Write a Receptionist Resume with These Top Tips and Examples

A receptionist resume needs to be as high-quality as possible to land you the job. How do you make sure your resume looks truly incredible and shows off your skills?

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Receptionist Resume Example

Receptionist Resume Sample

If you’re interested in becoming a receptionist, that means you need to write a perfect resume for the position. Understanding what goes into good administrative and organizational work is key to a recruiter taking a second look at your resume. Here’s what you need to know about writing a receptionist resume that works well for you.

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When To Use a Receptionist Resume

A receptionist resume is any resume that you write for a receptionist job or a job in a similar field. For example, a receptionist resume can serve you if you’re applying for work as an office assistant, front desk receptionist, healthcare or medical receptionist, or similar office positions. These positions are often considered entry-level positions and you just need to be able to do basic administrative tasks to succeed in the position. However, your ability to showcase these skills will play into whether you get the job.

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Important Elements of a Receptionist Resume

Any receptionist resume example you look at will include these sections:

Resume summary

At the top of your resume, you should include a resume objective or resume summary. This is a short paragraph, typically 2-3 sentences, that allows a hiring manager to see your best certifications, most impressive skills, and highlights of your work history. It goes over your professional experience in a way that showcases why you should get the job over other job seekers.

Skills

Next is your skills section. This is where you showcase all the skills necessary for you to do the job on a daily basis. Here are a few bullet points you might include:

Multi-line phone system
Multitasking
MS Office (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel)
Office supplies
Phone calls
WPM
Greeting callers in the reception area
Data entry
Managing spreadsheets
Interpersonal skills
Communication skills
High-volume data work
Organizational skills
Scheduling appointments
Answering phones
Problem-solving
Making travel arrangements
Time management
Operating copiers

Most of the time, you’ll need to include both hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills help you do the job and help an office manager, while soft skills allow you to communicate with other people more effectively.

Work experience

If you have any previous experience in this field, you’ll want to include it in your experience section. Including past experience on a professional resume allows you to show that you actually made a difference at a previous job. Additionally, you can include experience related to this field that may have transferable skills.

Education

Your education section should include any academic experience that you have. Typically, receptionists only need a high school diploma, but if you have a more advanced academic credential like an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, feature it here, even if it doesn’t directly relate to the job title.

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Do’s and Don’ts for a Receptionist Resume

Do:

Include contact information at the top of your. A resume builder can help you with the resume format for this.
Send your resume to a specific point of contact. You should address your resume and cover letter directly to this person.
Include comprehensive career information in your LinkedIn, then put a LinkedIn profile link on your resume. If a hiring manager wants to learn more about you outside of your resume, they can visit your LinkedIn.

Don’t:

Provide extensive information on previous jobs that don’t relate to receptionist work. You should only include past jobs that have potentially transferable skills.
Send off your resume before you proofread it. Remember, typos are one of the biggest resume and cover letter killers.
Write your receptionist resume without looking at the job description. By looking at the job description, you’ll incorporate resume keywordsthat can help you get the job.

FAQ: Receptionist Resume Example

Q: Should I put basic Microsoft Office skills on a receptionist resume?

No. It’s expected that you have basic Microsoft Office skills if you’re applying to be a receptionist. Instead, learn more about how to use Microsoft Office applications, like Microsoft Excel, and showcase those advanced skills (e.g., getting a certification in Excel, or listing a previous experience where you used Excel). Advanced skills will get you more attention from a hiring manager than basic ones, especially if you can back them up in practice.

Q: How specific should I be about my receptionist skills?

It’s always good to get specific about your skills. For example, if you’re applying to a medical receptionist job, you can indicate previous medical receptionist experience and knowledge. This can help you showcase that you know how to do a specific job, not just that you’re good at administrative skills.

Q: What’s the best resume format for a receptionist?

Your best resume format depends on your experience and how you’re using that experience. If you have many years of experience, the chronological resume format will typically be the right option, but if you have fewer years of experience, the functional or combination format might work best. Your best option will always be to look at receptionist resume samples and use these resume examples to build your own resume.

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