Receptionist Job Description: All Key Roles & Duties

This Receptionist job description provides all the details you need to write a new resume

Whether you consider being a receptionist a job or a career, it’s crucial to recognize the significant role you play in the company’s operations. The chances are great – practically 100% – that you’ll need a winning resume to even get your foot in the door. After all, the Receptionist role is an all-important client-focused, face-of-the-company position, and employers will want to know up-front that you have what it takes. 

Enter the Receptionist job description. It’s not just a document but a guide that will lead you to write an effective resume. It contains information that is critically important to what you’ll write in your new resume. In fact, as you read through all the key roles and duties, you’ll need to extract relevant keywords to use in your resume to get past the ATS and impress the hiring manager.

Get ready to write your resume before you actually start writing

There’s a bit of homework you have to complete before you can start writing your Receptionist resume and even before you start reviewing Receptionist job descriptions. 

1. You need to make a list of your skills and career achievements

2. You also need to choose the format you want to use for your resume 

There are three formats to choose from, including:

1. Reverse-chronological

2. Functional 

3. Hybrid

In most instances, you’ll need to opt for the reverse chronological format because it’s the one that will get past the applicant tracking system the company is using to weed out candidates. It’ll also be the one the hiring manager wants to see. 

Another thing that makes the reverse-chronological resume the best option is how easy it is to put together – basically, all you’re doing is filling in the blanks of a very well-defined structure.

• Contact information

• Title/Headline

• Profile Paragraph

• Core Competencies

• Professional Experience

• Education

As you work through each section of your new resume, inject the skills and achievements you’ve listed from your career to tell a story of accomplishment and progression. 

Remember to use action verbs to make your resume more engaging. For instance, instead of saying ‘Handled customer inquiries,’ you could say ‘Managed customer inquiries’ to make your role sound more proactive. 

Related reading: How to Make a Resume: Beginner’s Writing Guide with Examples

Receptionist top skills & proficiencies

Sometimes, it can be challenging to come up with a list of skills because people simply don’t like to brag about what they know. Other times, job seekers question whether something they know how to do qualifies as a skill because it’s so simple a thing. 

To get your brain juices flowing and to help you see that even the most minor task can fit into your Receptionist resume as a skill, here’s a list you can use for inspiration. 

Skills equal keywords

You have to go one step further from simply listing your skills on your resume. Now, you can start to review Receptionist job descriptions to make sure your skills align with what companies are looking for. The keywords in the Receptionist job description are a direct reflection of the skills the company is seeking in its new Receptionist. Use these keywords to show that you have what it takes to excel in the role. 

By reviewing job description examples – like the one below – you’ll be able to identify what technical skills (specific, job-related skills like operating a switchboard) and soft skills (personal attributes like communication and adaptability) matter most to an employer in your target field. 

When crafting your resume, aim to include as much relevant information from the Receptionist job description as possible. This will show the hiring manager that you understand the role and have the necessary skills and experience to succeed as a Receptionist. 

Receptionist job description

Let’s take a look at what a normal Receptionist job description looks like. The first thing you’ll likely see is a job summary that gives an overview of the daily activities you’ll perform as a Receptionist.

Job summary

Greet vendors, customers, job applicants, and other visitors and arrange for transportation services when needed. Direct visitors by maintaining employee and department directories. May operate a switchboard to route incoming calls and place outgoing calls. Maintain security by following procedures, monitoring logbooks, and issuing visitor badges.

Responsibilities

After the job summary, you’ll find a list of bullet points that break down specific duties individually. This is a great place to extract keywords for your Receptionist resume.

• Greet clients as soon as they arrive and connect them with the appropriate party

• Answer the phone in a timely manner and direct calls to the correct offices

• Create and manage both digital and hardcopy filing systems for all partners

• Make travel arrangements and schedule meetings based on all partners’ itineraries

• Deal with bookings by phone, e-mail, letter, fax, or face-to-face

• Complete procedures when Guests arrive and leave

• Prepare bills and take payments

• Take and pass on messages to Guests

• Deal with special requests from Guests

• Answer questions about what the hotel offers and the surrounding area

• Deal with complaints or problems

• Answer telephone calls and take messages or forward calls

• Schedule and confirm appointments and maintain event calendars

• Check visitors in and direct or escort them to specific destinations

• Inform other employees of visitors’ arrivals or cancellations

• Enter customer data and send correspondence

• Copy, file, and maintain paper or electronic documents and records

• Handle incoming and outgoing mail

Qualifications

The final thing you’ll see in a Receptionist job description is a list of qualifications that describe everything from the level of education you need to the number of years of experience. Here’s what a qualifications list could look like:

• More than five years of experience as a Receptionist or Front Office Representative

• High school diploma/GED

• Bilingual preferred

• Adaptable and flexible with an excellent ability to multitask

• Self-motivated with strong communication skills

• Knowledge of customer service best practices

• Computer savvy with experience in data entry, word processing, and managing files

How to use the Receptionist job description

As you work through each section of your reverse-chronological resume, you’ll insert items from your list of skills and achievements that mirror what the Receptionist job description defines as necessary for job success. This is called tailoring your resume to the job.

At the end of the day, the hiring manager cares less about everything you’ve done during your career and more about achievements that prove you’ll be an asset to their team – achievements being what’s important. 

Let’s say that you “issued guest badges” at a company in the past. That’s great because it’s specifically mentioned in the new job description. You can improve upon that relevant keyword by quantifying your experience and turning it into an achievement. 

Reduced security incidents by 12% by following company protocols to issue guest badges. 

Now, the new company will see that you can do what they want you to and that you understand how to follow protocols to improve things. You’re a winner!

It’s time to apply for jobs

Once your resume is ready and perfectly tailored to the Receptionist job description, it’s time to send it out. Here are a few tips to keep your Receptionist job search organized and manageable.

1. Network with like-minded individuals

2. Follow up after you apply for a job

3. Get ready for interviews

4. Maintain a positive mindset

You got this!

Searching for a new job can be frustrating, especially if it starts to take a long time. Don’t give up. Keep reviewing Receptionist job descriptions to make sure that you’ve got the right keywords in your resume. You’ll land an interview before you know it. 

Having a third party review your resume can be extremely helpful and even boost your confidence. TopResume offers a free resume review and will happily give yours a once-over to make sure it’s hitting the mark.

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