Popular Interview Questions for Receptionist Jobs

Believe it or not, the reception is probably the most important member of any successful organization. As an internal as well as external point of contact in any organization, finding a candidate who is ideal for the reception jobs in any organization is a very challenging affair. Depending on the size of the business, many receptionistjobs also include the responsibilities of an administrative assistant or secretary.

Having understood the significance of this role in any organization, as an individual who intends to pursue a career as a receptionist, here are a few popular interview questions you can prepare for before you venture out for interviews-

 
1.      What software Are your comfortable with for office administration and documentation purposes? 
2.      What is the most significant skill that a receptionist must possess? 
3.      What roles have you played in the past? 
4.      Have you ever been in a stressful work situation? How did you get out of it? 
5.    What office related hardware are you comfortable using? What level of expertise have you been able to acquire for using these tools? 
6.    What is your typing speed while working on a word processing applications? What are your error levels?

As a potential reception it is crucial that you leverage each question and consider it as an opportunity to highlight your personal skills and achievements. For example, with the questions mentioned above it is more than easy to highlight your IT skills and ability to handle technology to meet organizational goals. But, to be able to take a twisted question that demands you to relay a negative question and turning it to your benefit takes some skills.

Take for example question 4, where you are expected to talk about a stressful situation, while you are giving an interview consider using this as a chance to focus on how you are able to work in high pressure environments with ease and contribute to easily solving organizational problems.

Spend some time giving interviews only for the sake of experience and learning. With a little preparation and hard work, you will soon be able to find for yourself the perfect receptionist job.

Skill Sets Required For Receptionist Jobs

Almost all types of businesses ranging from spas to hospitals and salons offer receptionist jobs. They are the first contact point of the organization with the customers.

The scope and objectives of a receptionist job can vary from place to place and many a time it changes with the needs of the company.

Desirable skill sets of a receptionist.

• Basic Qualification: Generally high school diploma is required for receptionist. As they deal with business heads and customers they should be well read and have basic knowledge about business jargons.
• Technical capabilities:  Receptionist should have basic computer knowledge and appropriate software proficiency. One should have good typing ability, and must be skillful in Microsoft office package. Receptionists may also be responsible for preparation of letters, maintaining and creating word documents, spreadsheets to update customer data base.
• Task-oriented: Must possess multi-task handling ability, and knowledge of administrative procedures and clerical actions. She should be able to prioritize the work given and complete it in given stipulated time. They have to Schedule and assist in planning appointments and preparation of meetings, organize conference within management.
• Soft Skills: Excellent written and vocal communication is an important key competence.  Since they interact with all the guest and clients they must possess soft skills like ability to communicate well, articulate instructions and should have good telephonic skills. . As they are interacting with different types of people all day, they should be able to keep up their composure and patience without getting provoked by the situation.
• Appearance: Since they sit at the front desk it’s imperative for them to look presentable. One must be formally dressed and neatly combed. They should be well groomed look and have an attractive personality it’s important to have neat attire complimented with a smile.

To conclude receptionist job, is one of the unique tasks of being first basic person to communicate for any company.

Receptionist Jobs

Receptionist jobs are expected to grow substantially in the next decade - at least 15 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is faster than the average occupation. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that there were over one million receptionist jobs in 2008.

 Employment growth will result from growth in industries such as offices of physicians and in other health practitioners, legal services, personal care services, construction, and management and technical consulting.

Secretaries and receptionists are employed in nearly every industry. They work in medical offices, legal firms, corporations, healthcare facilities, and small businesses. The job of this worker is to make people feel welcome and give off a great first impression.

Duties of a receptionist mostly include answering the phone, directing calls, responding to queries, arranging travel, booking conference rooms, welcoming guests, shuttling guests around building, alerting people of visitors, tidying reception area, creating correspondence, and more.

When an employer looks to hire a receptionist, it's important the candidate is warm, honest, friendly, ambitious, and capable of multitasking. Because the receptionist is the face of the company, it's important he or she never  show anger or frustration. Everyone can have bad days, but the receptionist can't outwardly show when she's having one.

The duties of a receptionist have broadened considerably over the years. Before they were expected to answer the phones and route calls. Now the job has become more complex, involving correspondence, software, and mail systems.

A receptionist may handle the coordination of mail in and out of the office. He or she may also input data into databases and manage the dissemination of this information. If a person in the building needs a file or document, the receptionist retrieves that file and copies it.

Receptionists and information clerks in hospitals and in doctors' offices may gather patients' personal and insurance information and direct them to the proper waiting rooms. In corporations, they can greet visitors and manage the scheduling of the board room or common conference area. Many receptionists work in salons and spas, greeting customers and booking appointments.

They send out emails, fax documents, retrieve files, cancel and confirm appointments, take and file insurance, write down messages, update appointment calendars, prepare travel vouchers, perform bookkeeping, word processing, file documents, collect parcels, and perform research over the Internet.

Sometimes receptionist jobs are virtual, or performed at a remote location. Duties in this case would include managing a load of work that is sent over the Internet. He or she books appointments, manages schedules, transfers calls, and responds to queries, but does not have a physical presence at the company.

To become a receptionist, typically a high school diploma is needed. That's often the highest level of education required. Training is received on the job, so an individual who is a fast learner is preferred. The receptionist will need to know where everyone sits and their title, which could take weeks to learn. He'll need to know where to direct people when they come into the office and what extensions are most often used.