The Receptionist main function in an office setting is to attend to visitors, deal with phone calls, and take care of face to face inquiries. Often the Receptionist will supply information regarding the organization to the general public, clients and customers.

Primary Responsibilities:

• The Receptionist is responsible to answer telephones, screen and direct calls
• The Receptionists must take and relay messages in a timely manner.
• The Receptionists greets people as they enter the office
• The Receptionists prepare letters and documents
• The Receptionists is responsible for the mail
• The Receptionists may be responsible to schedule appointments

The Receptionist is the cover of the organization and many times the first person that the public will meet. Just like in an interview first opinions are always very important and that is why a Receptionist is responsible to make sure that those first opinions are always favorable ones. The Receptionist is required to maintain a professional personal presentation to everyone that approaches the office. Providing a warm smile and welcome to clients and vendors with a professional demeanor letting them know that they are welcome and she is there to help them with any of their needs.

The Receptionist must have both verbal and written communication skills in order to fulfill her job duties. She will be doing a lot of customer service orientations providing instructions and information. The Receptionist must pay close attention to detail always checking and rechecking her work and often that of others. Everything that leaves her desk must be perfect before it meets the public’s eye. She must take the imitative to get jobs done and volunteer to do extra duties when she notices a co-worker who needs help. The Receptionist is put under stress at times with the many different people in the public that she encounters but she must exhibit tolerance. The Receptionist works with many people from many different cultures, religious backgrounds, and personalities that are why she needs good people skills and patients with all the clients.

The Receptionist is required to have a high school diploma but it is wise to go on to a community college and get an Associate degree in business. This will help you to progress in the corporate world making more income and earning a higher position. The Receptionist is required to have knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures in order to perform her job duties. Many corporations use different software applications that you can learn while you are working with the company, however, you should have computer knowledge in order to better grasp the different programs that your company will be using. You can advance your career by taking some computer science courses at the local community college. While you are taking the computer courses you decide to take make sure that you get keyboard training as this is vital no matter what programs you use.

Most Receptionists are required to write letters and make documents. Training in programs like word and excel are very beneficial to most Receptionist. The inner personnel skills are those that you acquire yourself but there are some courses available that will help you to tune your skills to the position of a Receptionist.
The Receptionist is responsible for mail that comes and goes from the office. She normally does the posting, sorting, and delivering to the appropriate parties. Many Receptionists are required to answer certain types of inquires that arrive to the company from people need information. That is why it is very important that you have good writing skills which require the capability to use the keyboard, communicate the information in a very explanatory nature, and provide the customer all the pertinent facts.

In some smaller companies the Receptionist is often called upon to make travel arrangements for the executives. The scheduling of appointments might include travel, hotel, and restaurant appointments for busy executives or sales personnel. You might also be responsible to make arrangements for clients who are coming into town to visit the company. The duties of a Receptionist are many and varied depending on the size of the company that you are working for and the amount of executives involved with your busy schedule. The Receptionist is a very important part of the staff from greeting incoming visitors to maintaining a well run office for the executives.