Skip to contentSkip to footer

Administrative Assistant Interviews

Salaries
Interviews

Administrative Assistant Interview Questions

Executives count on administrative assistants to keep busy schedules and company activities as clear and easy-to-navigate as possible. Expect questions about your organizational, time management, and communication skills. Many of these questions will be story-based, so come ready to explain a time when you successfully juggled multiple deadlines or were able to handle difficult customers at the front desk. Though these interviews focus primarily on soft skills, you may be asked to answer a question about your ability to use basic administrative software.

Top Administrative Assistant Interview Questions & How to Answer

Question 1

Question #1: Can you describe a situation in which you made an error and how you resolved the problem?

How to answer
How to answer: Everyone makes mistakes at work, even the most experienced administrative professionals. When answering a question about an error, briefly describe the situation and how the mistake happened. Emphasize what you did to resolve the error and how you'll avoid that mistake in the future. Use the STAR method to describe the situation, task, action, and result.
Question 2

Question #2: What office atmosphere do you prefer when working in an administrative assistant role?

How to answer
How to answer: Administrative assistants often serve as the face of an office, so they need to hold specific skills, including the skills required of receptionists. When answering a question about your preferred office environment, consider the atmosphere of the position for which you are interviewing. Discuss your ability to work as part of a team and interact with others.
Question 3

Question #3: How do you juggle multiple high-priority projects?

How to answer
How to answer: An administrative assistant might support multiple individuals who provide projects that hold a high priority level. This question helps a hiring manager determine how applicants use their judgment when managing projects and assignments and how they manage their time.

28,600 administrative assistant interview questions shared by candidates

Asked about prior work experiences and how they would relate to this position. Asked some behavioral/situational questions about working with high strung, anxious patients and how I would handle dealing with difficult/upset patients. Asked questions about team work and whether I had issues with coworkers in the past. Asked about my ability to learn new software/technology. Are you a fast learner? What do you know about the department (GOOGLE THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE YOU INTERVIEW so you can impress them with knowledge of what the department does and such). Asked about education, future goals, and whether I could commit to the position for 2-3 years. What are your strengths + what are your weaknesses?
avatar

Administrative Assistant II

Interviewed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

3.6★
Jul 12, 2017

Asked about prior work experiences and how they would relate to this position. Asked some behavioral/situational questions about working with high strung, anxious patients and how I would handle dealing with difficult/upset patients. Asked questions about team work and whether I had issues with coworkers in the past. Asked about my ability to learn new software/technology. Are you a fast learner? What do you know about the department (GOOGLE THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE YOU INTERVIEW so you can impress them with knowledge of what the department does and such). Asked about education, future goals, and whether I could commit to the position for 2-3 years. What are your strengths + what are your weaknesses?

Viewing 1361 - 1370 interview questions

Glassdoor has 28,600 interview questions and reports from Administrative assistant interviews. Prepare for your interview. Get hired. Love your job.