What do you need to become a professional receptionist?
by Amelia Jackson Content StrategistAre you thinking about being a receptionist? If that is the case, then you will need to start making preparations right away. One of the main things that you should start looking at are hotel receptionist certification courses. But in addition to that you will also need to have more qualifications and skills that will help you in this career. Here is a small guide of these so you have an idea of what you should start working on.
Enrol on hotel receptionist certification
courses
Your first step should be to
get the right training. If time and money are issues you can look for hotel
receptionist courses online that are accredited. If you are a parent who has
kids at home and still want to study you can look for hotel receptionist
courses from home. There are many different options available for professional
hotel receptionist courses online that you can make use of, no matter what your
requirements are.
Communication
Before anything, you should focus on your verbal and written communication skills, along with your sharp listening abilities. Play
up your customer service successes and your track record of
providing office support. You will be communicating with a lot of people and
this is also one skill that your hotel receptionist training courses will focus
on.
Learn to multitask
Handling several tasks simultaneously is the status quo for receptionists. Some examples include juggling multiple phone lines;
face-to-face contact with clients, visitors and employees; and clerical duties.
Note the types of tasks and situations you've handled regularly, and how you
did so calmly and efficiently.
Learn to prioritise
Receptionists are often asked to deal with tackling dozens of
duties at once, with many requests coming in on the fly, and this
will require you to operate with grace under fire. Detail how you prioritize
multiple projects and requests. The last thing an employer wants is an easily
flustered receptionist.
Have good organisational skills
A proficient receptionist’s resume shows that
you're organised in every task or project you take on. A great receptionist
should be able to locate any files and phone numbers at a moment's notice and
maintain a tidy work area. You should know how to execute and maintain a filing
system and this also be on your resume if possible.
Hon your technical skills
Your receptionist
resume should include your experience using phone
systems, copiers and printers. Word processing skills are a must,
while familiarity with Excel, desktop publishing or industry-specific
software can give you an edge. Be sure to play up these assets.
You should have great interpersonal skills
You will be working with a
lot of different people and you will also be the eyes and ears of the company
as the receptionist. Therefore having soft skills like being able to handle
office politics correctly is a big advantage. It will help you protect both
your own reputation and the company’s one as well. Note
your ability to maintain good relationships with employees at all levels of the
company, including executives.
How much initiative do you take? Are you good
at problem solving?
In a recent Office Team survey, administrative professionals
noted how they are taking on a multitude of tasks beyond their conventional
role, including event planning and controlling costs. In another section of the
same survey, most managers who were interviewed said that support staff have
taken on other key tasks, including helping companies manage their social media
profiles and with screening job applicants. This means that the modern
workplace requires you to step outside of the parameters drawn by your job
description and work with ownership and initiative. As a receptionist you will
also encounter many issues that have to be dealt with swiftly and that is why,
you will need excellent problem solving skills.
Be dependable
Because receptionists interface with nearly every client and
employee, whether it's face to face or on the phone, they need to be highly
dependable. You need to hone these qualities in you so that it is not just a
word on your resume, but a genuine nature of yourself. So keep working on all
these skills and you will be able to land your dream job in no time.
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Created on Jun 11th 2019 02:21. Viewed 663 times.