In the first place, it is important for you to understand what this job is and what it entails. In many ways, you are going to be the face of the company. As soon as people walk in the door of your company, you will find that they expect to be greeted by someone who is happy to see them and who can then direct them to the person that they are looking for. As a receptionist, you will find that your role is going to be integral to the feelings that they have for the company and that you are going to be forming their first impression. If the receptionist is easy going, friendly and efficient, they will receive a much better impression of the company as a whole than if the receptionist is rude or incompetent.
In addition to making sure that you greet the visitors who come to the door, you will find that you are also called upon to do things like answer phones, do some light clerical duties and to compose letters and documents. You will also be expected to keep a log of the visitors and when they show up and when they leave. Depending on the industry, a receptionist will also be called upon to take down the clients' information and to inform the professional who they are seeing that they are there. You may also be in a position where you sort company mail and where you need to maintain a log of employee attendance. In some places, you will find that you can also be called upon to reply to company email and to keep the reception area neat.
If you are interested in a job that will take you easily from field to field, you will find that a receptionist job can certainly do that. You can find work everywhere from factories to doctor's offices, to high business to beauty salons, and you will find that no matter where you go, a pleasant demeanor will serve you well. In many cases, you will find a high school diploma is necessary, and that having good word processing skills and computer knowledge will serve you well. In some cases, on the job training is offered to make sure that you can cope with the various different duties that you are called upon to handle. Remember that above all, people skills are a must!
When you are looking for a receptionist job, you will find that there are definitely places for you to look. You will find that you can be setup with a firm after you have graduated from high school and that you should also think about what kind of listings that you might get when you are thinking about state and private employment agencies. Make sure that you do not neglect the idea of going online, checking the newspaper classified ads and also networking like crazy! Federal and state governments have a great deal of employment available for receptionists, and a test needs to be passed in order to get it.
When you are thinking about getting a receptionist job, you will find that you are in a great place to get a better understanding of the industry. There are plenty of different options that you can take on when you are thinking about getting the kind of results that you need, and at the end of the day, you are going to discover that you can easily get a lot of information and opportunity simply by being in the right place at the right time. Remember that choosing to extrovert will serve you quite well in this field, as will networking and making the right connections, both for yourself and for your company. There are plenty of different options that are available for you when you are looking at this kind of life and you will also find that there are plenty of things that you need to think about.
To make the most out of these opportunities, you will soon see that there are many things that you need to have at your disposal. Make sure that you are going into the field with a strong understanding of what it is and what you will be asked to do and you will have a bright future ahead of you. Some people choose to make this occupation their life work, while other people see it as a stepping stone to something else. Take some time and make sure that you thoroughly consider what your options are going to be in this regard and you will have many successful jobs in your future.
