meeting request. Luckily, I had set up

reminders at the end of every day to double-check my work and
caught the mistake the day it happened. After catching the mistake, I
added the attendee to the invite without anyone realizing there was
an error. Keeping myself organized and accurate really helped me
that day.

Source: Download 14 Best Job Interview Questions and Answers PDF

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