When it comes to resumes, the structure is everything.You can be an amazing professional and you still won’t stand much chance if:– Your resume sections are all out of order.– Your resume is very hard to follow because of a messy structure.– The resume looks unprofessional because you picked the wrong font.
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#1. Choose the Right Format and Layout
So, before you can start filling out the contents of your receptionist resume, you’ve got to first make sure its format and layout are just right.When it comes to your resume format, the choice is quite easy.Out of the three resume formats (chronological, functional (also known as skills-based), and combination) you should go for the
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#1. Choose the Right Format and Layout
chronological resume format. It’s the most popular among recruiters everywhere in the world and successfully highlights your skills and achievements by putting your most recent work experience first.Now, when it comes to the layout, you’ll have to keep a few more things in mind:– Keep your resume short.
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#1. Choose the Right Format and Layout
Unless you have 10+ years of experience, a 1-page resume is your best bet that recruiters will go through your entire resume. After all, they receive hundreds of applications daily—they don’t have time to read your resume if it’s the same length as a short novella.– Picking the right font size and style. Go for 11-12 pt font size for the body of your text
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#1. Choose the Right Format and Layout
and 13-14 pts for the section headers. As for the style, we recommend using a font that’s casual but professional, such as Ubuntu or Roboto.– Using section headers. Section headers are a good way to clearly separate your resume’s sections.– Saving your resume as a PDF file. Unless otherwise instructed in the job
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#1. Choose the Right Format and Layout
description, save your resume as a PDF. That way, you can be sure it will open as you intended it despite the device or OS that opens it.
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#2. Add More Than Your Traditional Contact Details
The contact information section is the most straightforward part of writing a resume.Basically, all you have to do is list the following details:– Full name.– Professional title.– Phone number.– Location (city and state/country).If you want to add some flavor to this section and you’re
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#2. Add More Than Your Traditional Contact Details
active on LinkedIn, you can include your profile’s URL link too.
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#3. Write a Compelling Resume Summary Summary/Objective
Put simply, your resume profile is a summary of you as a professional. The 2-3 sentence short paragraph goes at the top of your resume and aims to tell recruiters just enough to convince them to deep-dive into the rest of your resume.Depending on your work experience level, you can write a resume profile as:– A resume summary. If you
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#3. Write a Compelling Resume Summary Summary/Objective
are experienced in the field use a resume summary to sum up your title and years of experience, as well as your top skills and achievements.– A resume objective. If you don’t have a lot to show for in terms of work experience, then you should go for a resume objective. To ace, it, mention any degree names or experience related to the field,
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#3. Write a Compelling Resume Summary Summary/Objective
the skills that you can offer the company, and your interest in working there.
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#4. Make Your Work Experience Count
Consider your work experience section as the backbone of your receptionist resume - it’s what recruiters will be checking to see whether you’ve got what it takes to excel at the job.To make this section count, first, make sure to format it the right way. Here’s what that involves:– Start with your current/most recent position and go
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#4. Make Your Work Experience Count
backward in time. Keep your work entries relevant - the paper delivery job from your teens won’t help land you a receptionist job.– Begin each work entry with your professional title. Underneath, add the company's name and location, the period you worked there, and 3-5 of achievements and responsibilities in bullet points.– List fewer bullet points (1-2
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#4. Make Your Work Experience Count
for each work entry) as you go back in time. Your job from 10 years ago doesn’t need to be as comprehensively described as your last one.After you’ve handled the formatting, you’ve got to make sure your professional experience shines through brighter than other candidates’.As hard as it may sound, we have some very effective tips
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#4. Make Your Work Experience Count
to make that happen, including:– Focus on achievements over responsibilities whenever it’s possible. After all, recruiters know what the responsibilities of a receptionist are pretty well - it’s your achievements that can really help you stand out.– Quantify your achievements whenever you can. For example, instead of saying “handled incoming and outgoing calls effectively,” say “handled
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#4. Make Your Work Experience Count
100+ incoming and outgoing calls on a daily basis.”– You can use the following formula to quantify your achievements: “accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z.”
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#5. Include Your Education
The next step in creating your receptionist resume is to list your educational background.Start by following this format:– Add your latest and highest degree first.– Start off with the degree name, then the institution’s name, and the dates attended.– Don’t add your high-school education if you hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher.
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#5. Include Your Education
Now, if you don’t have any work experience at all, you can use your educational history to help you stand out.In such a case, you can make this section more elaborate by mentioning:– Academic merits and achievements– Relevant coursework taken– Extracurricular activities
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#6. Include Industry-Related Skills
Receptionist Soft Skills1. Verbal and written communication2. Listening3. Professionalism4. Customer focus5. Organization and planning6. Handling pressure and tolerating stress7. Attention to detail8. Initiative9. Reliability10. Multitasking
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#6. Include Industry-Related Skills
11. Efficiency12. Conflict resolution13. Problem-solving14. Prioritizing15. Time ManagementReceptionist Hard Skills1. Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)2. Administrative skills3. Data entry4. Supply management5. Typing skills (include WPM)
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#6. Include Industry-Related Skills
6. Information management software7. Use of office equipment (fax machines, copiers, etc)8. Multi-line phone systems
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#7. 5 Additional Sections to Take Advantage Of
At this stage, if your resume is already a full one-pager, you can just skip this section altogether. If, on the other hand, you’ve got some space left (e.g. if you don’t have a lot of work experience), you can make use of these extra sections to give your receptionist resume an edge:1. Awards and certifications.
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#7. 5 Additional Sections to Take Advantage Of
Are you certified in office management? Do you have any awards for excellent performance in any of your previous roles? These are definitely things you should include in your receptionist resume.– Languages. Whatever your position might be, knowing an extra language or two can always come in handy.– Volunteer experience.
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#7. 5 Additional Sections to Take Advantage Of
Volunteering can be a great way to show you also care about giving back to the community. If you’re a recent graduate, volunteering experience can also show employers that you’re familiar with hard work.– Internships. Got any past internship experience? Make sure to include that in your resume, along with your main tasks and achievements there.
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#7. 5 Additional Sections to Take Advantage Of
– Hobbies and interests. Show the recruiter who you are outside of work. Who knows, maybe it’ll help you establish rapport with your interviewer!