We personalize your experience.
We use cookies in our website to ensure we give you the best experience, get to know our users and deliver better marketing. For this purpose, we may share the information collected with third parties. By clicking “Allow cookies” you give us your consent to use all cookies. If you prefer to manage your cookies click on the “Manage cookies” link below.
Use these front desk receptionist examples and tips with our Resume Builder tool to create a winning resume that highlights your best attributes.
Our customers have been hired by*:*Foot Note
A receptionist needs to be a strong communicator with excellent organization skills and an eye for detail. Your professional resume is your first chance to demonstrate these skills to a potential employer and convince the hiring manager to offer you an interview.
This guide will show you:
An effective receptionist resume will be well-presented and results-driven, with a focus on previous experience as a front office receptionist or in related fields like administrative support and customer service. Highlight your experience performing administrative tasks, scheduling appointments, managing company data, greeting visitors, taking phone calls, procuring office equipment and completing paperwork.
Along with these role-specific hard skills, you should also cover certain soft skills like communication and organization. Many of the required skills of a receptionist are transferable and can be evidenced with other work experience.
The structure of your receptionist resume will vary depending on your chosen resume format. You have three options:
The chronological format is the preferred format of most recruiters and hiring managers. This resume format is best for those with several years of work experience.
Add your contact information to the resume header at the top of the page. You must include your full name, location, phone number and email address. Present this information clearly so the hiring manager can easily contact you should they wish to schedule you for an interview. Also include links to your job networking profiles like Linkedin.
The resume summary or resume objective is a brief profile of yourself as a candidate. There is a slight difference between the two. A resume summary provides an overview of your key skills and experiences, while a resume objective states your career aspirations. If you already have several years of experience as a receptionist, a resume summary will work best. If you are just starting out in your career or you are changing careers, a resume objective works well.
Use the skills section to tailor your resume to the role. Read through the job description and pick out some of the listed skills to include in your resume. Hard skills applicable to the role of a front desk receptionist include:
Soft skills may include:
Cover a mix of soft and hard skills in your resume to truly show that you have the qualifications to perform the job successfully.
In the work experience section, run through your previous job titles held over the past 10 years and list them in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent job listed first. For each position, list your responsibilities and significant accomplishments relevant to the role of a receptionist in bullet points. If you don’t have receptionist experience, you can still discuss other roles provided that they draw on similar skills. Any job involving administrative tasks or customer service will be worth discussing here. Be sure to include the company, your job title and dates of employment.
List your highest level of education in the education section. This could be a high school diploma or a bachelor’s degree. You should also include relevant training programs in this section, such as MS Office certification.
Do's
Don'ts
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Writing a cover letter is an important step to securing a receptionist job. Your cover letter should expand on the skills referenced in your resume and explain any skill or employment gaps that you might have. The cover letter is also another opportunity to tailor your job application to the role so you stand out among other job candidates.
If you don’t have much experience as a receptionist, you can still use a resume sample as a template. Focus on transferable skills from previous jobs that you developed in similar fields like admin, retail or hospitality. If you’re at the start of your career, discuss any experience as a volunteer or intern.
Always tailor your resume to suit the role you’re applying to. Rewrite the resume objective to fit the specific needs of the role. You should also reshuffle the skills section to include some of the essential and desirable skills listed in the job description.
Couldn't find the answer you're looking for?
