Secretary Cover Letter Sample

You’re highly organized and a pro at fulfilling day-to-day administration — exactly what employers seek in a fantastic secretary. But first, you need to showcase your secretarial expertise in an outstanding cover letter to ensure your job application catches the hiring manager’s attention.

Use these three tips to write an impressive secretary cover letter:

1. Highlight secretary skills

A strong secretary cover letter highlights your administrative experience, organizational skills, and a balance of hard and soft skills to show you can ensure efficient daily operations.

But because your job duties can vary depending on the industry, emphasize job-specific administrative skills in your cover letter to show you’re a great fit for the job. For example, if you’re applying to be a medical secretary, your cover letter should include technical skills such as familiarity with medical terminology and MEDITECH software.

In addition to your hard skills, showcase key secretary soft skills in your cover letter to demonstrate you’re a well-rounded candidate. For example, the ability to take initiative and attention to detail are vital in a busy office.

Here’s how to demonstrate these skills in your cover letter:

“During my time at XYZ Firm, I was responsible for leading our “Go Green” initiative where we shifted from paper to digital in 85% of work and communication.“

Here are important secretary skills to include in your cover letter:

• Time management skills
• Adaptability
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Multitasking
• Prioritization
• Collaboration
• People skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Customer service skills
• Accuracy
• Record keeping
• Data entry
• Google Drive and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
• Timekeeping software
• Accounting software (Intuit QuickBooks and Sage 50 Accounting)
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software (Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, and Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne)
• Project management software (Microsoft Project, Confluence, and Microsoft SharePoint)

2. Provide examples of your achievements (with numbers)

As a secretary, companies rely on your clerical expertise to ensure everything runs smoothly in the office. Instead of just saying what you can do, prove your value by quantifying your skills and experience as a secretary in your cover letter. To do so, provide examples of your greatest secretarial achievements and include hard numbers.

Here’s how to effectively use numbers in your secretary cover letter:

• Spearheaded the “Go Green” initiative, which reduced office paper use by 85% and saved roughly $47 K over 2 years
• Streamlined process for handling administrative correspondence, leading to a 25% efficiency increase
• Trained and supervised more than 25 administrative staff over the past 5 years during firm expansion

3. End with a convincing closing statement

Knowing how to end your cover letter in an attention-grabbing way will ensure your job application gets shortlisted. To do so, show employers you have not only the right skillset but also the passion to contribute to their organization’s success.

In your closing statement, restate your interest in the job, and emphasize how your skills and experience as a secretary will benefit their company.

Here’s how to write a convincing secretary closing statement:

• Express enthusiasm for the job opportunity. When hiring for a secretary, employers seek administrative professionals who are friendly and efficient. So you need to show them you have the skills and passion to keep up with their demands. For example, “I’d appreciate the chance to join XYZ Company and contribute to its future success.”
• Focus on how your skills and experience as a secretary will contribute to their current workflow. For example, “My skills and background make me a candidate capable of creating a stress-free and efficient office environment for executives and employees alike.”
• Include a call to action inviting the hiring manager to reach out for an interview
• Thank the hiring manager for taking the time to review your job application