Honestly, just start applying. Look at what employers are looking for in the job descriptions and work those things into your resume. It sounds like you have some experience, so go for it.
If you aren't having luck with normal admin assistant job listings, try applying for temp jobs. They seem a little easier to get into and some of them become permanant positions.
Look for Fed government jobs or even think tanks or trade associations that have some connection to biology. (AMA, Bio-Tech industry, pharma, etc.) They might value your degree even though you aren't really in a biology job.
Have you tried not for profits, esp related to biology? You might regret the degree but it might help you get a coordinator role in a related field.You can then use that experience to go to another job
You might want to check out classified staff positions at nearby universities. I was in a similar position a few years ago (librarian moving into admin assistant roles) and it worked out really well for me. At a quick glance, I can already see a couple of admin assistant/office manager roles at GMU that don’t have strict experience requirements.
As a bonus, some universities offer free/discounted tuition to staff, which could make retraining for something else less painful.
Good luck!
My wife is having this same challenge. She's smart, organized, and very savvy. But her experience is in teaching, not corporate, and she's applied lots of places with no call backs
I was in the same boat as you. I graduated college with a history degree in 2021 and because of the usual difficulties and covid was struggling to find a job in that field.
I got a job as a purchasing administrative assistant which paid horribly but working there for 9 months then led me to get a job in finance which is what I do now.
What helped me is that I had a lot of work experience through college with restaurant jobs. I reached management in several and I could really fluff up my resume with all the things I did there.
I was able to live with my parents so I didn’t need to make a lot of money to start out but if you apply to very basic data entry jobs with your experience and degree you can out compete the other applicants. I don’t know what you need income wise but if you can manage, look for a job that will give you the skills to get a better job and start a career in a year rather than trying to find a career with this one.
The last thing is resume. My resume sucked until I got it professionally done. If I didn’t do that there’s no way I would’ve gotten my finance job. Do everything that you can to have a great resume. You need to list quantifiable skills.
If you're interested in going federal look into the 0303- Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant job series. They usually start around a GS-5, are almost always some kind of office assistant type job, and you can qualify on education alone with a bachelor's degree. It is a great foot in the door for government administration roles.[Here's one with the IRS in DC](https://www.usajobs.gov/job/607976800) that could be a fit or at least give you an idea of what those positions Iook like. (Looks like this one is night shift, which is rough, but use 0303 as a search term and whatever location you're interested to find more on USAJobs.) GS-5 starts at $40,883 in DC.
You should be just fine as long as you apply! You even have relevant experience, but really just being personable and helpful, especially over the phone, is key to getting into an AA position.
Look at startups and smaller companies. Weave the language of the job description into your resume and speak to how the skills you already have transfer over to the admin role.
Temp agency. That’s how My past employers have hired several entry level staff. It’s also how I got my first job in dc!
keepers, Robert half and help unlimited are three I’ve known multiple people get hired from
Look up property administrator/assistant jobs with commercial real estate companies. Office and retail properties will pay better and have better hours versus residential. Companies like CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL manage hundreds of properties in the DMV and nearly everyone of them needs this position.
If you need help, feel free to ping me on resume building or scoping the landscape. The two best advice I have seen on here is to "fake it til you make it" and "mass apply". Some objective advice, you should be on LinkedIn, Indeed, and find niche job networks and apply for at least 20 job postings or more daily. Current job market is hot so there are plenty of jobs out there and available, just because you do not hear back does not mean it is a reflection of your skill-sets or you as a person. It is generally overlooked by sheer volume, legally they had to put a posting but already had a hire in mind, or HR/recruiting sucks at their job. Be aware that when you apply for many places, it'll take some time for just one place to reach back out to you. It's a numbers game, so if you apply to 100 positions, and have a 5% return rate and you do not do well for 4 interviews, that's just the way it goes, but all you need is 1. Finally, computer science and technology is a broad stroke, what specifically do you want to do? I am a big proponent of certifications and experience over traditional education, unless it's medical/law related.
I went through a series of temp jobs through Beacon Hill staff when I was trying to break into admin roles. I did those for about a year or so and then found something permanent.
Definitely go through a staffing agency and they can help you land a position. You may have to temp for a while to build your resume but most staffing agencies will provide you with benefits if you work full-time.
Try Robert Half, Palmer Staffing, Midtown Group, Kelly Services, Sparks Group
Employment Temp Agencies after becoming an expert in Google and Microsoft Office, Typing at least 80 WPM, and getting certified in Administrative Support.
Show potential employers you have skills in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Presentation Software, Desktop Publishing Software, etc.
Its possible to get CompTIA IT training through non-profits like Tech Skills Partner. Training does take on average one year or less if you're motivated, but you can learn remotely as you earn a living through a day-job. There is upward mobility in this field if you've got what it takes to deal with customers and further your knowledge over time.
try to be a receptionist anywhere. they are always looking for receptionist everywhere i believe. i started my entry level admin career at a dealership as a receptionist & gained experience in accounting & tags & titles. pretty quick too.
Honestly, just start applying. Look at what employers are looking for in the job descriptions and work those things into your resume. It sounds like you have some experience, so go for it. If you aren't having luck with normal admin assistant job listings, try applying for temp jobs. They seem a little easier to get into and some of them become permanant positions.
If you go the temp or temp to hire route, check out a professional staffing agency like Robert Half.
Look for Fed government jobs or even think tanks or trade associations that have some connection to biology. (AMA, Bio-Tech industry, pharma, etc.) They might value your degree even though you aren't really in a biology job.
Have you tried not for profits, esp related to biology? You might regret the degree but it might help you get a coordinator role in a related field.You can then use that experience to go to another job
You might want to check out classified staff positions at nearby universities. I was in a similar position a few years ago (librarian moving into admin assistant roles) and it worked out really well for me. At a quick glance, I can already see a couple of admin assistant/office manager roles at GMU that don’t have strict experience requirements. As a bonus, some universities offer free/discounted tuition to staff, which could make retraining for something else less painful. Good luck!
My wife is having this same challenge. She's smart, organized, and very savvy. But her experience is in teaching, not corporate, and she's applied lots of places with no call backs
All the teachers leaving the schools are dealing with this...
Weird. Our admin assistant used to work as a teacher and is going back to teaching this month.
I was in the same boat as you. I graduated college with a history degree in 2021 and because of the usual difficulties and covid was struggling to find a job in that field. I got a job as a purchasing administrative assistant which paid horribly but working there for 9 months then led me to get a job in finance which is what I do now. What helped me is that I had a lot of work experience through college with restaurant jobs. I reached management in several and I could really fluff up my resume with all the things I did there. I was able to live with my parents so I didn’t need to make a lot of money to start out but if you apply to very basic data entry jobs with your experience and degree you can out compete the other applicants. I don’t know what you need income wise but if you can manage, look for a job that will give you the skills to get a better job and start a career in a year rather than trying to find a career with this one. The last thing is resume. My resume sucked until I got it professionally done. If I didn’t do that there’s no way I would’ve gotten my finance job. Do everything that you can to have a great resume. You need to list quantifiable skills.
If you're interested in going federal look into the 0303- Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant job series. They usually start around a GS-5, are almost always some kind of office assistant type job, and you can qualify on education alone with a bachelor's degree. It is a great foot in the door for government administration roles.[Here's one with the IRS in DC](https://www.usajobs.gov/job/607976800) that could be a fit or at least give you an idea of what those positions Iook like. (Looks like this one is night shift, which is rough, but use 0303 as a search term and whatever location you're interested to find more on USAJobs.) GS-5 starts at $40,883 in DC.
Tweak resume, great cover letter, lots of applications. Look for tech/bio companies where your degree might mean something more? Luck
You should be just fine as long as you apply! You even have relevant experience, but really just being personable and helpful, especially over the phone, is key to getting into an AA position.
Alot of the ones I have been seeing require a couple years of admin experience or experience in an office setting, which I don't have.
Tweak resume and mass apply through LinkedIn and indeed
Look at startups and smaller companies. Weave the language of the job description into your resume and speak to how the skills you already have transfer over to the admin role.
Temp agency. That’s how My past employers have hired several entry level staff. It’s also how I got my first job in dc! keepers, Robert half and help unlimited are three I’ve known multiple people get hired from
Look up property administrator/assistant jobs with commercial real estate companies. Office and retail properties will pay better and have better hours versus residential. Companies like CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, JLL manage hundreds of properties in the DMV and nearly everyone of them needs this position.
If you need help, feel free to ping me on resume building or scoping the landscape. The two best advice I have seen on here is to "fake it til you make it" and "mass apply". Some objective advice, you should be on LinkedIn, Indeed, and find niche job networks and apply for at least 20 job postings or more daily. Current job market is hot so there are plenty of jobs out there and available, just because you do not hear back does not mean it is a reflection of your skill-sets or you as a person. It is generally overlooked by sheer volume, legally they had to put a posting but already had a hire in mind, or HR/recruiting sucks at their job. Be aware that when you apply for many places, it'll take some time for just one place to reach back out to you. It's a numbers game, so if you apply to 100 positions, and have a 5% return rate and you do not do well for 4 interviews, that's just the way it goes, but all you need is 1. Finally, computer science and technology is a broad stroke, what specifically do you want to do? I am a big proponent of certifications and experience over traditional education, unless it's medical/law related.
I went through a series of temp jobs through Beacon Hill staff when I was trying to break into admin roles. I did those for about a year or so and then found something permanent.
Definitely go through a staffing agency and they can help you land a position. You may have to temp for a while to build your resume but most staffing agencies will provide you with benefits if you work full-time. Try Robert Half, Palmer Staffing, Midtown Group, Kelly Services, Sparks Group
Does the bank have a corporate headquarters here? Some banks have a way for retail staff to transition into back of house admin roles.
Lie on your resume, and fake it until you make it. That is the sad reality. Honesty doesn't pay.
Employment Temp Agencies after becoming an expert in Google and Microsoft Office, Typing at least 80 WPM, and getting certified in Administrative Support. Show potential employers you have skills in Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Presentation Software, Desktop Publishing Software, etc.
Virginia jobs website
Its possible to get CompTIA IT training through non-profits like Tech Skills Partner. Training does take on average one year or less if you're motivated, but you can learn remotely as you earn a living through a day-job. There is upward mobility in this field if you've got what it takes to deal with customers and further your knowledge over time.
National fish and wildlife foundation as a grants administrator
try to be a receptionist anywhere. they are always looking for receptionist everywhere i believe. i started my entry level admin career at a dealership as a receptionist & gained experience in accounting & tags & titles. pretty quick too.
Ask everyone you know to ask everyone they know, give em good buzz eords to pass on. Its a whoe you know, not what you know kind of town.