The Most Important Clerical Skills (With Examples)

When searching for office jobs, you’ll eventually cross paths with clerical skill requirements. These are qualities that aid productivity, collaboration, and work quality in an administrative setting. Clerical abilities are helpful whether you’re applying for an entry-level assistant position or a management role.

Possessing clerical skills and highlighting them on your resume and cover letter can help land you your next office job.

Key Takeaways:

• Clerical skills involve proficiency in daily tasks and they promote administrative efficiency.

• Important clerical skills include: communication, organization, critical thinking, and time management.

• Observing others with clerical skills or finding a mentor are great ways to improve your skills.

• You can highlight your clerical skills under the skills or experience sections of your resume.

• It is always better to show how your clerical skills were put to use with quantifiable results.

What Are Clerical Skills?

Clerical skills involve proficiency in daily tasks and they promote administrative efficiency. They’re usually basic administrative knowledge and straightforward to learn, however, having clerical skills is crucial to an office running smoothly.

These abilities are highly sought-after by hiring managers, and may even be required for certain positions. Employers want to know you have a baseline understanding of administrative work, and demonstrating these skills on your resume will definitely get you noticed.

Types of Clerical Skills

Clerical skills are a headline for a series of valuable office skills. Take time to consider which clerical abilities you feel confident in, and include them on your resume.

1. Verbal and written communication skills. When working on an administrative team, it’s extremely helpful to have verbal and written communication skills. You deal with many people and situations on a daily basis in office jobs. Being able to clearly communicate with co-workers, supervisors, and clients alike is a must.

   Most jobs require at least strong verbal communication. In administrative positions, written communication is equally important. A lot of your interactions will be via a written message. Strengths in clarity and conciseness through written communication can make you a better team member and employee.

   Examples of verbal and written communications include:

   • Confidence

   • Active listening

   • Presentation

   • Proper grammar and spelling

   • Negotiation

   • Sociability

   • Openness for discussion

   • Appropriate formatting for emails

   • Awareness of tone

   • Patience

   • Cooperation

2. Computer skills. Administrative employers are often interested in hiring candidates with basic computer skills. This can be anything from typing speed to the knowledge of data entry. Don’t let that intimidate you, though.

   In the age of the internet, we all have more computer skills than we realize. If there are computer skills that you don’t feel comfortable with yet, you can always use the internet as a resource for learning more.

   Examples of basic computer skills include:

   • Experience with video-chatting software (Zoom, Skype, Etc.)

   • Social media

   • Excel spreadsheets

   • Knowledge of word processors (Microsoft Office, Google Docs, etc.)

   • Programming languages

   • Database software

   • Email and calendars

3. Attention to detail. One of the top skills for administrative teams is attention to detail. Being detail-oriented means that you’re focused and execute your responsibilities expertly.

   Employers look for this quality in applicants because it ensures quality work will get done every time. Attention to detail can also be helpful in noticing possible issues before they arise and getting ahead of them.

   Detail-oriented skills include:

   • Being clear on expectation

   • Proofreading

   • Asking relevant questions

   • Planning ahead

   • Organization

   • Critical thinking

   • Noticing possible obstacles ahead of time

4. Organization. Organization is essential in an office position. Having an organized team increases productivity and quality of work. Administrative organization goes beyond keeping your space tidy and calendar up to date.

   In this field, you’ll often be responsible for organizing documents and private client information. Keeping an ordered system of this information is very important for convenience and privacy.

   Organizational skills include:

   • Planning

   • Prioritization

   • Documentation

   • Setting appointments

   • Filing systems

   • Adhering to a schedule

   • Decision-making

   • Attention to detail

   • Keeping records

   • Time-management

5. Simple mathematical knowledge. While an office job probably isn’t going to require you to do calculus, employers need to know you’re quick on your feet when it comes to basic math.

   A lot of administrative work can involve juggling a lot of numbers. The ability to do simple math can allow you to use spreadsheets more effectively and do daily tasks faster.

   Examples of simple mathematical skills include:

   • Addition

   • Subtraction

   • Division

   • Percentages

   • Converting fractions

   • Decimals

6. Critical thinking. In an office setting, much like any other job, issues tend to arise. This doesn’t negatively reflect on a team’s work skills. It’s a part of life.

   However, your ability to assess and deal with these issues can greatly improve your work performance. This ability is called critical thinking skills. Recruiters look for applicants with strong critical thinking because they want employees who are prepared to productively deal with unforeseen circumstances.

   Examples of critical thinking skills include:

   • Identifying problems early

   • Analyzing the best course of action

   • Strong communication

   • Creating detailed plans for success

   • Asking relevant questions

   • Recognizing patterns

   • Flexibility

   • Creative-thinking

   • Prediction

7. Time management. A typical administrative position runs on a 9-5 schedule. What you do with these eight hours daily determines the quality of employee you are.

   In an office job, you’ll often be handling many responsibilities throughout the day. Managing your work time well allows you to break down bigger jobs into more digestible missions. Time management makes it possible to adhere to a busy administrative schedule and turn in your work on time.

   Examples of time management skills include:

   • Setting realistic goals

   • Problem-solving

   • Strategy

   • Multitasking

   • Sticking to a schedule

   • Creating outlines

   • Meeting deadlines

   • Evaluating your performance

8. Flexibility. Being a flexible employee is helpful in many different industries, but can be especially impactful when applying for administrative jobs. Flexibility refers to your ability to adapt to change or unexpected circumstances with a positive attitude.

   Flexible people are motivated by challenges and open to learning, as opposed to frustrated by them. This is a valuable quality to employers, especially in today’s world.

   Examples of flexibility skills include:

   • Assessing situations rationally

   • Self-awareness

   • Stress-management

   • Optimism

   • Creativity

   • Critical-thinking

   • Analytical skills

   • Openness

Additional Clerical Skills

Clerical skills refer to a multitude of varying qualifications. Consider the additional clerical skills below to include on your resume.

• Customer service

• Teamwork

• Dependability

• Interpersonal skills

• Typing

• Data entry

• Fluency in multiple languages

• Reading comprehension

• Scheduling

• Conflict resolution

• Multitasking

How to Improve Your Clerical Skills

The great thing about clerical skills is that you’re practicing them each time you step into the office. That being said, there are still ways to up your clerical game more quickly than simply carrying on with your normal workload.

Here are some ways you can improve your clerical skills:

• Find a mentor. Mentors are great for improving your skills with everyday tasks. When you’re not sure how to go about something, or you feel like there’s a more efficient or effective way to do something, a mentor can provide actionable answers.

• Observe others. If you see someone performing a clerical task in an interesting way, pay attention to what they’re doing. If you want a full tutorial, ask if they’d be willing to take some time to show you their process.

• Take classes. Online courses have never been so readily available. There are classes on everything from Excel to Python, so no matter what clerical hard skill you’re trying to master, you can find a course. Paid courses might offer certifications, but even watching a good YouTube channel can be an effective way to up your game.

• Ask for feedback. Be open to constructive criticism and actively invite it. Ask people where you could improve you email etiquette, your typing accuracy, your memo copy, or whatever you’re looking to improve. Seek out ways to get better at whatever tasks your company really values.

How to Include Clerical Skills on Your Resume

Once you’ve decided on the clerical skills that are most accurate to your work style and performance, it’s time to showcase them properly on your resume.

When applying to an administrative job that requires clerical abilities, you can mention them in your resume’s skills section, as well as peppering them throughout your relevant professional experience section.

Be as specific as possible when addressing your clerical hard and soft skills. If you have experience in a particular word processor, mention it. If you have a certification in an industry-specific course, give the details.

Think about the position you’re applying for and what they’re looking for in an ideal employee. Tailor your applicable skills to meet these expectations.

It is also important that skills included in your experience section reflect quantifiable achievements when possible. This is the best way to show how your skills were successfully used.

Resume Examples Highlighting Clerical Skills

Cover Letter Example With Clerical Skills

Your clerical skills can also be highlighted in your cover letter. After all, drafting a compelling cover letter is itself a test of your written communication skills, as well as your knowledge of the company culture.

Use your cover letter to express enthusiasm for the role and comfort with clerical tasks. Most importantly, provide examples of significant accomplishments in your past professional experiences where your excellent clerical skills played a big role.

Let’s take a look at an example cover letter for an administrative assistant role:

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are general clerical skills?

General clerical skills include communication, organization, and administration. To perform these skills you must be comfortable with tasks such as data entry, filing, answering phone calls, scheduling, note taking, and assisting others in their tasks.

2. How can I improve my clerical skills?

Practice is the best way to improve your clerical skills. Many clerical tasks have the ability to be practiced and improved. For example, you can practice typing or data entry on software programs designed to repeat the use of your skills over and over again as if you were in an office setting.

3. What are clerical skills to put on a resume?

Place clerical skills that are relevant to the job description on your resume. Read the job description carefully and make sure your clerical skills reflect the responsibilities of the position. When you include your skills in the experience section, make sure you provide quantifiable achievements that show your skills in action.

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Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.