Getting a clerical job comes down to three things: showing you have the right transferable skills, building a resume that highlights measurable results instead of just duties, and getting in front of employers faster than the average online applicant. Clerical and administrative roles remain one of the most accessible entry points into stable, full-time work in the U.S., but landing one still takes a focused strategy.
This guide walks through what clerical jobs actually involve, what employers screen for, and the exact steps to take to get hired faster, including why many candidates use a staffing agency like Jomsom Staffing to skip the black hole of online applications entirely.
What Is a Clerical Job?
A clerical job is an office-based support role focused on administrative tasks like answering phones, scheduling, data entry, filing, and customer communication. Clerical positions include titles such as administrative assistant, office clerk, data entry specialist, receptionist, and customer service representative. These roles exist across nearly every industry; healthcare, finance, manufacturing, government, and professional services all rely on clerical staff to keep daily operations running.The U.S. Clerical Job Market: What the Data Shows
- Office and administrative support occupations employed 18.5 million people, representing 12.2 percent of total U.S. employment, with the largest roles being customer service representatives at 2.9 million workers and general office clerks at 2.5 million workers. The median annual wage for the occupational group was $46,320 as of May 2024.
- Overall employment in this category is projected to hold roughly steady or decline slightly over the next decade as automation absorbs some routine tasks, but that doesn’t mean opportunity is drying up. About 2 million openings are projected each year on average, driven almost entirely by workers leaving roles permanently, retirements, promotions, and career changes. In practical terms: turnover, not growth, is what creates the opening. That’s good news for job seekers, because it means consistent hiring demand even in a group where headline employment isn’t expanding.
Skills Employers Look For in Clerical Candidates
You don’t need years of office experience to qualify for most clerical roles. Employers are typically screening for:- Communication skills: clear written and verbal communication, especially over phone and email
- Organization and attention to detail: managing schedules, records, and documents accurately
- Software proficiency: comfort with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and basic data entry systems
- Reliability: consistent attendance and follow-through, which employers weigh heavily for clerical roles
- Customer service instincts: the ability to represent a company professionally to clients, vendors, or the public
How to Get a Clerical Job in 7 Steps
Landing a clerical role faster comes down to positioning yourself correctly and getting in front of the right hiring managers.- Audit your transferable skills. List out moments from past jobs, even unrelated ones, where you organized information, handled customer issues, or managed multiple tasks under time pressure. These become your resume bullet points.
- Rewrite your resume around outcomes, not duties. Instead of “answered phones,” write “handled 50+ inbound calls daily while maintaining a 98% customer satisfaction rating.” Quantified results stand out to both hiring managers and applicant tracking systems; see 7 Ways to Improve Your Resume and Get More Job Interviews for more specific rewrites.
- Tailor your resume to each posting. Mirror the specific language in the job description; if it says “scheduling,” don’t write “calendar management.” Applicant tracking systems scan for exact keyword matches.
- Practice interview basics. Prepare two or three specific examples that show reliability, problem-solving, and professionalism. Clerical interviews often hinge on soft skills more than technical ones.
- Apply beyond job boards. Job boards are flooded with applicants competing for the same handful of posted roles. Many clerical openings are filled through referrals or staffing partners before they’re ever publicly listed.
- Register with a staffing agency. Agencies like Jomsom Staffing have direct relationships with local employers and often know about openings before they’re posted publicly; see the next section for why this matters.
- Follow up without being pushy. A short, professional check-in email a week after applying or interviewing keeps you top of mind without appearing impatient.
Should You Use a Staffing Agency to Find a Clerical Job?
Working with a staffing agency solves the biggest problem job seekers face: getting noticed. Instead of submitting a resume into an online application system and waiting, you work directly with a recruiter who already has relationships with local employers actively hiring for clerical roles.Advantages of going through a staffing agency:
- Faster placement: agencies often fill roles in days, not weeks, because they’re matching pre-vetted candidates to active openings
- Access to unposted jobs: many employers fill clerical openings through staffing partners before listing them publicly
- Temp-to-hire pathways: you can prove your fit for a role and company culture before committing long-term
- Support through the process: recruiters help with resume feedback, interview prep, and pay negotiation
Trade-offs to know:
- Some positions start as temporary or temp-to-hire rather than direct permanent placement
- You’re working with a recruiter’s active client list, so location and role availability will vary
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need experience to get a clerical job?
No, most entry-level clerical roles don’t require direct office experience. Employers look for transferable skills like communication, organization, and reliability, which candidates from retail, hospitality, or customer service backgrounds typically already have.What’s the difference between a clerical job and an administrative assistant job?
Clerical jobs typically cover a broad range of support tasks like filing, data entry, and phone coverage, while administrative assistant roles usually involve more responsibility, such as managing schedules, coordinating meetings, and supporting specific departments or executives. The titles overlap significantly and vary by employer.How long does it take to get hired for a clerical job through a staffing agency?
Timelines vary by market and role, but staffing agencies frequently place candidates within days of registering, since they’re matching pre-screened candidates against active, ready-to-fill openings rather than starting the hiring process from scratch.What pay can I expect for a clerical job?
Pay varies by role, location, and experience level. Nationally, office and administrative support occupations had a median annual wage of $46,320 as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, though entry-level and temp roles may fall below that figure while specialized administrative roles can exceed it.Are clerical jobs a good career path in 2026?
Clerical roles remain a stable entry point into the workforce, with an estimated 2 million openings projected annually due to replacement hiring, even as overall employment in the category holds relatively flat. Many candidates use clerical roles as a stepping stone into specialized administrative, operations, or coordinator positions.Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office and Administrative Support Occupations, Occupational Outlook Handbook
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
