How to Become a Front Desk Clerk
What is a Front Desk Clerk
Your happy, smiling face is the first thing visitors will see when they walk through the door. Being at the front desk, you're usually the first one they'll approach.
Front desk clerks have to be knowledgable about the company they work for, as well as the products or service they provide. Many times, you'll be hit with lots of questions that you'll have to answer. But it's also your job to help visitors get where they need to be, whether that's a meeting in conference room #5, or they're checking into their hotel room.
Most front desk clerks work a full-time schedule. But, depending on what industry you're working in, that schedule may be all over the map. From traveling to working late evenings and weekends, front desk clerks need to be flexible. You never know what the next day will bring.
What Does a Front Desk Clerk Do
Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.
How To Become a Front Desk Clerk
Information clerks typically need a high school diploma and learn their skills on the job. Employers may prefer to hire candidates with some college education or an associate’s degree, depending on the occupation.
EducationCandidates typically need a high school diploma for most positions. However, employers may prefer to hire candidates with some college education or an associate’s degree. This is particularly true for eligibility interviewers, human resources assistants, and municipal clerks. Courses in social sciences, as well as word processing and spreadsheet applications, are particularly helpful.
TrainingMost information clerks receive short-term on-the-job training, usually lasting a few weeks. Training typically covers clerical procedures and the use of computer applications. Those employed in government receive training that may last several months and include learning about various government programs and regulations.
AdvancementSome information clerks may advance to other administrative positions with more responsibilities, such as office supervisor or office manager. With completion of a bachelor’s degree, some human resources assistants may become human resources specialists.
Important QualitiesCommunication skills. Information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public.
Integrity. Information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information. They must be trusted to adhere to the applicable confidentiality and privacy rules governing the dissemination of this information.
Interpersonal skills. Information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively in order to establish positive relationships.
Organizational skills. Information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently.
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Front Desk Clerk Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of Certified Nursing Assistant you might progress to a role such as Team Leader eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title Office Manager.
Front Desk Clerk Jobs You Might Like
What is the right job for my career path?
Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the rights job to get there.
Average Salary for a Front Desk Clerk
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12 Front Desk Clerk Resume Examples
Build a professional front desk clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your front desk clerk resume.
Jacob Mitchell Front Desk Clerk |
Juan Stephens Front Desk Clerk Experience Front Desk Clerk2020 - Present Holiday Inn Express•Philadelphia, PA
Front Desk Staff2014 - 2020 Holiday Inn Express•Philadelphia, PA
Child Care Provider2012 - 2014 4c's•DeKalb, IL
Skills Customer ServiceAppropriate PersonnelDesk StaffHotel ServicesCustomer QuestionsNight AuditFacility ToursChild CareCustomer OrdersGuest Service Education Bachelor's Degree Elementary Education2009 - 2012 Northern Illinois University•DeKalb, IL |
Learn How To Write a Front Desk Clerk Resume
At Zippia, we went through countless Front Desk Clerk resumes and compiled some information about how to optimize them. Here are some suggestions based on what we found, divided by the individual sections of the resume itself.
View Front Desk Clerk Resume Examples And TemplatesAnd if you’re looking for a job, here are the five top employers hiring now:
Choose From 10+ Customizable Front Desk Clerk Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Front Desk Clerk templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Front Desk Clerk resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Front Desk Clerk Demographics
Front Desk Clerk Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among Front Desk Clerks, 75.8% of them are women, while 24.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among Front Desk Clerks is White, which makes up 55.8% of all Front Desk Clerks.
- The most common foreign language among Front Desk Clerks is Spanish at 71.7%.
Find the best Front Desk Clerk job for you
Front Desk Clerk Jobs You Might Like
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Online Courses For Front Desk Clerk That You May Like
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Top Skills For a Front Desk Clerk
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 16.0% of Front Desk Clerks listed Customer Service on their resume, but soft skills such as Communication skills and Integrity are important as well.
Best States For a Front Desk Clerk
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a Front Desk Clerk. The best states for people in this position are Massachusetts, New York, California, and Vermont. Front Desk Clerks make the most in Massachusetts with an average salary of $35,273. Whereas in New York and California, they would average $33,013 and $32,496, respectively. While Front Desk Clerks would only make an average of $31,632 in Vermont, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. New York
$33,013
Avg. Salary
2. Kentucky
$30,659
Avg. Salary
3. California
$32,496
Avg. Salary
How Do Front Desk Clerk Rate Their Jobs?
Front Desk Clerk Videos
Becoming a Front Desk Clerk FAQs
How long does it take to become a Front Desk Clerk?
It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a front desk clerk. That is the time it takes to learn specific front desk clerk skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.