Job interviews can be stressful: What to wear? What to say? How do you know what they’ll ask and how in the world can you be prepared for it? 

Luckily, many interview questions for administrative jobs can be anticipated, which means you can prepare and practice your answers, allowing you to show up feeling confident and ready to impress.

Administrative jobs often entail a lot of organization, scheduling, time and personnel management and generally being on top of everything within an office or for your dedicated team. It’s a big job, but you can do it! 

Questions You’ll Find in an Administrative Job Interview

How do you identify priorities when many things are on your to-do list?

There will come times when you have several items in front of you that are declared as top priority. You’ll need to be able to discern which item really needs all your attention in this exact moment.

When asked this question, or a more general “how do you prioritize your workload?,” the interviewer is looking for your thought process behind making decisions and dividing your attention.

• Talk through the steps you’d take, which might (and maybe should) include asking for more information to help decide between two or more “urgent” priorities to determine which takes the top position and what can wait a few hours.
• Discuss how you organize your work and how you make decisions based on the information you have on hand. 

What is your approach to time management?

This goes hand-in-hand with questions about priorities.

How do you structure your day to make sure you’re as productive as possible at work? Explain how you set yourself up for success each morning—maybe you make a list of tasks that need to be completed while organizing your thoughts and finishing your coffee as a way to help you get focused.

Maybe you’re a believer in scheduling your day, complete with designated times for checking email and responding to messages, to help minimize distractions. 

What changes did you implement in previous jobs that led to improved efficiencies or increased productivity?

This question wants to get to the core of how you can think creatively and how you’ve had the confidence in yourself to try something new.

If you’ve been able to rethink a filing system, for example, or how you were able to see a problem differently and come up with a new solution that saved your team time and/or the company money, this is the time to bring it up. It doesn’t have to be something major or revolutionary; any change you’ve created and implemented with a successful outcome is worth mentioning.

It might even be a situation in which you decided to take on additional training to adopt a new software or technology that helped streamline your scheduling process, freeing you up to focus on other tasks. 

How have you provided great customer service for your team in the past?

In this instance, you might not think of “customer service” as working within an office, but the heart of customer service is how you respond to a problem or issue that’s brought to your attention.

• How did you help someone who needed your assistance?
• What steps did you take to solve their issue and, if the situation allowed, how did you go above and beyond to help them even further?

The answer to this could be taking the time to listen to their concerns, asking follow-up questions, working together to find a solution, or taking the lead on solving the problem. Then, you can provide your completed work with the problem solved to the person who asked initially.

If there are other steps that need to be taken to fix a problem with an outside client, in a more traditional customer service position—such as offering a discount—explain that as well. If you’ve received compliments or positive feedback from these efforts, share that too! 

Communication is a critical skill for administrative positions. How are you an effective communicator?

This question is about your ability to listen well, ask the right questions, take good notes, and effectively and efficiently share what needs to be dispersed to your team.

Walk the interviewer through how you do your best to make sure you’re getting all the information you need to do your job and to share details with people who need them.

• Do you rely on email alone or do you have a system of following up with a phone call or personal conversation?
• If the company has employees who work remotely, how do you keep them in the loop?

The administrator of a department or team is the modern-day switchboard operator: you’re the one responsible for making sure everyone has the information they need and are properly connected to the team; your ability to be a strong and effective communicator can set you apart from others. Provide a few specific examples if possible.

Other questions likely to come up during the interview include why you’re interested in the job and why they should consider hiring you instead of other candidates. This is where doing your homework will pay off:

• Take the time to study the company’s website and learn about the industry and the position. Then, prepare answers as to why this is THE job for you and why you’re the BEST possible candidate they could bring onto the team.
• Talk up your skills, abilities, and background—and say it with confidence. Make them as excited about you as you are about the job!

Need Help Landing Your Next Interview?

If you’d like more advice on preparing for the interview, or if you’d like to explore your job options, call FurstStaffing. We’re a recruiting firm that specializes in not just helping our clients find great candidates; we want to help job seekers find their next great opportunity.

Take a look at our job board and see if anything sounds like a good opportunity for you, then call us and we’ll set you on your way.