Receptionist Resume: Downloadable Template & Easy Guidelines

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As a Receptionist, you’re great at being courteous and resolving any issues a customer or visitor has. This time, you can have your doubts resolved when it comes to creating your resume. Use our resume templates to create a stand-out job application.

Receptionist Resume Example MSWord®
Use our free Receptionist Resume template available in Word to ensure your resume introduces you as the best job candidate.

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ResumeGiants » Examples » Receptionist Resume

If you are looking to land a job as a receptionist, you have to think outside the box and be the one in 100 rather than one of 100.

Have you ever wondered how to describe receptionist skills to make your resume stand out? Or maybe you just don’t know how to properly show off all of your qualifications. 

We think that writing your resume should not be a burdening task, but it might become one if you don’t know what to include.

Being a receptionist is a versatile occupation because the position is applied to almost every industry, making the profession highly competitive.

Don’t worry; we have comprised a useful guide to building up a well-rounded receptionist resume that’ll bring you a step closer to your dream job.

To ensure that a hiring manager calls you in for an interview, we’ll give you tips and advice on: 

• The best keywords to incorporate in your resume
• Receptionist responsibilities to drop into your experience section
• How to make each section of your resume stand out
• Showing off your skills if you don’t have any work experience yet

Not to mention, with our handy resume builder you can create an organized application in minutes. 

Keep reading to see a sample resume for receptionists and find out the best ways to make your resume the best of the bunch. 

If you have never applied for a receptionist’s job before or don’t know how to update your resume to fit one, there are a few tips and tricks that can lead you in the right direction.

One good piece of advice is to look at an example.

In essence, a resume should consist of the following:

• A headline which presents you below your personal contact information;
• A resume objective/summary;
• A description of your education;
• Your work experience;
• A list of your technical skills;
• A shortlist of relevant certifications;
• A description of the specific skills outlined in the job ad.

A well-crafted Receptionist’s resume should include all of these elements and look something like this:

Resume Example

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[Charlotte Masterson]

[Receptionist]

[Austin, TX | 663-845-0977| charlotte.masterson@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/Charlotte_M]

Summary

A competent and motivated receptionist with 6+ years of industry-related experience. Recipient of progressive promotions due to outstanding work ethic. Consistent working routine, detail-oriented mindset, and able to multitask and provide guidance.

Experience 

Supervising Receptionist
Stella Resorts & Spa

Arizona, TX

2018 – present

• Welcoming guests and providing orientation;
• Managing room reservations via a computerized system;
• Provide transport services for customers and reservations;
• Arrange bills, handle and process checkouts.

Administrative Hotel Assistant
Hilltop Hotel

Arizona, TX

2016-2018

• Providing restaurant, entertainment, and transportation reservations;
• Arranging tours, collaborating with tour operators;
• Assisting with guest orientation;
• Managing luggage distribution.

Education 

Concordia University Texas
BSc in Hospitality Management

2013-2015

Certifications

• Hotel Receptionist Training
• Bookkeeping 101
• Basic First Aid Administration Training

Skills

• Formal hotel service training;
• Computer literate;
• Data entry

Languages

• English – Native
• German- A2

Our example includes a LinkedIn handle as part of the contact details. This is because recruiters often turn to this social media platform to get more insight into the professional development of an applicant.

If you want help finding a good resume template for a receptionist role, look at our professional and modern designs!

We shouldn’t begin without determining the correct resume format for you.

You should tweak your resume to highlight your best features as a professional – and using the reverse-chronological format for your resume will do that if you have experience in the field.

If you don’t have experience or would like to highlight your other skills or qualifications, you can review the different options available to you on our resume formats page.  

Take a look at how your experience section should be formatted if you want your career progression to stand out:

Experience:

Receptionist | XYZ Company

[City, State]

[Years worked: 2019 – Present]

• Greet and welcome visitors, ensuring a positive first impression.
• Answer and direct incoming calls to appropriate personnel.
• Schedule and manage appointments, meetings, and conference room bookings..
• Maintain a neat and organized reception area, ensuring it reflects a professional image.

Junior Receptionist | ABC Company

[City, State]

[Years worked: 2017 – 2019]

• Assisted the receptionist with greeting and directing visitors.
• Sorted and distributed incoming mail and packages.
• Provided administrative support, including data entry and filing.

Administrative Assistant Intern | DEF Organization

[City, State]

[Years worked: 2016 – 2017]

• Assisted the administrative team in various tasks, including document preparation, filing, and data entry.
• Assisted in organizing and coordinating company events.

Whichever type of resume format you choose, ensure it corresponds to your professional achievements and competencies well.

To explain the term plainly, your resume summary or objective is a succinct introduction which outlines your professional accomplishments, skills, or future career goals.

This introductory statement goes at the top of your resume. It’s usually comprised of 2-3 concise sentences that will show the recruiter your resume is worth reading. 

• A resume summary is the best choice for applicants with plenty of experience. 
• A resume objective is used when the applicant has no significant working experience to show for themselves but is geared up on skills.  

There is an art to writing these sections on your resume, and you’ll want to get it just right. Taking a look at what can help you nail your summary or objective will give you a major boost.

Receptionist Resume Objective Example

To fashion out a top-notch reception work resume objective, consider keeping it short and to the point, and highlight the important parts of your professional journey.

Here’s what a resume objective should look like:

This sample objective is fantastic because it starts off with how dedicated and driven the candidate is. 

They also show off their solid experience as an accounting assistant with knowledge in asset management, client orientation, and bookkeeping.

Receptionist Summary Example

What is a great resume summary for Receptionists, you ask? Your writing needs to match your experience. 

Even if you’ve been working as a Receptionist for 10+ years, a poorly written summary will not do you any favors in the selection process.

Here’s how you should draft your summary: 

This resume summary is well-written because it quickly gets to the point, displaying the candidate’s experience, skills, and positive qualities in an engaging and informal manner. 

It effectively communicates their ability to handle front desk responsibilities, provide excellent customer service, and contribute as a collaborative team member with strong attention to detail.

When you draft out the experience part of your receptionist resume, consider it the pillar to build upon – typically it is what recruiters will read the most to see whether you have what it takes to land the job. 

To ace this part of your resume, ensure you start with the right format – the reverse-chronological one. For this one:

• Begin with the present or the most recent job you’ve had and move backward. Keep your work experience entries concise, consisting of the names of the employers, the duration of the employment, and the title you held. 
• List your job responsibilities in bullet points – 3 to 5 will be enough to let recruiters easily scan through the content.
• Try to include metrics which demonstrate the value of your work in each role. This means things like percentages, money saved, time saved, etc.
• As you go to the former employment, narrow the number of achievements – keep it down to 1 or 2 for each entry.

This is what the outline should look like:

[Job Title] – Write any previous positions you’ve held;

[Company Name] – State the name of the company you’ve worked for;

[Dates] – Include the month and year of your employment;

[Responsibilities & Achievements] – List and briefly explain the responsibilities you’ve had and highlight any achievements; use bullet points.

Keep the experience mentioned on your resume relevant to the role. Recruiters won’t bother browsing through your resume looking for the necessary info – all of it should be pertinent.

Receptionist Experience Examples: Tips for Success

Let’s see some more examples. A well-packed experience section of a receptionist resume looks like this:

This experience section is a great example because it highlights the candidate’s key responsibilities and achievements in a concise and organized way, using metrics.

Here is what your experience section shouldn’t look like:

Now, even though it’s evident the candidate has industry-relevant work experience, the way it is showcased only diminishes their capabilities. Try using powerful action words in your resume to emphasize what you can do well in the workplace.

To become eligible as a receptionist, proper education is considered essential.

If you have attended relevant educational institutions, your resume’s education section should comprise of the following:

• Add your latest degree first;
• Your degree type: Is it a high school diploma or a University degree?
• Your major (and minors, if you have them): Do you hold a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree?
• School name: State the institution’s name (high school, college, university);
• Enter the year of graduation.

As a Receptionist showing that you’ve taken courses in any of the following will help you out big time:

• Business administration
• Hospitality management
• Communication

Since there really isn’t industry-relevant education to take for Receptionists if you can add courses like these you can show that you learned the skills to make you a success. 

Receptionist Resume Education Example

The Education section of your receptionist resume should contain any degrees and certificates you have received as part of your education. The way you format this section will enable the recruiter to get a clear insight into your professional accreditations.

Basically, you would need to present the manner in which you have earned your degrees, be it one or more. 

Don’t ever consider your education irrelevant! We advise you to always include your education no matter if you haven’t completed it yet (if you’re a postgraduate, for example) or have attended a school that has nothing to do with the qualifications of a receptionist. You might not have a college degree, and for this role, that’s not a problem.

Here is what the Education section of your resume should look like:

As you can see it clearly states the years attended and the major that was studied. In this case, the GPA is over 3.5 which means it’s high enough to list.

By wanting to showcase their skills and impress recruiters, applicants for a receptionist job will make the mistake of overstuffing their Skills part of the resume and have it become difficult for recruiters to follow.

To create a spotless shortlist of the industry-related skills you possess, make a master list with all your talents and then compare them to the job requirements.

After you’ve done that, include the job-related skills in the Skills section of your receptionist resume. 

Traits like administrative skills, computer literacy, attention to detail, and conflict resolution will attract the recruiter’s attention.

To ace the recruitment process, use keywords to help employers filter out the least relevant information.

As of some time ago, most recruiters use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which helps them get to the most suited candidates by entering industry-related keywords.

Keywords like “efficient call handling,” “customer-centric,” “appointment scheduling,” and other relevant terms can help you make the cut.

The Best Soft and Hard Skills for a Receptionist

While you are creating the perfect resume for the receptionist job you’ve been eyeing, you might make the mistake of including too many skills or showcasing the wrong ones.

Here’s a shortlist of the best 10 hard skills and soft skills to include in your receptionist resume:

Soft Skills Explained

Regarding the soft skills, the five we have listed are most likely to match the interviewer’s expectations for the position of a receptionist.

1. Customer focus: This means you are putting the needs and requirements of customers first. You are able to detect the preferences of the client even when dealing with several issues at a time. 
2. Initiative: Having initiative tells the interviewer that you can be trusted with many responsibilities and find a solution to a problem on your own. Employers appreciate an employee that does not require being constantly told what to do.
3. Attention to detail. Being able to notice the smallest and most discrete attributes when it comes to clients means that you’ll be able to meet their needs with high accuracy.
4. Resolve conflicts: This is a highly appreciated skill for a receptionist. Namely, knowing how to position yourself in a rather unpleasant situation at the front desk tells your interviewer that you can maintain a calm attitude and avoid confrontation.
5. Verbal and written communication: Knowing how to communicate to both clients and management means you can adjust your tone to suit the category of the audience you are dealing with. A candidate for a receptionist job with poor oral and written communication skills will have a hard time making the cut.

Hard Skills Explained

Speaking of hard skills, a prospective receptionist should have the following quantifiable abilities:

1.  Computer literacy: Knowing your way around the computer is a must as a receptionist simply because the hospitality industry has gone digital. 
2. Administrative skills: This means you can handle bookkeeping, itinerary details, and overall day-to-day working records in check.
3. Office supplies management: Including this skill will let the recruiter know you can easily manage office supplies and know what goes where.
4. Data entry knowledge: This can be an extra perk for a receptionist. It shows the potential employer that you are experienced and know your way around numbers.
5. Operate multi-line phone systems: This complex skill is probably one of the essentials in your receptionist resume since it tells the recruiter you can manage several calls to the front desk at once, which is integral to a job at reception.

If you’ve got some space left on your resume, add an extra section showing off your certifications and accomplishments so far.

Mentioning volunteering experiences, language certificates, and internships can help shape your receptionist resume and present you as a well-rounded candidate.

Receptionist Resume Sample Extra Sections

Including extra sections in your receptionist resume can reveal another side of you to the recruiter.

For instance, presenting yourself as a candidate who speaks more than one language assures the recruiter you can successfully communicate with foreign clients and tend to the needs of non-native ones.

The extra sections of your receptionist resume should look like this:

As you can see Overall, this “extra” section provides additional qualifications and experiences that enhance the candidate’s resume and demonstrate their versatility and adaptability as a receptionist.

Here is what the extra sections in your receptionist resume should not look like:

While you may have hobbies that the recruiter may have, ultimately some of this is just a waste of space. Information like loving animals and not liking Excel sheets are just not relevant enough to the position.

Applying for a receptionist’s position can be a breeze if you follow the steps we’ve provided.

Remember to:

• Use a reverse-chronological resume format, 
• Write a well-packed resume objective or summary, and showcase your experience that’ll have the recruiter hooked.
• Show off your soft and hard skills 
• Add a few extra sections to your receptionist resume – recruiters love seeing versatile candidates. 
• Be relevant and specific

Should you need some help with crafting your top-notch receptionist resume, you can always consult with ready-to-go, templates, and examples.