Receptionist Resume Example and Hacks to Land Your Target Post

6 min read

Customer satisfaction is one of the critical goals of every business. This is because it dictates whether the sales will skyrocket or the opposite result. With this, businesses in all fields make sure to provide quality service to their customers. In addition, they ensure that they have a support team to back them up. This team includes professionals in customer support, sales, front desk receptionists, and more.

Running a company and providing services isn’t a walk in the park. However, with the help of receptionists, it gets a little lighter as they perform their responsibilities, including but not limited to making guests comfortable and taken care of, assisting employees with phone calls, and setting appointments.

Some people think that the work of a receptionist is a menial job. But, it’s the opposite: It requires skills, professionalism, and dedication. If you’re interested in being part of this workforce, wait no longer and answer the call. Read on to find out more about the duties of a receptionist, some tips to secure this post, and most importantly, an impactful receptionist resume example.

What is a Receptionist?

Working as a receptionist is usually a stepping stone on the career ladder. Because of this, many consider having this job as a part-time post or just a short-term gig. This could be true for many entry-level professionals. However, for some, this could be a fulfilling career with good earning potential.

According to the U.S. News, receptionists make an annual median salary range of $26,380 to $37,830. There’s even data on the same site about the salary outlook, showing the salary increase from 2010 to 2020. Moreover, if you want to pursue this position, you can take your chance in places that offer higher pay. Here’s a quick look:

Cities:

Napa, California: $43,270
San Francisco, California: $42,160
San Jose, California: $41,840
Santa Rosa, California: $40,860
New Haven, Connecticut: $39,780

States/Districts:

District of Columbia: $43,240
New York: $37,480
Connecticut: $37,280
Washington: $37,210
California: $36,640

Who wouldn’t want a competitive salary, right? To secure this post and be able to negotiate your possible salary, you need to have the right skills and relevant qualifications. Thus, these should be well communicated on your resume.

But before we jump into how to write an effective receptionist resume, let’s first talk about the duties and tips on how to be a well-rounded receptionist employers seek for.

What are the Duties of a Receptionist?

Receptionists don’t just greet people and tend to the needs of the company’s guests. Being a receptionist also means you’re one of the faces of the company. This job is essential to businesses as you’re one of the first and last people that visitors will see.

Without a receptionist’s organizational, multitasking, and people skills, visitors (such as business partners) won’t feel at ease and welcome. This could affect the company’s transactions and processes.

Here are some common responsibilities of a receptionist.

Answer phone calls
Receive and greet visitors
Bring order in the workplace
Schedule appointments and meetings
Make copies and organize files
Manage correspondences
Provide information about the organization to the public
Connect guests to appropriate department or staff
Maintain security and telecommunications system

Some receptionist tasks differ depending on the industry you’re in. According to the U.S. BLS, the largest employers of receptionists are in healthcare and social assistance, professional, scientific, technical, personal care, administrative support, religious, grantmaking, and civic services. Hence, preparing for some other duties means you need to be familiar with the field you want to apply to.

How Do You Become a Receptionist?

The receptionist position may seem temporary, but the experience can lead to a better career. In fact, since receptionists are employed in different industries, you can acquire relevant skills, leading to expertise. It’s no surprise, then, that many fresh graduates seize opportunities and apply for receptionist jobs.

If you’re interested and want to work as a receptionist, you need to possess both technical and people skills. Furthermore, make sure to have these qualifications to secure the job.

At least a high school diploma, but college degree is a plus
Certification in office management is an asset
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Multitasking, organizational, and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks

Expert Tip:

If you have the qualifications mentioned earlier, it’s best to highlight them on your receptionist resume, especially if they’re outlined in the job posting.

What to Include on Your Receptionist Resume

Ready to greet yourself to success? Hold your horses! You first need to have job search tools that will impress hiring managers at first glance. To achieve that, here are some of the important details you need to include in your receptionist resume.

Contact Information

Start your receptionist resume with the most important details—your contact information. Write your first and last name, complete mailing address, phone number, and email address. You can also link your LinkedIn profile, if you have one. Another thing: Increase your chance of getting noticed by recruiters by placing your certifications beside your name.

Specific Target Job

This is the same as the career tag. This is where you state your target post to let employers know the job position you’re applying for.

Qualifications Profile / Summary of Qualifications

Recruiters spend an average of six seconds reviewing a job applicant’s resume. That’s why it’s important to effectively highlight your qualifications and why you’re the best fit for the job. To do this, write a compelling resume summary.

Expert Tip:

When writing your summary, steer away from the resume objective-type statement. Instead, use striking titles and headlines to attract the hiring manager’s attention.

Receptionist Skills

Since receptionists accommodate guests and help with the administrative tasks of the organization, it’s vital to have the necessary skills. Doing the work of a receptionist required skills.

Work Experience

Having relevant work experience is always an advantage when applying for a job. It helps you stand out from other qualified candidates. Maximize this section when you have previous work experience. If they’re relevant to the job you’re eyeing, use a chronological resume format.

Don’t worry; if you’re a fresh graduate, you can state your internship and volunteer work. Fortunately, most companies looking for receptionists do not require much work experience. In that case, use the functional resume format to highlight what you can bring to the table.

Education

Another important section in your receptionist resume is your education. Recruiters are on the job of finding the best candidate for the position. Make sure to list your credentials effectively—degree and course title, school name and its location, and the dates of your graduation. Doing so can boost your chance of getting an interview invite.

Training, Certifications, and Licenses

You can also impress hiring managers by showing that you’ve invested in training and equipping yourself through seminars and other relevant activities. When you have these, don’t forget to include them on your receptionist resume.

Other Possible Information to Include on Your Receptionist Resume

Aside from the aforementioned, you can also showcase other information on your receptionist resume, such as hobbies, affiliations, and projects handled.

How to Write Your Receptionist Resume

Now that you’re familiar with the important details to include in your job search document, let’s now dive into some tips in writing an impactful receptionist resume.

1. Use a simple yet attractive design and layout.

Using fancy fonts and too much design make your resume difficult to read. Instead, make sure it’s simple, readable, and professional-looking.

2. Choose the best format.

Use the best resume format. This should be aligned with your qualifications and the line of work you want to be part of. If you’re an experienced professional, it’s best to use a chronological resume. For fresh graduates and career shifters, a functional resume might be the better way to go.

3. Highlight your receptionist skills.

As said before, the work of a receptionist requires a lot of skills—both administrative and interpersonal. Needless to say, highlighting your skills and abilities is a must.

4. Include resume keywords.

Most companies nowadays use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to screen job applicants. So make sure that your receptionist resume has targeted keywords to beat the bot. Plus, doing so helps recruiters identify whether you’re worth giving a shot.

Expert Tip:

Resume keywords are job-related or industry-specific words and phrases outlined in job postings. Hence, make sure that your job search tool matches the job ad.

5. Use concrete data and examples.

Your receptionist resume is a tool to market your value offer to employers. It says a lot about why they should hire you. Quantify your qualifications and don’t just list plain random information. Instead, use this to show off your accomplishments through concrete data and examples.

6. Proofread, proofread, and proofread.

Before hitting the send button, proofread your job search document. Read it thoroughly! Do this to make sure that your resume is free from grammar and punctuation mistakes. Moreover, keeping your resume error-free increases your chance of getting hired.

Expert Tip:

After proofreading your document, you can use a free online resume review to check if your resume has what it takes to impress hiring managers.