Here's how to add clerical experience to your resume to land the job!

If you enjoy working in an office supporting others, a clerical position might be right for you. To land one of the many clerical jobs available, you need a resume that effectively highlights your clerical experience. In this post, we cover what clerical work is, examples of clerical duties, and how to add clerical skills to your resume. 

What is clerical work?

So, what is the meaning of clerical experience or duties? 

Clerical work involves working in an office environment to complete tasks like filing, typing, answering phones, filling out forms, basic accounting, and entering data into spreadsheets. These day-to-day tasks are often performed by office clerks, administrative clerks, secretaries, and sometimes administrative assistants. 

Individuals in clerical positions must also have the technical knowledge to use printers, computer programs, copiers, scanners, and other software and equipment to follow through with their clerical duties. 

Clerical positions can be found across many industries, including:

  • Financial

  • Healthcare

  • Oil & Gas

  • Legal

  • Education

  • Scientific

  • Retail

  • Manufacturing

  • Engineering

  • Internet Technology

Titles for clerical positions vary across industries, with some examples being:

  • Office Clerk

  • Office Assistant

  • Law Clerk

  • Postal Clerk

  • Receptionist

  • Office Services Clerk

  • Storeroom Clerk

  • Frontdesk Medical Receptionist

  • Office Coordinator

  • Insurance Office Clerk

What is the difference between clerical and administrative experience?

Though the terms clerical and administrative are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some significant differences between the two. Both clerical and administrative positions offer support. However, clerical experience generally involves simpler, repetitive tasks, like filing and completing basic documentation. 

In contrast, administrative experience involves more complex tasks and responsibilities. Administrative positions often require higher levels of education and involve project management, decision-making, and other more advanced skills. 

Clerical experience examples

Below are some of the most common duties required by those holding clerical positions. 

  • Banking transactions. Some clerical positions require basic banking transactions, like money deposits, withdrawals, and recordkeeping. 

  • Data entry. Many clerical jobs require data entry as a key responsibility. Inputting accounting information, tax data, and employment records are examples of the types of data entry one might be responsible for. 

  • Customer interaction. Some clerical positions are customer- and client-facing at least a portion of the time. Clerical employees often need to answer customer questions, respond to emails, and direct customers to the right person or department for their needs.

  • Bookkeeping. This job duty requires using software or a hard copy document, like a balance sheet, to keep track of financial transactions for an organization. 

  • Answering phones. Some of the most common clerical duties include answering phones, directing calls to the right people, and taking and delivering phone messages.  

  • Maintaining records. Many clerical roles require file management and recordkeeping. This includes ensuring documents are shredded or properly disposed of based on legal requirements.   

  • Schedule management. Clerical experience often includes maintaining schedules, scheduling meetings, and arranging travel for others. 

  • Maintaining email and mailing databases. Keeping contact lists, including adding and removing contact information for email and mailing lists, is a standard clerical duty. 

  • Transcribing minutes and files. Sitting in on meetings to take notes and minutes is a common clerical duty. You may also be asked to transcribe recorded audio files. 

  • Preparing mail and packages. A job duty of many clerks is to prepare and mail packages for the office and those they work for. 

  • Money collection and disbursement. It's not unusual for those in clerical positions to be asked to collect, count, and disburse money for a business. 

How to list clerical experience and skills on a resume

Let's now discuss tips on how to incorporate your clerical experience into your resume. 

Incorporate a resume summary

A resume summary is the elevator pitch of your resume; it's designed to engage the reader from the start. In a brief three to five-sentence paragraph that sits just below your contact information, include your critical clerical skills related to the job you're applying to, along with at least one accomplishment that indicates the results you're capable of.  

Related reading: 27 Great Resume Summary Examples to Get Hired

Highlight your core competencies

Below your resume summary, include a list of 9 to 12 clerical skills. This list will help grab the resume reader's attention and provide an excellent opportunity to incorporate keywords from the job description. Keywords help your resume get past an employer's applicant tracking system, often referred to as the ATS. 

Emphasize your work experience

The Work Experience section captures your previous accomplishments. Include any relevant clerical experience you have in this section. For each position you list, include your position title, name and location of employer, dates of employment, and a few bullet points to highlight your achievements for that position. When incorporating your achievements, be sure to:

  • Start each bullet point with a power verb

  • Use as much quantifiable data as possible to represent your results

  • Select your most notable three to five accomplishments for each position to include

  • Emphasize your key hard and soft clerical skills and how you applied them

Include your training and education

The last section to include is your Education section. Here, include your degree and the name of the issuing institution. You can also include any relevant training or certifications below your degrees to showcase your knowledge to potential employers.  

Make your clerical experience stand out

You know you have the clerical experience to excel at your next job, and you now know how to incorporate that experience into a resume to stand out from the competition and land that job! Write a compelling resume summary, emphasize your core competencies, and quantify your work experience to craft your interview-winning resume sooner rather than later. 

Does your resume highlight your clerical experience to ensure you land an interview? Why not submit it for a free resume review to find out?

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