Receptionist Skills
This guide will give you the top 10 receptionist skills to include on your resume based on our database of over 10 million real job listings.
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Receptionists are often the first point of contact for customers. They perform customer service duties, such as manning the front office desk, greeting guests, and answering phone calls. They also handle administrative tasks, including managing schedules and setting appointments.Receptionists must also have a good attitude and show attention to detail. In very busy offices, they even have to be adept at multitasking.
In other words, it’s not just about answering phones and greeting guests. That’s why recruiters look for specific skills when hiring one.
Knowing key receptionist skills will give your resume a huge boost.
How we got the data
The data in this report was pulled from Jobscan’s database of more than 10 million job descriptions and 17 million resumes.
We analyzed the job descriptions to find the skills that employers want the most. Then we analyzed the resumes to see which skills appeared most frequently.
Armed with this knowledge, job seekers can easily tailor their resumes and cover letters to highlight the most relevant skills for each job they apply to.
top 10 receptionist Hard Skills
top 10 receptionist Soft Skills
top 10 receptionist Skills on Resumes with High Match Rate
- Communication
- Customer Service
- Professional
- Microsoft Office
- Sales
- Organized
- Filing
- Data Entry
- Scheduling
- Time Management
Top 10 receptionist skills
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Maintained a five-star customer rating throughout my three-year contract with the company.
- Implemented best practices for handling customer concerns, resulting in a 50% decrease in customer complaints and negative feedback.
- Organized a detailed record of customer profiles that aided in achieving a 30% increase in customer loyalty.
- Created personalized greeting cards for customers on special occasions, resulting in a 25% increase in repeat customers.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Gave accurate and timely information to customers via chat, phone calls, and email, resulting in a 35% increase in conversion rates.
- Maintained warm face-to-face interactions with new and existing customers to establish rapport, resulting in an increase in the number of leads by 15%.
- Employed active listening to properly address customer complaints, which led to 20% higher customer satisfaction ratings.
- Used active listening and empathetic communication to address negative client feedback, improving customer retention by 30%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Prepared accurate reports for the sales department, which supported the team in creating successful sales strategies.
- Organized and updated personnel records that allowed the Human Resource Manager to keep track of personnel movement in a timely manner.
- Coordinated with various departments to organize a successful company-wide mental health awareness campaign.
- Planned and kept detailed minutes of executive meetings.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Created an improved purchasing record system, resulting in 15% faster audits.
- Kept an updated record of all existing clients, allowing the Marketing team to create personalized strategies to nurture long-term relationships.
- Organized reports and documents, enabling the Branch Manager to efficiently prioritize them according to the level of importance.
- Implemented a new filing system for all financial records, which cut the time needed to prepare documents by 50%.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Over ten years of experience in using Microsoft Excel to prepare financial reports and analyze data.
- Used Microsoft Word to take down minutes during executive meetings, staff presentations, and company events.
- Utilized an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Excel’s formulas to efficiently track the department’s expenses.
- Created engaging and informative presentations using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Displayed dependability in scheduling appointments by confirming all schedules ahead via phone and email.
- Ensured that all relevant parties were present by scheduling executive meetings through proper coordination and careful planning.
- Made regular follow-ups via phone calls and email to make sure that meeting schedules were favorable for all relevant parties.
- Scheduled meetings for the Vice President of Operations by contacting relevant offices through formal letters, phone calls, and emails ahead of time.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Familiar with the use of Microsoft Excel’s pivot tables for recording and analyzing data.
- Five years of experience in using Microsoft Excel’s functions to track and record financial transactions.
- Capable of performing basic functions, such as creating tables and graphs, on Microsoft Excel.
- Over ten years of experience in using Microsoft Excel to import data, filter results, and make calculations needed when generating reports.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Made travel arrangements and coordinated with relevant departments for the team’s business appointments.
- Implemented an improved record-keeping system that ensured all documents were filed appropriately and could be accessed when needed.
- Kept an updated calendar of all billings and office requirements, which eliminated late payments and penalties.
- Maintained and updated an online database of all office records and made them accessible to team members without any wait time.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Responded to customer queries via chat in real-time, which supported the sales team in nurturing positive relationships with our client base.
- Coordinated with other departments and offices via email to organize meetings and other events.
- Maintained regular correspondence with customers via email to keep them updated on new products, upcoming events, and seasonal promos.
- Kept correspondence with key personnel in government offices and other businesses to stay informed on developments and updates.
Examples of how to write this skill on your resume:
- Answered calls promptly and took note of all important information that needed to be relayed to other staff.
- Screened phone calls and ensured that only valid or important ones went through to other members of the team.
- Implemented a rule on transferring calls to other staff, resulting in a decrease in the number of unwanted calls by 70%.
- Created a spiel for answering phone calls to ensure that each call is handled politely and professionally, which improved customer satisfaction ratings by 35%.
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5 tips for writing a receptionist resume
Create a bulleted resume skills section
Use a simple, clean format that highlights your skills and experiences. Focus on readability by using bullet points and short phrases to present your skills. Properly organize your resume into education, experience, and skills sections.
“Adding a skills section to your resume is a great way to draw the recruiter’s attention to your most relevant strengths and competencies.”
– Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE, Job Search Coach
For example, a receptionist’s bullet points might look like this:
- Customer service. Implemented best practices for handling customer concerns, resulting in a 50% decrease in customer complaints and negative feedback.
- Communication. Gave accurate and timely information to customers via chat, phone calls, and email, resulting in a 35% increase in conversion rates.
- Administrative support. Prepared accurate reports for the sales department, which supported the team in creating successful sales strategies.
- Filing. Created an improved purchasing record system, resulting in 15% faster audits.
- Microsoft Office. Over ten years of experience in using Microsoft Excel to prepare financial reports and analyze data.
- Scheduling. Scheduled meetings for the Vice President of Operations by contacting relevant offices through formal letters, phone calls, and emails ahead of time.
- Excel. Over ten years of experience in using Microsoft Excel to import data, filter results, and make calculations needed when generating reports.
Hitting all the top job requirements with your skills list will help you rank highly for a keyword search within an applicant tracking system. But don’t stop there. Add context for every skill elsewhere in your work experience. If a recruiter is excited by “administrative support” in your skills section, the first thing they’ll do is skim your work experience to figure out when, how, and how much you used that skill.
Highlight skills and achievements in your work experience section
As you list your responsibilities, it’s also important to highlight your specific achievements wherever you can.
“For soft skills, it’s often more effective to demonstrate them in the context of your past work experience. Instead of merely stating “excellent team player”, you are better off saying “collaborated with a cross-functional team of 6 on a new product launch that boosted sales by 30% in one year”. Examples of specific accomplishments or business outcomes speak louder than buzzwords.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
For example, if you increased the number of repeat customers, be sure to mention this accomplishment.
Instead of saying,
“Created personalized greeting cards for customers on special occasions.”
You could say,
“Created personalized greeting cards for customers on special occasions, resulting in a 25% increase in repeat customers.”
This demonstrates your level of expertise with the skills you listed. It gives the recruiter more reason to be interested in you as a result.
Break resume skills sections into categories
If you’re applying for a role requiring a broad skillset, categorize your skills.
“If you opt to include a designated skills section on your resume, include up to 10 of your core competencies. Excessive skills lists are overwhelming and sometimes confusing to the reader.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
For example, someone applying for a role as a receptionist might benefit from segmenting their skill lists as follows:
- Administrative support
- Record-keeping
- Reporting
- Scheduling
- Office Administration
- Billing
- Building requirements
- Documentary requirements
- Customer service
- Live chat
Quantify your achievements
Use numbers to quantify your achievements wherever possible. This helps potential employers understand your abilities and the impact you can have on their organization.
“Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for relevancy of how and when you applied those skills, so provide examples of this in your experience section. Bonus tip: Don’t just insert the skill like a task–include results.”
– Kelli Hrivnak, Marketing and Tech Recruiter
Instead of saying,
“Used active listening and empathetic communication to address negative client feedback.”
You could say,
“Used active listening and empathetic communication to address negative client feedback, improving customer retention by 30%.”
By using numbers, you give hiring managers a better sense of your value.
Tailor your resume to the job description
Read the description carefully and emphasize the relevant skills and experiences. Highlight the skills that the employer seeks and provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in your previous roles. Doing so can demonstrate that you’re a strong fit for the position and increase your chances of being invited to an interview.
“The ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach doesn’t work when it comes to your resume. For every job application, tailor your skill set to match the job description. Most companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that filter candidates based on keywords and skills listed in the job description. So, research the role you’re applying for and distill the skills required.”
– Ana Lokotkova, Career Coach and Advisor
In order to do this, “you must first understand what skills are most important for the target role,” says Ashley Watkins.
Here’s an example of how to tailor a receptionist resume to a job description:
Job Title: Receptionist for a Publishing Company
Requirements: Experience in customer service and administrative support.
Tailored Resume Description:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office software, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, for record-keeping and reporting.
- Ten years of experience in attending to customer queries via live chat, email, and phone calls.
- Five years of experience in appointment-setting, scheduling, and record-keeping.
“Focus on the sought-after and in demand skills. A great way to figure out what is currently in demand is by researching current job openings from your preferred companies and reading through the posting. Pay close attention to the preferred requirements section and build your skills section based on this list.”
– Chelsea Jay, Career & Leadership Development Coach – Seasoned and Growing
Bonus Tip: Use action verbs
Start each bullet point with an action verb. An action verb expresses an action, such as “create,” “build,” “manage,” “lead,” or “implement.”
Action verbs grab the reader’s attention and paint a vivid picture of what you accomplished at work.
Action verbs make your resume more interesting to read. They also show the kind of can-do attitude that employers are looking for.
FAQs
One of the biggest skills needed to be an excellent receptionist is customer service. This involves the ability to interact with customers in a positive and professional manner, whether that be in face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and email correspondence.
Other important receptionist skills to include on a resume are:
- Communication. This pertains to the ability to listen, understand, and convey your message well both in written and verbal communication.
- Administrative support. Administrative support is the ability to oversee daily office operations and ensure that every area is running smoothly. This includes record-keeping, billing, and meeting building regulations.
- Microsoft Office. Familiarity with Microsoft Office software, such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, is a must-have for receptionists, as these are used in daily tasks.
- Scheduling. Candidates need to be able to schedule appointments, manage calendars efficiently, and coordinate with key personnel as scheduling is a major part of a receptionist’s regular workload.
To effectively convey that you are a match for the job, you can showcase the following technical skills:
- Microsoft Excel. This is necessary for record-keeping, data analysis, and even formatting documents for printing.
- Familiarity with relevant equipment. You may indicate what types of equipment, such as copy machines and phone systems, you have had experience with.
- Knowledge of relevant software. Aside from Microsoft Office, you may also highlight any experience with software that can be used for creating databases, record-keeping, and filing.
According to our research, these are the top 10 hard skills for receptionists:
- Customer service
- Administrative support
- Filing
- Microsoft Office
- Scheduling
- Excel
- Office Administration
- Correspondence
- Phone calls
- Training
Examples of soft skills for a receptionist are:
- Communication
- Friendly
- Outgoing
- Organized
- Interpersonal skills
- Flexible
- Professional
- Motivated
- Courteous
- Work independently
When indicating receptionist skills on a resume, it pays to be specific.
For example, it’s not enough to put “Customer service” among the skills you possess. The better way is to attach measurable results to hard skills to make your resume more impactful and compelling.
Measurable results effectively show proof that you indeed have the skills you claim to possess. They also give a clear picture of how those skills impacted your output, as well as the people who were working with you.
For example, to be specific when stating your skills, you can say,
“Implemented best practices for handling customer concerns, resulting in a 50% decrease in customer complaints and negative feedback.”
Some of the least important receptionist skills are:
- Sales
- Data entry
- Motivated
- Maintenance
- Inventory
These are skills that did not make it to our list of 10 most important skills. However, knowledge of these will definitely be a plus.
For instance, if you are applying to be a receptionist at a sales office, an understanding of how to market a product may come in handy when communicating with customers or establishing rapport with colleagues.
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