Receptionist
Greet visitors to the organisation you work for. Help with their enquiries.
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About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£346
Entry level
£423
Experienced
Monthly
£1,500
Entry level
£1,833
Experienced
Yearly
£18,000
Entry level
£22,000
Experienced
18,800
people are currently employed
Low growth
500 fewer jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would greet visitors to the organisation you work for. As the first point of contact you would help people with their enquiries.
You could work in all kinds of locations, including businesses, schools, hospitals, sports centres and hotels.
Depending on where you work, you would:
Greet visitors and direct them to the right person or place
Look after the visitors book and give out security passes
Answer enquiries in person, on the phone and by email
Provide or send out information
Manage a booking system
Provide refreshments
Keep the reception area tidy
As a medical or dental receptionist you would arrange people’s appointments and take payments for treatments.
You should be friendly and able to deal with lots of different people. Sometimes people might be difficult because they are impatient or upset so you’d need to be polite but firm.
It would be important to follow safety and security procedures and put them into effect, such as checking who is going in and out of the building.
In some companies, especially if the reception area is not busy, you could have other tasks. For example, you might:
Book transport and travel
Organise meeting rooms
Do basic clerical work
Handle cash
Do simple bookkeeping
Some large organisations and office buildings contain several companies. In this type of location you may act as a receptionist as well as work as a security officer.
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Hours
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Environment
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Related industries
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- respecting
- cooperating
- written communication
- verbal communication
- attention to detail
- time management
- reliable
- positive attitude
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Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Administration and Information Technology
Skills for Work: Hospitality
Foundation Apprenticeship: Business Skills
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Although there are no set routes to employment, some employers will look for qualifications at SCQF level 4 /5 or relevant work-based experience and qualifications such as Scottish Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration (SVQ level 2/3).
If you decide to study a business or administration National Certificate or National Qualification, the entry requirements vary from no formal qualifications up to three to four subjects at National 4/5.
Some courses include units in reception skills.
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