When writing a front desk receptionist resume, you should normally include any past experience you have with related job duties. These can include typing, operating a multi-line phone, using email management software, and greeting customers as they enter the lobby of a business or organization. If you have not held this type of office support job before, your receptionist resume could list any previous customer service experience you may have in other areas such as retail or food service. Many employers prefer to hire receptionists who have pleasant personalities and a professional demeanor even in stressful situations, so listing any related on-the-job accomplishments can also be a plus for your resume.
Some receptionist positions may require completion of a college degree or certificate, particularly for jobs in specialty areas such as law or medical offices. Other types of businesses may offer these front desk jobs to motivated high school graduates who are able to learn the responsibilities quickly. If you have not completed a higher education degree, include relevant skills you may have learned through short-term secretary training courses. Useful skill sets often include word processing and inputting numbers with a 10-key pad on a computer keyboard.
Even if your prior job experience is limited, your front desk receptionist resume should ideally showcase your organizational skills. Many receptionists also work in an administrative assistant capacity that entails scheduling employers' meetings and appointments on a daily basis. Keeping this schedule current is often one of the most important job duties in this kind of receptionist position. A qualified receptionist also needs good spoken and written communication skills, and these should also usually be highlighted on your resume. Clear speech is ideal for telephone answering duties, and many receptionists also need to take neatly written phone messages throughout each day.
When you list your qualifications and past accomplishments on your front desk receptionist resume, include action verbs such as "organized", "scheduled", or "maintained." These words communicate to hiring managers that you are competent at managing sets of data and communicating relevant information from that data to other people. This kind of skill set does not necessarily need to come from previous jobs. You can also list these qualifications you gained through volunteer work or school extracurricular activities. While references are usually not listed directly on a front desk receptionist resume, keep a separate list of at least three past employers or other people who are familiar with your skills and work ethic.