Receptionist Skills for a Resume
Employers hire receptionists who make a good first impression and keep the front desk running smoothly. Show the setting, the volume of calls and visitors, and the systems you use.
Updated
12 skills at a glance
Hard skills
What the work takes, how a hiring manager judges each skill, and a bullet point that shows it.
Multi-line phone systems
Give the calls a day and the lines you cover, and show that callers reached the right person.
Example bullet pointAnswered up to 120 calls a day on a 10-line system, routing each to the right department.
Appointment scheduling software
Name the software, whose schedules you keep and how you fill gaps in them.
Example bullet pointBooked appointments for six practitioners in Mindbody, filling cancellations from a waiting list.
Data entry
Show that the records you update, from contact details to notes, stay accurate and current.
Example bullet pointUpdated client contact details and notes in the database after every call.
Cash handling
Show that you take payments and balance the cash drawer accurately every day.
Example bullet pointTook card and cash payments and closed out the register with no discrepancies for a year.
Insurance verification (medical settings)
Show how you prevented billing problems.
Example bullet pointVerified insurance for the next day's patients, catching expired coverage before visits.
Microsoft Office
Mention the documents or spreadsheets you produce.
Example bullet pointKept the visitor log and meeting room schedule in Excel and shared them each morning.
Visitor and mail management
Show how you keep the building secure and deliveries organized, with the volume you handle.
Example bullet pointIssued visitor badges and logged deliveries for a building of 300 employees.
Soft skills
Shown through what you did, never claimed as adjectives.
Warm manner
Show feedback or results from your welcome.
Example bullet pointWas named in client feedback for making first-time visitors feel welcome.
Composure
Show how you handled difficult situations.
Example bullet pointCalmed an upset client at the front desk and had a manager meet them within minutes.
Multitasking
Show several tasks handled at once.
Example bullet pointChecked in visitors, answered phones and handled deliveries through the morning rush.
Clear speaking
Show your communication on the phone and in person.
Example bullet pointGave clear directions to visitors and callers, cutting repeat questions to staff.
Discretion
Mention the private information you handle.
Example bullet pointKept patient information private at a busy front desk, following HIPAA rules.
Licenses and certifications
Give them a section of their own, with who issued each one and the year or expiry date.
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
Keywords from receptionist job postings
Use the ones that are true for you, in your bullet points as well as your skills list.
- visitors
- calls
- appointments
- check in
- insurance
- Epic
- multi-line phone
- cash drawer
- meeting room
Each posting has its own words. Our guide to tailoring your resume to a job description shows how to find them and where to put them.
Where to put your skills
- In a skills section: a short list of the hard skills the posting names, in its words.
- In your bullet points: every skill that matters should show up in something you did, with a result. That is where a hiring manager believes it.
- In your summary: two or three of the skills the job asks for most.
More on choosing them in how to choose and prove the skills on your resume.
Questions
What skills should a receptionist put on a resume?
Phone systems, scheduling software, data entry, cash handling, insurance checks in medical settings, Microsoft Office and visitor and mail management, plus a warm manner, composure and multitasking.
How do I show results as a receptionist?
Mention call and visitor volumes, scheduling improvements and any feedback praising your service.
Is a receptionist resume different in a medical office?
Yes. Add insurance verification, patient check-in and privacy rules such as HIPAA, which medical employers look for.
Put them to work
Start from a receptionist resume that already uses these skills, for an invented person, and make it yours in the builder.