A Receptionist will be expected to answer calls and transfer them to the appropriate person within the company.
Entry Requirements
There are no specific requirements to becoming a Receptionist, but a good standard of education such as GCSEs in Maths and English will usually be asked for. Previous experience in customer care, hospitality or telesales will also help in applying to become a Receptionist, as you will have gained transferable skills in customer service and speaking with clients.
Job Description
You will need to have knowledge of who to direct callers to if they are unsure themselves, and you will need to be able to take messages.
Related: Receptionist Cover Letter
Receptionists may carry out other tasks depending on the volume of calls taken. A Receptionist may also maintain the company diary or individual diaries on a broad level, making occasional meeting bookings and organising refreshments. A Receptionist will also carry out filing tasks and general administration such as letter typing or dealing with the daily post and receiving deliveries. Making orders of stock and getting meeting rooms ready for conferences may also be part of general duties, and booking trains, hire cars and hotel rooms for other members of staff.
Working Hours
The working hours of a Receptionist will typically be between 35 and 40 hours Monday to Friday, but part time positions or job shares are widely available.
Skills and Training Development
A Receptionist will need to be an excellent communicator and possess a good telephone manner. It will be important not to get flustered and to take messages and phone numbers accurately. Good attention to detail will also be a great skill to have, and a well presented appearance because often the Receptionist is the first person a client will see when they walk through the door. Great IT skills will also be needed for keeping online diaries, monitoring e-mails and making refreshment and stationary orders to suppliers.
Further career development opportunities may be available in the fields of administration and HR, or in a completely different area of the company such as project management for those with the enthusiasm to learn and progress. There are also CIPD courses available in administration, human resources and business administration. There are also NVQs available in Customer Service and Business Administration.
Related: Receptionist CV Example
Salary
The starting salary for a Receptionist can be around £10,000 to £12,000 a year, rising to between £13,000 and £16,000 with more experience. A Senior Receptionist can earn up to £26,000 a year.
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