Q: Is being a receptionist a stressful job?

Yes, being a receptionist is a stressful job. This largely depends on the company you work for. However, a typical receptionist is usually on the go for most of the day. As a receptionist, you have to think on your feet, deal with multiple tasks at once, greet people, make bookings, emails, and take and make calls. Having to manage all these tasks at once does cause stress.

Q: Is receptionist a good career?

Yes, being a receptionist is a good career. Being a receptionist can be a very rewarding job. While it doesn't pay a lot, it can open the door to a lot of exciting opportunities. It has a good work-life balance, and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.

Question 1

How long does it take to become a Receptionist?

Accepted Answer

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a receptionist. That is the time it takes to learn specific receptionist skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Question 2

How do I become a receptionist with no experience?

Accepted Answer

To become a receptionist with no experience involves having a good resume and cover letter, some prior work or volunteer experience, and meeting the right people. When creating a resume for a receptionist position, be sure to illustrate similar skills in past volunteer, extracurricular, or work experience.

Question 3

How to get a receptionist job

Accepted Answer

To get a receptionist job, you must craft your resume, determine whether you have the right soft skills, present yourself well, and be organized enough to answer the phone, schedule appointments, and deal with clients.

Question 4

Is an office assistant the same as a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

No, an office assistant is not the same role as a receptionist. While these roles can be similar in some companies and even be held by the same person, the roles are not the same.

The office receptionist is the representative of the company that visitors encounter first. Their duties are primarily in customer service, ensuring that everyone who walks through the door or who makes a phone call has a positive first impression of the company.

Question 5

Is being a receptionist a stressful job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, being a receptionist is a stressful job. This largely depends on the company you work for. However, a typical receptionist is usually on the go for most of the day.

As a receptionist, you have to think on your feet, deal with multiple tasks at once, greet people, make bookings, emails, and take and make calls. Having to manage all these tasks at once does cause stress.

Question 6

Is receptionist a good career?

Accepted Answer

Yes, being a receptionist is a good career. Being a receptionist can be a very rewarding job. While it doesn't pay a lot, it can open the door to a lot of exciting opportunities. It has a good work-life balance, and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.

Question 7

What are the duties of a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

The main duties of a receptionist are to receive visitors, answer phone calls, manage mail, do clerical work, organize meetings, and provide secretarial support.

Receive Visitors

greet visitors appropriately
determine visitor needs in a professional manner
maintain visitor register
offer refreshments to visitors where appropriate
direct visitors to the correct person
ensure back up when absent from reception desk

Question 8

What are the qualifications for a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

There are no specific qualifications for being a receptionist. At a minimum, a high school or GED will suffice.

However, unless you know someone, it may be hard for you to land a job as a receptionist, as you will need to have some work experience. However, If you have a bachelor's degree, you may be hired with minimal work experience. It doesn't matter if the past jobs involved receptionist duties.

Question 9

What is the email etiquette CC hierarchy?

Accepted Answer

The email etiquette CC hierarchy organizes the formal protocol for who to include in an email, including who to copy and who to reply to. At the end of the day, email etiquette concerning CC hierarchy simply asks the question "who to place first in the CC field of an email". Some professionals prefer to list recipients in descending order of importance in the company, placing the highest position first.

Question 10

What should I study to become a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

To be a receptionist, you should study skills like typing, email communication, and customer service. Some jobs might require you to have completed an educational program related to office administration or that you hold a certificate in various computer programs.

Question 11

What is a good starting salary for a Receptionist?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a receptionist is $24,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a receptionist in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for receptionists is $29,180, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a receptionist can vary by state.

Question 12

Can a receptionist make 100k?

Accepted Answer

No, you cannot make $100,000 per year as a receptionist. It is highly unlikely to earn over $100k because the average annual salary for a receptionist is $29,180. Even receptionists in higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $35,000 per year.

Question 13

Do receptionist jobs pay well?

Accepted Answer

No, receptionist jobs do not pay well. The average hourly pay rate for a receptionist is $14 an hour. The range in pay can go from as high as $21.21 an hour to as low as $7.93 an hour. Factors such as location and type of receptionist impact earning potential.

Question 14

What is required for a receptionist job?

Accepted Answer

A high diploma or GED is required for a receptionist job. However, having some work experience and/or educational experience will greatly improve your odds of landing a receptionist position.

Question 15

What are the qualifications of a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

The qualifications for a receptionist are typically a high school diploma or GED. Some employers may also require 1 to 2 years of sales or customer service experience. The most common jobs before becoming a receptionist are:

Cashier
Sales associate
Customer service representative

Getting a certification as an administrative assistant will help with job opportunities and salary options as a receptionist.

Question 16

What percentage of Receptionists are female?

Accepted Answer

85.1% of receptionists are female in the United States. This is 2.5 percentage points higher than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female receptionists has decreased by -0.4 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 1,437,972 female receptionists in the U.S. and 251,773 male receptionists in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 1,689,745 people with the specific job title of receptionist and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 17

How do I describe my front desk job on a resume?

Accepted Answer

You describe your front desk job on a resume in several ways, including under work experience and when talking about your core skills and accomplishments.

The key to describing a front desk job on a resume is to focus on a few core skills and provide real-world examples of specific responsibilities and achievements.

Question 18

What are receptionist skills?

Accepted Answer

Receptionist skills include the right mixture of hard and soft skills needed to succeed as the company's first line of defense. While some of these skills can be learned, others come more naturally to some people than others.

Question 19

What should a receptionist put on a resume?

Accepted Answer

A receptionist should put skills and accomplishments that highlight their ability to effectively oversee the many duties involved in this position on a resume. As a receptionist, you understand the importance of organization and procedure; your resume should be no different.

Question 20

How to be a good receptionist

Accepted Answer

To be a good receptionist, you should be organized, personable, and reliable. Receptionists are critical for a business's daily operations to run smoothly. Receptionists have many moving parts, so it is crucial to find a solid organizational method to keep everything where it should be.

Question 21

Why should we hire you for a receptionist?

Accepted Answer

You answer, "why should we hire you for a receptionist," by focusing on proving your worth to the company and highlighting your qualifications that match the job requirements. According to an HR consulting firm, it costs approximately $30,000 to replace a staff member. To that end, your answer needs to show why you are worth it.

Frequently asked questions about receptionists

Questions about becoming a receptionist