How to List Receptionist Skills on a Resume

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Receptionist skills show an employee’s ability to represent a company or industry. These can include but are not limited to organizational methods, communication with clients, time management, overall professionalism and much more. This article discusses the best receptionist skills to list on a resume and how to highlight those relevant skills on your resume. 

Why employers want to see receptionist skills on your resume

In many companies, the receptionist is the face that clients see the most often and the overall organizer for the company. The skills required to be a receptionist vary depending on the job but many receptionist skills are applicable to any industry. Receptionist skills demonstrate professionalism, organization, communication abilities, comfort with technology, ability to multitask and much more. 

Demonstrating these skills on your resume is important for many job applications. For example, if you describe your responsibilities as a receptionist for a dentist’s office as developing positive relationships with young patients and maintaining a schedule for over 80 clients, the person reading your resume will interpret this as an ability to organize for a large team and that you have excellent communication skills. 

Tips for listing receptionist skills on a resume

The following list of tips explain how to include skills on a receptionist resume:

Provide detailed descriptions

As a receptionist, you might spend most of your day answering phones and sending emails. You are the front line of communication between the business and external customers. Strong communication skills are key to success in this role. Consider a time in which solid communication skills led to your success.

Example: ‘Earned ‘Employee of the Month’ recognition for interpreting project changes and thoroughly communicating updates to project managers.’

Use metrics

Add clear metrics to your work experience descriptions as employers translate data as solid proof of your accomplishments. Consider a previous situation in which an event occurred that involved a specific metric.

Example: ‘After initiating a revamp of the project closing process over the phone, customer satisfaction improved by 21%.’

Include job-specific keywords

It is helpful to review each job posting for keywords that are specific to the receptionist role you are applying for. These keywords and phrases stand out to employers and keyword searching scans. They also make your resume appear more relevant when referencing job-specific details.

Example: ‘Handled the onboarding process for clients before introducing them to their assigned project managers. Created new client profiles within the main database with full contact information and project details.’

Use adjectives for proficiency levels

Always be honest when writing your resume, especially when it comes to proficiency levels in each skill that you list. You can include a separate ‘Skills’ list and use adjectives to explain your level of experience when describing a particular skill. 

Example: ‘Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook’

Best receptionist skills to add to a resume

Here are some of the most common skills to include on your receptionist resume:

  • Professionalism. Highlight the experience you have representing a company, in terms of behavior and appearance. 
  • Organization. Describe how you organize not only your own routine but also that of your colleagues. 
  • Ability to multitask. Explain how you can juggle your daily tasks while maintaining professionalism and good customer service, even with distractions and interruptions.
  • Attention to detail. This skill involves making sure procedures are exact and that you follow rules and regulations. 
  • Technology skills. This can include typing ability, proficiency with word processing programs, spreadsheets and file-sharing systems.
  • Social media. To be successful in this role, it is beneficial to show how social media can be utilized within a company to keep clients informed and represent the company in a positive light.
  • Confidence. Showing your manager and your clients that you are confident and reliable reflects positively on your work ethic and builds a strong reputation for the company. 
  • Communication. Show that you have solid interpersonal and customer service skills. 
  • Friendliness. This includes maintaining a positive attitude, remaining calm and courteous, and responding cheerfully to incoming calls.
  • Interpersonal skills. Discuss how you can work closely with a variety of different people and how you respond with the appropriate conflict resolution methods when necessary. 

How to improve receptionist skills

Here are some ways you can improve your receptionist skills: 

1. First, become comfortable with any required computer software

It is important for a receptionist to keep their technology skills up to date. This could even involve taking short online courses, if necessary, to stay current. 

2. Next, take notes to improve your organization skills

If it helps with your daily organization, get in the habit of making frequent notes. Actively writing down key information can help it stick in your mind, and is also a good resource to refer to later.

3. Third, create a script so you can communicate professionally at all times

It can sometimes be challenging to remember to say everything that is required during all the many interactions of a typical workday. It can be useful to develop a script so that you use similar language to welcome visitors, answer the phone and respond to customers with correct or consistent answers to their questions.

4. Fourth, learn how to deal with challenging people

Staying calm when faced with interruptions is a very useful skill to work on improving. Learn how to maintain a positive demeanor even when talking to a difficult client.

5. Next, practice active listening skills

Maintaining eye contact and asking clarifying questions if necessary can be very beneficial for developing your active listening skills.

6. Sixth, use downtime to practice a new skill

It is important to be working on something, even during slow times. Downtime can be the perfect opportunity to improve skills even further by studying manuals or becoming familiar with a new computer system.

7. Then, exercise professionalism with coworkers

It’s a good idea to avoid becoming involved in office gossip. As a receptionist, you might process private information or be asked to assist with confidential situations or materials, so you should always be discreet and respect the privacy of the company and individuals.

8. Finally, build your own confidence in the workplace

Always take pride in your work and demonstrate that you know you have performed your assigned tasks to the best of your abilities. Ask for help or seek extra training if you need to improve any of your skills.

Almost all receptionist skills can be used in most office management jobs. Also, most receptionist skills build on many strengths you may not even realize you have such as interpersonal communication and being comfortable with technology. By identifying these skills and perfecting them, you help make yourself a strong candidate in any industry.