Receptionist
Job Description
A Receptionists duties and responsibilities vary depending on the organisation and the service they provide. Sometimes a Receptionist is called an Administrative Assistant, who performs a range of administrative support duties, while looking after front desk reception duties. Generally, a dedicated Receptionist will be the first point of contact at an organisation, sitting in a dedicated front desk environment, meeting and greeting customers and visitors, answering and distributing incoming calls and providing quality information. Receptionists are often referred to as the gatekeeper and are responsible for making a good first impression for the organisation.
Receptionists are widely utilised across varying organisations in different industries. Receptionists can be employed to support businesses in education, medical, healthcare, social work, manufacturing, corporate offices, banking and financial services, real estate, transport, Government and much more.
Qualifications
You do not require any formal training to become a Receptionist.
Administrative qualifications such as Certificate II, III & IV in Business Administration would be highly regarded. There are other courses you can also complete such as Customer Service courses, one day events and seminars which can be displayed on your resume to showcase that you have undertaken further studies.
Attributes
- Approachable
- Articulate
- Autonomous
- Communicator
- Confident
- Conversational
- Customer-orientated
- Detail Orientated
- Enthusiastic
- Friendly
- Interpersonal
- Organised
- People Person
- Perceptive
- Polite
- Punctual
- Receptive
- Self-motivated
- Welcoming
Key Skills
- Administration
- Confidentiality
- Communication - verbal and written
- Communication - email, online, fax, mail, memo
- Complaints Management
- Computer Operations
- Customer Service
- Customer Enquiries
- Delivering Information
- Diary Management
- Document Preparation
- Filing
- Front Desk Operations
- Keyboarding / Data Entry
- Mail Sorting / Distribution
- Meeting / Conference Bookings
- Minute Taking
- Office Equipment Operation
- Office Management
- Proofreading
- Reception Duties
- Records Management
- Security Pass Allocation
- Switchboard Operations
Future Prospects
Career advancement in this field can lead to other roles such as:
- Office Manager
- Executive Assistant
- Personal Assistant
- Administration Assistant
- Receptionist
- Customer Service Representative
- Call Centre Operator
- Data Entry Officer
You could be anywhere on this career ladder and from there be able to identify opportunities. Business Administration and Customer Service can cover a wide range of job roles and responsibilities. Choosing these careers is an ideal way to progress your professional qualities, particularly if you have a flair for organisation and are a great communicator with strong interpersonal skills.
The above are all good jobs, however working as a Receptionist in a particular company or industry can also lead to a career path specialising in a particular product or service, therefore a Receptionist can be an excellent gateway role.
