ATS Keywords
Administrative Assistant ATS Keywords: What Gets Your CV Past the Screen
Applicant tracking systems scan administrative assistant CVs for specific, literal terms before a person ever reads them — general phrases like 'organized' or 'hardworking' don't register as matches. Most systems are looking for the exact software names, task terms, and scope indicators used in the job posting. Matching that language, without stuffing it in unnaturally, is what gets a CV past the initial screen.
Optimize Your CVATS Optimisation
Must-Have Keywords
Include these keywords in your CV to improve your ATS score.
Strengthen Your CV
Power Phrases
Use these multi-word phrases to strengthen your CV.
Avoid These
Words to Avoid
Remove these overused or weak words from your CV.
ATS Score
Before & After ATS Optimization
Before
Missing Keywords
After
Added Keywords
Formatting
ATS-Friendly Format Tips
Use standard headings like 'Work Experience' and 'Skills' — creative labels such as 'My Journey' often don't get parsed into the right category.
Save and submit as a .docx file unless the posting specifically asks for PDF — some ATS platforms still misread text in PDF columns or text boxes.
Avoid tables, text boxes, and multi-column layouts for your experience and skills sections, since many parsers scramble or drop that content entirely.
Spell out both the acronym and the full term at least once (e.g., 'Applicant Tracking System (ATS)', 'Microsoft Office Suite') so keyword matching catches either version.
List your software and tools in a dedicated Skills section, using the same wording as the job posting rather than paraphrasing.
Stick to standard fonts like Arial or Calibri, and keep contact information in the main body rather than the header or footer, which some parsers skip.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — most mid-size and large employers use an ATS for any office role that draws high applicant volume, and administrative assistant postings are typically among the highest-volume roles a company posts.
It can raise a keyword match score initially, but a human recruiter will notice unnatural repetition immediately, and some ATS platforms flag stuffing rather than rewarding it. Use each keyword once or twice, tied to real experience.
Yes, when they match your actual experience — if a posting asks for 'calendar management' and you've done that work, use that exact phrase rather than a synonym like 'scheduling support.'
Yes, because ATS systems still scan for it as a literal keyword, but list the specific applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) rather than just 'MS Office,' since some postings scan for the individual programs.
Calendar or scheduling management is surprisingly often left implied rather than stated outright — applicants describe supporting an executive without ever using the words a scanner is looking for.
Yes — add sector-specific terms like 'case management software' or 'medical office scheduling' on top of the general administrative keywords, since ATS systems in those industries often scan for both layers.
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