Administration and office

What interviewers look for

• A system you can show: how you keep files, calendars and requests so nothing is lost on the day you are away.
• Real skill in Word, Excel and Outlook: a clean letter, a simple table with totals, a meeting invite. Many panels test this on a computer, not by asking.
• Discretion. Admin staff see salaries, contracts, board papers and personal files, and the panel wants to hear that these stay closed.
• Honesty with small money: petty cash, receipts and office supplies. Small amounts are where trust is tested first.
• A calm, polite front: how you greet visitors, answer the phone, and say no to someone who wants to see the director without an appointment.

Questions they ask

1. 1“Tell us how you organise files and records in an office.”

   Why they ask: They want a system, not “I am organised”. A strong answer shows that the next person could find any document without calling you.

   How to answer

   • Name the system: by department, then by year, then by subject, with the same structure on paper and in shared folders.
   • Mention a naming rule for scanned files, for example the date first: 2026-03-14_Contract_Supplier.
   • Say how you track what comes in and goes out: a register of incoming and outgoing letters.
   • Give one result: a document found quickly during an audit or a donor visit.

   At the clinic where I worked in Hargeisa, files were kept in boxes by year only, so finding a staff contract took a long time. I set up folders by department, then by staff name, with a coloured label for contracts and ID copies. I did the same on the shared drive and named every scan with the date first. I also started a register for incoming and outgoing letters. When the donor came for a spot check, my manager asked for three contracts and I handed them over in a few minutes.

2. 2“Your manager has two meetings booked at the same time and both guests are waiting. What do you do?”

   Why they ask: This checks judgement, calm and how you protect the manager's time. It also shows whether you check the calendar before accepting bookings.

   How to answer

   • Greet both guests, offer a seat and water, and tell them honestly there is a short wait.
   • Tell the manager privately and ask which meeting goes first, or whether a deputy can see one guest.
   • Afterwards, fix the cause: one shared calendar, bookings only through you, and a reminder the day before.

   I would greet both guests, offer them a seat and water, and tell them the director will be with them shortly. Then I would go to the director privately, explain the clash and ask who she wants to see first, or whether the deputy can meet one of them. I would tell the second guest the real waiting time and offer to rebook if it is too long. After that day I would make sure every booking goes into one shared calendar that I check before confirming anyone.

3. 3“How do you manage petty cash?”

   Why they ask: Cash is where trust is tested. They check that you know the float system, keep every receipt and never mix office money with your own.

   How to answer

   • Explain the fixed float (imprest): a set amount, topped up only against receipts.
   • Every payment has a voucher, a receipt and an approval signature.
   • Count and reconcile regularly: cash in hand plus receipts must equal the float.
   • Say what you do with a difference: report it the same day and never cover it from your own pocket.

   In my last job I held the petty cash float for the office. Every payment had a voucher signed by my supervisor, with the shop receipt stapled to it. Every Friday I counted the cash and added up the receipts; together they had to equal the float. When I needed a top-up, I sent the receipts to finance and they refilled the amount spent. Once the count was short; I reported it that afternoon, and we found a taxi receipt that had not been recorded.

4. 4“A colleague asks you for a copy of another staff member's contract. What do you do?”

   Why they ask: A direct test of confidentiality. They want a polite, firm no and the right route, without turning the colleague into an enemy.

   How to answer

   • Say no politely: staff files are shared only with the person and with those who are authorised.
   • Point to the right route: HR or the manager, with a written reason.
   • Mention that you lock cabinets and protect shared folders with access rights.

5. 5“How good are you with Excel? Tell us something you have done with it.”

   Why they ask: They check your real level, not a label. Admin roles use Excel for registers, attendance, supply lists and simple budgets.

   How to answer

   • Name the functions you really use: SUM, sort and filter, simple formulas, perhaps VLOOKUP or a pivot table.
   • Describe one sheet you built and who used it.
   • Be honest about what you have not used yet, and say how you are learning it.

   I use Excel every week. At my last office I built the stationery register: one row per item, with columns for stock in, stock out and balance, SUM formulas and a filter by department. At the end of each month I sorted it to see which items were running low and sent the order list to my manager. I can use VLOOKUP, but I have only used pivot tables in a course, not at work, so I am practising them with my own data.

6. 6“Tell us about a time you organised travel or an event for others.”

   Why they ask: Logistics shows planning, checking and follow-up. They look for a checklist mind: tickets, visas, hotel, per diem, transport and a backup plan.

   How to answer

   • Use a short STAR story: the event, how many people, and your part in it.
   • List what you arranged and how you confirmed each item.
   • Include one thing that went wrong and how you fixed it.

7. 7“A visitor insists on seeing the director now, without an appointment. What do you do?”

   Why they ask: They check courtesy under pressure and whether you follow the office rule without being rude. In a small community the visitor may be an elder or someone important.

   How to answer

   • Stay calm and respectful, offer a seat and ask the purpose of the visit.
   • Check with the director or their assistant; do not promise a meeting you cannot give.
   • Offer a real alternative: the next free slot, another officer, or a written message.

Example answers are in English, the language most panels use. Say it in your own words.

Topics to revise

• Filing systems (alphabetical, numerical, subject)The three common ways to order files. Alphabetical suits staff and supplier files, numerical suits invoices and vouchers, and subject suits projects. Panels may ask which one you would use for what.
• Incoming and outgoing mail registerA log of every letter received or sent: date, reference number, from or to, subject, and who it was passed to. It proves what arrived and when, and auditors often ask for it.
• Petty cash (imprest system)A fixed amount of cash kept for small expenses. Each payment needs a voucher, a receipt and an approval; at top-up, finance pays back exactly what was spent. Cash in hand plus receipts must always equal the float.
• Agenda and minutesThe agenda lists the items before a meeting. Minutes are the short record after it: date, attendees, apologies, each item, decisions, and action points with a name and deadline. Not word for word. You may be asked to take minutes of a mock meeting.
• Outlook calendar and meeting invitesBooking meetings, sending invites with the time, place or online link, checking other people's free time and setting reminders. Know how to share a calendar and how to handle a clash.
• Business letter and email formatLetterhead, reference, date, recipient, subject line, body, sign-off, name and title. For email: a clear subject, short paragraphs and a polite close. The written test often asks for one letter or email in English.
• Excel basics: SUM, sort, filter, VLOOKUPSUM adds a column, sort and filter order and find records, and VLOOKUP pulls a value from another table, such as a staff name from an ID number. Be ready to use them live on a laptop.
• Stock control for office suppliesA register with stock in, stock out and balance for each item, a minimum level that triggers a new order, and a signature when staff collect items. It stops both waste and running out.
• Travel logistics and per diemPer diem is a fixed daily allowance for meals and small costs when travelling for work. Know the steps: travel request, approval, booking, cash advance, and settling the advance with receipts afterwards.
• Confidentiality and access rightsPersonal files, salaries and board papers go only to people with a need to know. Lock cabinets, use passwords and access rights on shared drives, and never leave papers on the printer.

Practical tasks you may get

1. 1Computer test (30–60 minutes): type and format a letter in Word, fill a table in Excel with totals, and write an email. Practise with a timer on a real computer, and learn shortcuts such as Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and Ctrl+Z.
2. 2Minutes exercise: the panel runs a short mock meeting or plays a recording, and you write the minutes. Practise by writing minutes of a radio discussion or a family meeting: decisions and actions, not every word.
3. 3In-tray exercise: a pile of tasks (calls, letters, a visitor, a request from the director) and you decide the order and explain why. Practise by sorting a list of tasks into urgent and important.
4. 4Front-desk role-play: a panellist plays an upset visitor or a caller asking for the director. Prepare a short greeting, how you take a message (name, number, reason, time) and how you say no politely.

Mistakes to avoid

• Saying “I am good at MS Office” and then failing the Excel test. Claim only the functions you can use in front of the panel.
• Telling stories about a former boss's private matters to show you were trusted. It proves the opposite.
• Describing the job as “making tea and photocopies”. Talk about records, scheduling, money and people.
• Having no system, with answers like “I just remember where things are”. The office must still work when you are sick.
• Weak written English in the test: no subject line, no greeting, spelling mistakes. Read your text twice before you hand it in.

Quick check

5 questions. Answer each one to see the explanation.