How to craft an effective administrative assistant cover letter in 5 steps
Businesses in all industries rely on administrative assistants to support their staff and keep business operations running smoothly. To earn a position as an administrative assistant, you will need a cover letter that hooks the attention of employers and convinces them you are the perfect addition to their team.
In this guide, we will cover 5 essential steps to writing a cover letter as an administrative assistant. Keep reading to learn how to:
- Craft your cover letter header & headline correctly
- Create a personalized greeting on your cover letter
- Write an effective administrative assistant cover letter introduction
- Show your professional value as an administrative assistant
- End your cover letter with a compelling closing statement
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1. Craft your administrative assistant cover letter header & headline correctly
Before beginning to write the introduction and body of your cover letter, the first step you must take is crafting the ideal header and headline.
A cover letter header is where you will place the company’s information, your name, and your contact information. Generally, this information should be placed in the top left corner of the cover letter.
As for the cover letter headline, this is a short, one-sentence statement that serves as a title for your letter. Think of it as being similar to a news story headline – it should be concise and snappy, providing a preview of what information is to come.
Below are examples of how to format and write both the header and the headline of your Administrative Assistant cover letter:
Formatting the header
When writing your header, you should try to keep it at around 3 lines in length. To make your name memorable, either list it first or bold the text to make it pop.
Here is an example of a well-formatted cover letter header
To: Jordan Law Associates, Administrative Department
From: Jane Doe, Administrative Assistant
(123) 456-7890 | janedoe@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jane-doe
Writing the headline
As mentioned, the headline of a cover letter is similar to the headline of a news story. When writing this headline, you should always use a keyword related to the position, an eye-catching number or trigger word, a powerful adjective or verb, and a promise.
Here is an example of an administrative assistant headline, followed by a breakdown of the key components
3 Ways I Can Improve Your Company’s Administrative Efficiency
Trigger Word/Number: 3 Ways, Efficiency
Keyword: Administrative
Adjective/Verb: Improve
Promise: Your Company – by stating this, you are promising to apply your skills specifically for the needs of the company you are applying to.
2. Create a personalized greeting on your cover letter
The greeting you use on your administrative cover letter should be as specific to the company as possible. Rather than including a vague greeting – such as “To Whom It May Concern” – you should research beforehand the exact person who is in charge of hiring in the department you are applying to.
In some cases, it may not be evident who exactly will be reviewing your cover letter. In this scenario, you should opt for one of the following greetings:
To the [Company Name] Team
Or
To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager
By writing these more personalized greetings, you show not only your commitment to the company but also your attention to detail.
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3. Write an effective administrative assistant cover letter introduction
Once your header, headline, and greeting are out of the way, it’s time to write your introduction!
To write an effective cover letter introduction as an administrative assistant, you should strive to include the following information:
- A brief overview of your professional history and goals
- A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
- A mutual acquaintance (when possible)
If you have any major accomplishments, you may also include one of these in the introduction. Otherwise, you should reserve your key achievements for the body paragraphs of your cover letter.
Here is an example to help demonstrate how to write an administrative assistant cover letter introduction
To the [Company Name] Hiring Manager,
With more than 5 years of experience as an Administrative Assistant in the FinTech industry, I am the ideal addition to your growing team. I was recommended to apply by Jack Smith, one of your company’s recruitment agents, after discussing with him my goal to join a FinTech startup with opportunities for advancement.
In this example, the applicant writes an effective introduction by stating the years of experience they have within a specific industry. They make the introduction even more powerful by stating they were recommended for the position by one of the company’s recruitment agents.
4. Show your professional value as an administrative assistant
The body paragraphs of your administrative assistant cover letter are where you will speak more in-depth about your accomplishments and why you believe you are a great fit for the company.
As you write these paragraphs, try to answer each of the following questions:
- What excites you about working at this company?
- What do you hope to learn from working at this company?
- What accomplishments or qualifications make you stand out as an applicant?
- What key skills do you possess that are relevant to the position?
When describing accomplishments and skills in these paragraphs, make sure to use specific and quantifiable details whenever possible.
Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a cover letter
As an Administrative Assistant for [Previous Employer], I focused primarily on improving the communication channels between departments. By sourcing and implementing new digital productivity software, I helped to reduce internal miscommunications and missed meetings by more than 80%.
5. End your cover letter with a compelling closing statement
Although the closing statement of your cover letter should be brief, it is still a powerful element of your letter that can affect whether or not you hear back from an employer.
Within this closing statement, you should include:
- An enthusiastic sentence saying you are looking forward to hearing from them
- An additional sentence stating you will follow up, including how you will contact them or how they can contact you
- A formal sign-off
Here is an example of an effective closing statement on an administrative assistant cover letter
With my years of experience and passion for the industry, I know I will be the perfect addition to your team. I look forward to hearing from you and am available to schedule a call or meeting from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. My office phone number is (123) 456-7890.
Best Wishes, [Applicant Name]
If you have ever wondered how a cover letter differs from a resume, this article will tell you everything about the key differences between the two.
