Introducing New Administrative Assistant Interview Questions & Answers On "Tell Me About Yourself"

Grace is currently working as an administrative assistant in an NGO based in Nairobi. Before that she used to attend a lot of interviews without success.
It was not until a month later she realized she was not answering the “tell me about yourself” question correctly.
It was until she looked for professional help when preparing for an interview that she was finally able to answer this question.
“Tell me about yourself” is considered a difficult question to answer and administrative assistants have not been spared from this question in an interview either.
Perhaps like Grace, you are dealing with the same struggles; attending interviews and feeling you are not answering this question correctly.
Quickly See This >>> Tell Us about Yourself Answer Sample For Admin Assistants
So how do you know how to respond to this question and finally get to land that administrative assistant job?
These 3 tips will help you:
TIP #1 Always refer back to the job description
If you are Admin Assistant, you must read the job description very clearly.
Don’t assume anything. Remember, 90% of questions come from the job description.
Now that you have read the job description, the minute you start telling the interviewers about yourself, make sure you respond based on the technical skills indicated on the job description.
Look at this example…
Roles and responsibilities for Admin Assistant Job

• Man the front office and operate the switchboard.
• Ensure all visitors are assisted promptly and professionally.
• Responding to customer queries.
• Managing correspondence and dispatch both internal and externally.
• Liaising with various service providers.

This is how you should respond (per the job description)
“In the course of my job I have undertaken duties such as manning the front office and at the same time operating the switch board. I have also ensured that all visitors coming to the office are well received by assisting them in a professional manner and in the quickest time possible. Moreover, I am involved in handling customer queries by responding to the m effectively. In addition to this I manage correspondence both internally and externally as well as liaise with various service providers in order to ensure activities I’m charged with run smoothly.”
Please keep in mind that you will always be interviewed as a professional and in this case an Admin Assistant.
Therefore, do not bring in personal information about yourself.
TIP #2 Always mention your soft skills
If there are skills any Administrative Assistant you must have, it is soft skills.
But what are soft skills and why are they so important?
Soft skills are also people skills and they are personal attributes that help you interact with people and form meaningful relationships.
What soft skills do you believe you should have as an Administrative Assistant?
Again, let’s go back to the job description.
Here’s what they want as part of the soft skills:

• Excellent time management skills and ability to multitask and prioritize work.
• The ability to work well as part of a team.
• Computer literacy and proficiency in MS Office.
• Attention to detail and problem solving skills.

How do you respond?
I possess valuable soft skills as an administrative assistant and these have enabled me perform better in my job. For instance, I have excellent time management skills where I am able to accomplish all my tasks even as I multi0-task and still remain efficient. I also work well with rest of the team in order to meet the company goal coupled by my proficiency in computer applications which fasten my delivery of results. Over time, I have gained useful problem solving skills which I have used in coming up with solutions to common problems arising within and outside of my job.
And that is how you answer the “tell me about yourself” question.
Always focus on your technical skills and soft skills; giving sensible statements according to what is in the job description.
Again, please time yourself. 3-5 minutes should be enough to answer this common question in interviews.
I will let you know that how you answer this question will determine whether you become the next Administrative Assistant or not.
TIP #3 Always read the job description like you’re reading for KCSE!
Now you know!
But just in case you need more help answering this question among other interview questions, let me know here.
I’m always ready to help.
Ms. Esther works for Corporate Staffing Services as a Training Specialist in matters passing job interviews Effective Communications Skills and Personal Branding. To get in touch with her please email her at esther@corporatestaffing.co.ke.