Receptionist jobs allow people to get their foot in the door, network with others in the industry, earn a steady paycheck and work normal hours. It’s rarely thought of as a dream job, but it’s a great opportunity to get to network with a company, or in an industry. One could do well by working as a receptionist.
This article explains what to do when applying for a job as a receptionist. It looks at the most important receptionist skills worth mentioning on your resume, as well as how to best set yourself apart when applying for receptionist jobs.
Receptionist Skills Worth Mentioning On A Resume
A receptionist’s resume could include a variety of skills from organizational skills to computer literacy. Here are the most important receptionist skills to be sure to include on your resume when applying for receptionist jobs.
Communication: The most important skill any prospective receptionist’s resume should include is the ability to communicate. Reception work includes a lot of phone calls, emails and synchronizing schedules. You cannot have a good receptionist who is a poor communicator.
Prioritizing: Receptionist work focuses on managing priorities. Who needs to be notified that someone is there for a meeting? Who needs an email reminder? Where is the conference call taking place? Receptionists basically act as company secretaries and must know how to prioritize which of their many responsibilities is most important in that specific moment on the job.
Computer Literacy: Computer literacy is a must for everyone but it’s definitely a skill receptionists need to do their job. Most companies use personalized programs to help receptionists do their jobs but these programs are counterproductive if the receptionist can’t operate them.
Emotional Intelligence: A good receptionist can communicate but a great receptionist can communicate using emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to properly read and convey emotions when communicating with someone else. This is helpful because it provides a better experience for those interacting with you. Most people’s first impression of a company comes from their first interactions with the receptionist. It’s important that the receptionist can handle that responsibility. The skill that will help them the best handle customers is emotional intelligence.
Reliability: Although communication is the most important skill a receptionist can have, reliability is what your employer will most remember. When an employer is looking to hire a receptionist, they’re not only looking for someone who can do the job, but they’re also looking for someone who can stay two steps ahead of everyone else. Being reliable and proactive will earn you more points with your boss than anything else you could do.
Set Yourself Apart When Applying For Receptionist Positions
It’s great to include the aforementioned skills on a receptionist resume, but it’s likely that other applicants will list the same skills. Here are some ways you can make yourself stand apart from the rest when applying for receptionist jobs.
Be Professional: When applying for a receptionist position you’re applying to be the customer’s first impression of the company. This makes professionalism incredibly important for receptionist work. Be sure to be professional at all times. Learn about the company before your interview.
Don’t just look at what they do but look at what’s new. Has the company published any press releases recently? What is their stock doing? The interviewer will likely never ask about these things in a job interview, but being able to mention what you know about the company will show the interviewer how serious you are about properly understanding and representing the company.
Show Don’t Tell: Don’t just list your skills and job experience on your resume. Use job descriptions to tell stories about your past jobs that highlight these skills to future employers. Show them you are able to do the job, don’t just tell them.
Be Proactive: If you’re lacking in a certain skill, take a class, watch a video tutorial or read a book. Outlining your skills on a resume is important but so is being able to highlight improvements you’re currently working on.
Conclusion
A receptionist job is a great opportunity for those who know how to take advantage of it. It requires a variety of skills and talents to do good work. There are many skills to work on and develop but there and there are just as many ways to set yourself apart from everyone else. Hopefully you now feel better prepared to apply for a receptionist position in the future.
Are you a jobseeker looking for work or an employer looking for the right candidate? Contact The Computer Merchant today or call (800) 617-6172 for one of our representatives to assist you.
