Top 12 Administrative Manager Skills to Put on Your Resume
The job market is loud. To stand out as an Administrative Manager, your resume needs to display skills that speak in specifics—tools, methods, and behaviors that keep operations steady and projects moving. The right mix shows range, reliability, and the grit to keep a team humming.
Administrative Manager Skills
- QuickBooks
- Microsoft Office
- Salesforce
- Google Workspace
- Project Management
- Data Analysis
- SAP ERP
- Time Management
- Budget Planning
- HRIS Systems
- Conflict Resolution
- Trello
1. QuickBooks
QuickBooks is accounting software for small and mid-sized businesses that handles invoicing, bills, payroll, expenses, and financial reporting—useful for an Administrative Manager who needs clean numbers and quick reconciliation.
Why It's Important
It centralizes money movement, automates routine finance tasks, and surfaces real-time budgets and cash flow, reducing errors and speeding decisions.
How to Improve QuickBooks Skills
Sharpen your setup and guardrails, then let automation carry the load:
Automate data entry: Recurring invoices, bill pay, bank rules—less typing, fewer mistakes.
Integrate core apps: Connect payroll, expense tools, and CRM so data flows once, cleanly.
Customize reports: Build memorized P&L, cash flow, and class/department views that match how you run the business.
Use bank feeds: Link accounts for daily transaction sync and fast reconciliation.
Tighten permissions: Role-based access to protect sensitive data and maintain audit trails.
Train routinely: Short refreshers for you and the team as features change.
Archive and condense: Close old periods, clean lists, and optimize file size for performance.
How to Display QuickBooks Skills on Your Resume
2. Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office (now commonly delivered as Microsoft 365) bundles Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more—your daily toolkit for documents, data, slides, and email at scale.
Why It's Important
It underpins administrative execution: standardized documents, reliable analytics, crisp presentations, and predictable communication.
How to Improve Microsoft Office Skills
Trim clicks. Standardize. Collaborate live.
Customize the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar for the commands you hit constantly.
Automate with macros in Excel/Word to eliminate repetitive steps.
Use templates for reports, proposals, and decks to lock in branding and speed.
Master keyboard shortcuts across apps to move faster without the mouse.
Organize in OneNote for meeting notes, action logs, and knowledge capture.
Coauthor in real time with Teams and SharePoint; track changes with discipline.
Keep apps updated for security patches and new features.
Automate workflows with Power Automate for approvals, reminders, and file routing.
Elevate visuals with well-structured slide masters and clean charts.
Analyze with Power BI when Excel hits its limits—dashboards, scheduled refresh, shared insights.
How to Display Microsoft Office Skills on Your Resume
3. Salesforce
Salesforce is a cloud CRM with apps for sales, service, marketing, analytics, and custom development—one system to anchor customer data and workflows.
Why It's Important
It aligns teams around one source of truth, reduces manual coordination, and exposes pipeline, service levels, and trends you can act on.
How to Improve Salesforce Skills
Make the system fit the way you work, not the other way around:
Customize thoughtfully: Fields, page layouts, flows, and record types mapped to your processes.
Level up users: Role-based training, quick reference guides, and office hours to drive adoption.
Guard data quality: Validation rules, required fields, duplicate management, and scheduled audits.
Integrate: Email, ERP, marketing, and support tools connected for a unified customer view.
Measure what matters: Dashboards for leading indicators, not just lagging reports.
How to Display Salesforce Skills on Your Resume
4. Google Workspace
Google Workspace combines Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, Meet, and Calendar—lean, cloud-first collaboration for fast-moving teams.
Why It's Important
It cuts friction: shared files, live co-editing, instant search, and simple permissions that keep projects moving.
How to Improve Google Workspace Skills
Dial in the setup, then keep tuning:
Run targeted training so teams know shortcuts, sharing models, and comment workflows.
Add Marketplace apps that extend capabilities—e-signature, project views, mail merges.
Harden security: 2-Step Verification, context-aware access, DLP policies, and regular audits.
Structure shared drives with clear ownership, naming, and lifecycle rules.
Collect feedback and iterate on templates, add-ons, and folder architecture.
How to Display Google Workspace Skills on Your Resume
5. Project Management
Project management means shaping scope, schedule, budget, and quality—coordinating people and tools so the right work ships at the right time.
Why It's Important
Without it, priorities wobble and resources scatter. With it, goals get met, risks shrink, and communication stays crisp.
How to Improve Project Management Skills
Keep it visible. Keep it simple. Keep it moving.
Pick a method: Agile for iterative work, Waterfall for linear delivery, or a pragmatic hybrid.
Use a platform: Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Project for tasks, owners, dependencies, and timelines.
Set goals that stick: Clear outcomes, measurable milestones, and acceptance criteria.
Communicate on a cadence: Standups, weekly updates, and a single source for status.
Manage risk: Maintain a risk log, owners, triggers, and mitigations.
Invest in skills: Ongoing learning for estimation, facilitation, and stakeholder management.
How to Display Project Management Skills on Your Resume
6. Data Analysis
Data analysis turns raw inputs into decisions—cleaning, modeling, and presenting information you can act on.
Why It's Important
It reveals bottlenecks, clarifies resource needs, and shows what to stop, start, or scale.
How to Improve Data Analysis Skills
Clarity beats complexity. Start with the question, then the data.
Strengthen fundamentals: Statistics basics, sampling, distributions, and bias awareness.
Go deep in Excel: Pivot tables, Power Query, lookup functions, and error checks.
Learn a BI tool: Tableau or Power BI for dashboards, drill-downs, and sharing.
Clean first: Standardize formats, handle outliers, document assumptions.
Visualize with intention: Choose charts that match the story; label for comprehension.
Pick up basic SQL to query data directly and validate extracts.
Practice on real problems: Automate recurring reports and measure the impact.
How to Display Data Analysis Skills on Your Resume
7. SAP ERP
SAP ERP centralizes finance, HR, procurement, and more. Many organizations are shifting to SAP S/4HANA, but the core aim is the same: one system, consistent data, auditable processes.
Why It's Important
It connects departments, standardizes workflows, and delivers real-time reporting so you can steer operations with fewer surprises.
How to Improve SAP ERP Skills
Stability first, then scale:
Stay current: Apply patches, review release notes, and plan upgrades (including S/4HANA readiness).
Tailor carefully: Configure before customizing; simplify screens and steps for end users.
Train by role: Scenario-based sessions, quick videos, and champions in each function.
Enforce data governance: Clear ownership, validation rules, and periodic data cleansing.
Use analytics: Embedded analytics or SAP Analytics Cloud for KPIs and ad-hoc insight.
Tune performance: Monitor jobs, optimize queries, and right-size infrastructure.
Secure access: Role-based permissions, SoD controls, and regular audits.
How to Display SAP ERP Skills on Your Resume
8. Time Management
Time management is the art of prioritizing, sequencing, and protecting your focus so operations don’t stall when the unexpected hits.
Why It's Important
It keeps deadlines honest, meetings meaningful, and your team unblocked.
How to Improve Time Management Skills
Own your calendar—or it will own you.
Set outcome-based goals for the day, week, and month.
Prioritize with the Eisenhower Matrix: urgent vs. important, then commit.
Time-block deep work, admin, and meetings; leave buffer zones.
Delegate cleanly: clear owners, deadlines, and definition of done.
Batch communications instead of constant inbox grazing.
Use lightweight tooling like Trello or Asana for task visibility and reminders.
Review weekly: what worked, what slipped, what to cut.
How to Display Time Management Skills on Your Resume
9. Budget Planning
Budget planning maps expected revenue and costs, then allocates resources so strategy meets reality.
Why It's Important
It prevents overspend, signals trade-offs early, and keeps leaders aligned on priorities.
How to Improve Budget Planning Skills
Accuracy plus agility wins.
Start with history: spot trends, seasonality, and variance drivers.
Align to strategy: fund the initiatives that move core metrics.
Segment costs: fixed vs. variable, by department and program.
Forecast with scenarios: base, stretch, and downside cases with clear assumptions.
Hold a contingency for surprises—then don’t tap it lightly.
Track variances monthly and act on deltas, not just note them.
Adopt rolling forecasts to reduce the pain of static annual plans.
Use budgeting software for version control, approvals, and robust reporting.
How to Display Budget Planning Skills on Your Resume
10. HRIS Systems
HRIS platforms manage employee data, payroll, benefits, recruiting, and compliance—shrinking manual work and improving accuracy.
Why It's Important
It consolidates records, standardizes processes, and delivers reporting leaders trust.
How to Improve HRIS Systems Skills
Think integration, adoption, and insight.
Integrate systems with payroll, accounting, ATS, and identity management to avoid duplicate entry.
Train users with role-based guides and short refreshers to lift adoption.
Customize workflows for onboarding, approvals, and performance cycles.
Strengthen security: MFA, least-privilege access, encryption, and audit logs.
Leverage analytics for headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, and DEI metrics.
Enable mobile so employees can self-serve anywhere.
Collect feedback and iterate on forms, steps, and dashboards.
Choose strong vendor support: responsive SLAs and a clear roadmap (e.g., UKG Pro, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR, ADP).
How to Display HRIS Systems Skills on Your Resume
11. Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution addresses disagreements quickly and fairly—restoring trust so work continues without lingering friction.
Why It's Important
It preserves morale, unlocks collaboration, and prevents small sparks from becoming wildfires.
How to Improve Conflict Resolution Skills
Lead with curiosity, not conclusions.
Practice active listening: reflect, clarify, and slow the pace before proposing fixes.
Define the problem in neutral terms; separate people from the issue.
Use interest-based negotiation: explore underlying needs, not just stated positions.
Set ground rules for respectful dialogue and time-boxed conversations.
Mediation skills: identify shared goals, surface options, and test agreements.
Document outcomes with owners, timelines, and follow-ups.
Reflect and learn after resolution; adjust team norms if patterns repeat.
How to Display Conflict Resolution Skills on Your Resume
12. Trello
Trello is a visual project board using lists and cards to manage tasks, assignments, and progress at a glance.
Why It's Important
It keeps work transparent, light to maintain, and easy to adapt as priorities shift.
How to Improve Trello Skills
Let the board do the heavy lifting.
Automate with Butler to move cards, add checklists, set due dates, and post updates.
Use Power-Ups for calendars, time tracking, and advanced fields.
Label and filter for priority, type, or team to slice the board fast.
Integrate communications with tools like Slack or email for alerts and updates.
Link cards and boards to connect parent projects and subtasks.
Add custom fields for budget, stage, or effort to surface key context.
Review and archive regularly to keep boards lean and relevant.
How to Display Trello Skills on Your Resume
