How to write a great front desk receptionist CV

A receptionist needs to be a strong communicator with excellent organisation skills and an eye for detail. Your professional CV is your first chance to demonstrate these skills to a potential employer and convince the hiring manager to offer you an interview.

This guide will show you:

• What hiring managers want to see in a receptionist CV
• The best way to structure your receptionist CV
• Tips to help you write the best CV possible

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An effective receptionist CV will be well-presented and results-driven, with a focus on previous experience as a front office receptionist or in related fields like administrative support and customer service. Highlight your experience performing administrative tasks, scheduling appointments, managing company data, greeting visitors, taking phone calls, procuring office equipment and completing paperwork.

Along with these role-specific hard skills, you should also cover certain soft skills like communication and organisation. Many of the required skills of a receptionist are transferable and can be evidenced with other work experience.

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The structure of your receptionist CV will vary depending on your chosen CV format. You have three options:

• Chronological — Emphasises work experience
• Functional — Focuses on skills
• Combination — Balances skills and work experience

The chronological format is the preferred format of most recruiters and hiring managers. This CV format is best for those with several years of work experience.

Contact information

Add your contact information to the CV header at the top of the page. You must include your full name, location, phone number and email address. Present this information clearly so the hiring manager can easily contact you should they wish to schedule you for an interview. Also include links to your job networking profiles like Linkedin.

Professional summary or career objective

The professional summary or career objective is a brief profile of yourself as a candidate. There is a slight difference between the two. A professional summary provides an overview of your key skills and experiences, while a career objective states your career aspirations. If you already have several years of experience as a receptionist, a professional summary will work best. If you are just starting out in your career or you are changing careers, a career objective works well.

Skills

Use the skills section to tailor your CV to the role. Read through the job description and pick out some of the listed skills to include in your CV. Hard skills applicable to the role of a front desk receptionist include:

• Data entry
• Email management
• Microsoft Office
• Supply management
• Bilingualism

Soft skills may include:

• Communication skills
• Organisational skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Customer service skills
• Time management
• Problem-solving skills
• Multitasking

Cover a mix of soft and hard skills in your CV to truly show that you have the qualifications to perform the job successfully..

Work history

In the work experience section, run through your previous job titles held over the past 10 years and list them in reverse-chronological order, with your most recent job listed first. For each position, list your responsibilities and significant accomplishments relevant to the role of a receptionist in bullet points. If you don’t have receptionist experience, you can still discuss other roles provided that they draw on similar skills. Any job involving administrative tasks or customer service will be worth discussing here. Be sure to include the company, your job title and dates of employment.

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Follow the tips below to write the perfect CV.

Do:

• Tailor your CV to the role.

Not all receptionist jobs will necessarily be the same. Study the job description and adapt your CV accordingly, tailoring your career objective and skills section to the needs of the role.

• Use examples in the work history section.

When discussing your work experience, use specific examples and quantifiable metrics. For example, this could be your customer satisfaction rate or the average number of calls you handle per day.

• Use a CV template.

CV templates are a great option for job seekers who want an eye-catching CV without the hassle of having to design it themselves. Our CV Builder features hundreds of free templates ready for you to use. 

Don’t:

• Use passive language.

Use action verbs like ‘managed’ and ‘organised’ when describing your work experience. These demonstrate ownership of your tasks and create interest.

• Include your grades or scores.

It’s best not to include your grades on your CV, but you can list GSCEs. It is best to list your highest level of education — whether you passed your GSCEs, graduated from high school, have a college diploma, or a have a degree from university.

• Forget to proofread.

Receptionists need to be detail-oriented. CVs filled with spelling, grammar, or formatting mistakes will reflect poorly on your skills and may lead the hiring manager to reject your application.

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