Learning the Amiability and Good Nature for Receptionist Jobs

When you enter an office, the first impression you will encounter is the receptionist. Receptionist are responsible to handle administrative duties as well as taking care of anyone entering an office or a company. The role of a receptionist is extremely important. The employment of receptionist has increased in the past decades because of their demands.

Receptionist Jobs Opportunities

Statistics shows that there are over a million receptionists all over the country. It can’t be said enough that this is due to the great role that these hardworking staff member.

Receptionist jobs entail the following administrative responsibilities:

● Answering phone calls, taking note of messages and forwarding those calls
● Maintaining calendars, specifically when it comes to appointment-setting
● Welcome clients, direct them to their specific destination in the office
● Update clients of new information, answer pertinent questions
● Handle documents and other office records
● Bookkeeping, filing as well as clerical assignments.

Depending on the industry the receptionist is working for, he or she might have additional responsibilities over those mentioned above. In salons, for instance, some receptionists are tasked to be cashiers too. In other corporate offices, receptionists are also assigned as security personnel.

Because of their utter importance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected an approximate rise of 14% on the demand of this job from 2012 to 2022.

The Healthcare industry, for instance, will need more receptionists in the future since this is a field where human interaction cannot be easily replaced by automation.

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Receptionist Jobs Positions and Salary Information

The median hourly pay of receptionists is approximately $12.50; Which annually will be approximately an average of $24,500.00. Possibly due to the complication of the responsibilities, the Health Care industry pays more compared to others. For examples see below table for different type of receptionist in the health industry salary.

The highest paid receptionists in the country (top 10% of the population) get over $27.00 an hour. See below for examples of the job industries that offer the highest salary for a receptionist.

There are certain metropolitan areas in the country which pay more than the rest. These are the following:

● San Jose, CA
● San Francisco, CA
● Santa Rosa, CA
● Bridgeport, CT
● Oakland, CA

Tips for Applying for Reception Jobs

The minimum educational requirement for becoming a receptionist is high school or equivalent. There really is no certification for this as most go through a few days to weeks of training to learn the ropes in the office setting.

Do take note, though, that there are various associations in the country which offer training for hopefuls. The American Society of Administrative Professionals, Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals and International Association of Administrative Professionals are just some of these organizations and all of them offer courses such as:

● Management Solutions
● Basic Computer Literacy (Microsoft Office and Windows Operating Systems)
● Organizational Abilities
● Typing and Data Entry
● Bookkeeping

Getting those seminars (or webinars, as most offer these days) would be of great help when one is applying for a position. All those skills will also allow you to negotiate for a better pay.

Good communication skills are extremely important to have in this field. During an interview, it is important that the company you are applying for sees this already since compatibility with your prospective bosses is something that they are always looking for.

Benefits of Working Receptionist Jobs

On top of the salary received monthly, there are receptionists which can take home additional income thanks to other monetary benefits. Annual cash bonuses can reach $1,500.00. Commissions can go as high as $3,000.00. A few also receives money from profit sharing amounting to as much as $4,000.00. All those cash incentives can increase one’s pay to over $35,000.00 annually from the median pay mentioned above which is $24,500.00.

Almost half of all receptionists in the country receive benefits 54% gets medical, 40% gets dental and 30% gets vision benefits.

Additional Information about Reception Jobs

Most receptionists are females. Only 3%, according to recent stats, are males.

Based on one study conducted, four out of five receptionists are quite satisfied with their work. In fact, as much as 43% stay in their jobs for one to four years. That number goes down to 23% on the fifth year – possibly because some aim for higher positions in their respective companies as the following:

Seasonal Receptionist Jobs

One out of three receptionists work eight hours a day, often during the 9 to 5 office hours. However, there are a few who have afternoon to night (3PM to 11PM) and evening to early morning (11PM to 7AM) shifts. These are the receptionists who work in hospitals and other health care facilities.

Very rarely will one find seasonal receptionists jobs since companies looking for people to fill this position are given eight hours a day and five to six days a week schedules, for as long as they plan to stay.

Receptionist jobs, very much like teaching, require great social skills and a certain level of familiarity with the clients. Changing receptionists so often is an indication of poor management in the office so rarely will you find seasonal jobs in this field.

As explained in detail, there is nothing simple about receptionist jobs as so many of them do more than just welcoming guest. With a bit of patience, determination, and hard work, climbing the corporate ladder through this entry level job is very possible.

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