Job description

As a receptionist you are the first impression that any visitor gets of the company you're working for so it's a vital role for any organisation. You need to be professional in appearance, personable and polite at all times. Your role involves dealing with enquiries both on the phone and in person so you need to have a good working knowledge of the company as a whole, including key departments and staff.

Some typical daily duties include:

• Meeting and greeting visitors
• Answering, screening and redirecting incoming phone calls
• Issuing security passes to visitors
• Directing visitors to the correct area of the business
• General administrative duties
• Dealing with the post, deliveries and couriers
• Organising meeting rooms
• Arranging refreshments for visitors
• Ensuring the reception and other public areas remain tidy at all times
• Maintaining records of appointments

In terms of working hours, you're usually required to be present during normal opening hours for the business. This is generally 9 to 5, Monday to Friday but bear in mind that some businesses are open for longer hours and some are open at weekends too so you need to be flexible.

No formal qualifications are usually necessary though candidates are usually required to have a sound education including GCSEs and sometimes A Levels or HNDs. Sometimes languages may be required if the organisation you're working for deals with overseas clients.

Generally however, potential employers are looking for specific skills and these include:

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• High level of customer service
• An eye for detail
• Good IT skills
• Top notch organisational skills
• The ability to remain calm under pressure
• An outgoing, confident personality
• A professional telephone manner
• Proficiency in a specific telephone system

Salary Information

This is dependable on where you work - London and the South East will always be higher. Expect a starting salary of about £12000 to £15000 and with a few years' experience under your belt you'd be comfortably earning over £17000 per annum. The more senior receptionists can command salaries of up to £30000 in London.

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