Job profiles
Receptionist
Hours30-40 per week
Starting salary£11,500 + per year
If you like meeting people and enjoy having a varied day, this job could be perfect for you. Receptionists are the first point of contact for an organisation. They work in all kinds of locations, including businesses, hotels, schools, hospitals and sports centres.
You may not need any formal qualifications to start work as a receptionist. However, some employers will prefer you to have GCSEs, particularly in English and maths. IT skills will also be useful.
To become a receptionist, you will need to have a friendly and confident personality. You’ll also need good spoken and written communication skills. Sometimes you’ll need to be polite but firm when dealing with difficult people.
The work
As a receptionist, your day-to-day work would include:
greeting visitors and directing them to the correct person or department
managing the visitors book and giving out security passes
answering enquiries in person, by phone and on email
providing or sending out information
managing a booking system
providing refreshments
keeping the reception area tidy
As a medical or dental receptionist you would often arrange appointments and take payments for treatments.
In some companies, especially where the reception area is less busy, you could carry out a wider range of tasks, such as:
booking transport and travel
organising meeting rooms
basic clerical work
handling cash
simple bookkeeping
Some large organisations and office buildings contain several companies. In this type of location you may work as receptionist as well as security officer.
Hours
You would usually work 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, organisations like hotels and restaurants will often cover weekends and evenings using a shift rota. Part-time work is normally available.
- See more at: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/receptionist.aspx#sthash.akyXHKMR.dpuf