Front Desk Receptionist Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)

  • Front Desk Receptionist
  • Front Desk Dental Receptionist
  • Hotel Front Desk Receptionist

Beginner Front Desk Receptionist Manager Resume Example

A good front desk receptionist resume focuses on your relevant skills like appointment scheduling, customer service, or office administration. Give examples of your past success as a front desk receptionist or in similar roles, and show your knowledge base by citing any training or certificate programs you’ve done. This guide provides expert tips to help you create a results-driven resume showing your best front desk receptionist qualifications.

Key takeaways: 

  • Brainstorm details about your work history on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify the most relevant ones to feature in your experience section — this helps you focus your resume so it positions you for the role of front desk receptionist.
  • Use bullet points to display your work highlights. Start each bullet point with a strong verb like “Created,” “Organized,” or “Enhanced.”
  • Spell out the results of your past work as a front desk receptionist. Describe how your efforts helped the broader organization achieve its goals.

How To Write a Front Desk Receptionist Resume

Using a template can help you write an effective front desk receptionist resume. Your resume should usually include these sections:

  • Contact information
  • Profile
  • Key skills
  • Professional experience
  • Education and certifications

Before starting work on your resume, jot down your preferences for your target job duties, industry, company size, or work culture. These notes will help you filter and emphasize your best career details as you develop each section.

1. Share your contact information

Give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and links to any online professional profiles. Ensure your current contact information so employers can reach you for an interview.

Example

Your Name
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | City, State Abbreviation Zip Code | LinkedIn

2. Create a profile by summarizing your front desk receptionist qualifications

Impress hiring managers at the top of your resume by giving the three to five primary reasons you can excel as their next front desk receptionist. These key selling points may include your:

  • Years of related work experience
  • Main strengths or specialties
  • Work style or approach (efficient, collaborative…)
  • College degree(s) or certifications in your field

Example

Organized front desk receptionist with a Bachelor of Business Administration and an Associate of Applied Science in Office Administration. Proven experience managing office schedules, handling communication, and maintaining office supplies, with a record of improving office efficiency and reducing costs. Certified as an Administrative Professional and Professional Secretary.

3. Create a powerful list of your front desk receptionist experience

View the experience section as a chance to give examples of your work and success in roles similar to the one you’re pursuing. For each job in your recent work history, brainstorm your duties and achievements on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, choose the most relevant details to feature as bullet points in this section.

Example

Dental Office Manager, Bright Smile Dental Care, Phoenix, Arizona | January 2019 to present

  • Streamlined the appointment scheduling process, resulting in a 20% increase in patient capacity
  • Implemented a new digital system for patient records management, improving data accuracy and accessibility
  • Resolved over 100 billing disputes and issues, maintaining positive relationships with patients and insurance companies

Resume writer's tip: Quantify your experience

Use relevant performance data and metrics to show the results you’ve achieved as an administrative professional when possible. Hard numbers put your work in context and give recruiters a better sense of your scope and impact.

Do
  • "Established a new reservation management system that resulted in a 20% increase in efficiency and a 15% decrease in booking errors"
Don’t
  • "Established a new reservation management system that increased efficiency and decreased booking errors "

Resume writer's tip: Tailor your resume to each application

For each job posting you respond to, note any details about the hiring organization’s size, industry, customer base, or products and services. How do these areas compare to your own recent experience? You can make a stronger first impression on the hiring manager by citing these similarities in your profile.

For instance, say the company is in manufacturing. You could enhance your profile by changing your first line from “Manager with seven years of experience” to “Manager with seven years of experience, including three years in manufacturing.”

What if you need to gain experience as a front desk receptionist?

Writing a resume can be challenging if you don’t have real-world experience. But remember, you still have valuable skills and knowledge from your education and training. Include any relevant coursework you’ve done or certifications you’ve earned. Also, describe volunteer work or internships you’ve completed in your field and emphasize your work ethic and willingness to learn. By focusing on these qualities, you can show how you’d be an asset to any office team.

4. Add front desk receptionist education and certifications

With the education and certifications sections, you can show you have a solid knowledge base in your field. Cite any credentials you’ve earned that speak to your abilities as a front desk receptionist. The following templates help you organize this information in your resume (note that years are optional).

Education

Template:

[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant coursework or honors]

Example:

Associate of Applied Science in Office Administration, Houston Community College, Houston, TX | 2018

Certifications

Template:

[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Year]

Example:

Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)

5. Make a list of your front desk receptionist-related skills and proficiencies

A separate skills section lets you quickly display how to add value to an organization. Below, you’ll find some key terms and skills to consider for this section:

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Appointment scheduling Basic accounting
Billing and insurance claims Customer service
Efficiency improvement Microsoft Office Suite
Office administration Process streamlining
Records management Reservations management
Task prioritization Team collaboration
Time management  

Resume writer's tip: Use common action verbs

One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by starting each bullet point with a strong action verb. Dynamic verbs help you keep the hiring manager’s attention and show the varied nature of your experience. The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your front desk receptionist resume:

Action Verbs
Addressed Created
Decreased Directed
Enhanced Fostered
Generated Grew
Improved Increased
Introduced Lowered
Organized Prevented
Ranked Reduced
Streamlined Updated
Won  

How To Pick the Best Front Desk Receptionist Resume Template

A resume is a simple tool for professional communication and should be formatted accordingly. Choose a clear and straightforward template, and avoid any with elaborate graphics or various colors and font styles. Simple resume design helps a hiring manager scan for relevant information. It also enables you to tailor the document to each job application and update your work history.

Front Desk Receptionist Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

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  • Front desk receptionist
  • Front desk dental receptionist
  • Hotel front desk receptionist
  • Beginner front desk receptionist
right

Jessica Lang
San Diego, CA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | LinkedIn

Organized front desk receptionist with a Bachelor of Business Administration and an Associate of Applied Science in Office Administration. Proven experience managing office schedules, handling communication, and maintaining office supplies, with a record of improving office efficiency and reducing costs. Certified as an Administrative Professional and Professional Secretary.

Education

Associate of Applied Science in Office Administration, Houston Community College, Houston, Texas, Graduation: May 2018

Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, Graduation: December 2019

Diploma in Office Administration, Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario, Graduation: April 2020

Key Skills

  • Basic accounting
  • Customer service
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Task prioritization

Professional Experience

Front Desk Receptionist, Robert Half International, Houston, TX | January 2020 to present

  • Manage a high volume of incoming calls while handling in-person inquiries from clients and colleagues; known for maintaining a calm and courteous demeanor
  • Streamlined office operations by effectively scheduling appointments, meetings, and conferences, increasing office efficiency by 20%
  • Established a new inventory management system for office supplies, reducing costs by 15%

Office Administrator, Kelly Services, Gainesville, Florida | May 2018 to December 2019

  • Managed all office communication, including answering phone calls, responding to emails, and greeting visitors, improving customer satisfaction by 30%
  • Helped prepare regularly scheduled reports, demonstrating proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
  • Handled basic accounting tasks, including managing petty cash, processing invoices, and preparing expense reports

Professional Development

  • Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)
  • Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Microsoft
  • Certified Professional Secretary (CPS), International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)

Why this resume example is strong: 

The applicant created an eye-catching document using bullet points to highlight important information under each recent job.

Frequently Asked Questions: Front Desk Receptionist Resume Examples and Advice

How do you align your resume with a front desk receptionist job posting?

First, look closely at the job post text and note repeated or emphasized words. Compare these phrases to the language you're using in your resume, particularly the profile and key skills sections. Then, seek ways to align your resume language with the job posting while not copying phrases or misstating your background. 

For example, if the organization seeks someone collaborative, call out that aspect of your experience in your profile. Or say the company has many non-English speaking customers. Cite your foreign language skills in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each opportunity. 

What is the best front desk receptionist resume format?

Most job seekers should use the combination (or hybrid) format. True to its name, this format combines two essential features of other resume formats: the chronological format's experience section and the functional format's profile section. (The resume examples on this page all use combination format.) 

A combination resume offers the best of both worlds by fusing these features. The experience section lets you outline your recent work history – essential information for most employers. At the same time, the profile section enables you to display your career highlights at the top, regardless of whether they're from that work history or another part of your background. 

As a result, you can present yourself clearly and strategically. This format gives hiring managers the best view of your experience and relevant strengths so they can decide whether to call you for an interview.

Expert advice:

Include a cover letter with your resume

A good cover letter can enhance your job application. To write a standout letter, get specific. Tell the hiring manager why you’re interested in their organization and the specific front desk receptionist role they hope to fill.

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.

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