A receptionist is one whose main job is to interact and greet certain clients as well as people visiting that particular place which may be an office, a business, a hotel etc.
The person who is employed as a receptionist is an important member of the organization as their main job is in showing a better and efficient working environment, laying a better impression on the outsiders, scheduling important meetings which will benefit the organization they are working in.
Following mentioned are excellent tips for preparing for a receptionist interview.
But a receptionist post is one of the smallest or initial posts in the organization, the person needs to be well prepared before applying for the post of a receptionist in a certain organization which they wish to work in. They should realize that they aren’t the only person who is eligible to get the job and need to be well prepared before entering the firm for the interview and facing the interviewers present over there.
Preparing for Receptionist Interview:
1. Resume Preparation:
Preparing an appropriate resume for the post of a receptionist is considered as the first step towards going for an interview. Though it is indirect in nature and does not involve any verbal communication it forms the base of your personality.
The resume should be appealing to the people of the firm who are going to take your interview and should show positivity towards them so that they are at once attracted towards the personality and schedule a date for the interview.
2. Prior Study of the Organization:
If a person wants to be at the forefront in the job running at the time of the interview, they need to have a prior study about the organization they wish to join.
They need to have knowledge regarding what the organization deals with on an everyday basis, how many branches are there, where is the headquarters etc.
This lays off a very good impression on the interviewer as they realize that the candidate is really interested in working for the organization.
3. Qualifications of a Receptionist:
At the time of the interview, the interviewer will provide information to the candidate about the job of a receptionist and other things related to it.
At that time, the candidate knows that they are qualified enough to work as a receptionist and realizes the duties that they have to carry on everyday. And if they have a prior work experience it will play a very important role for their future.
4. Individual Preparation:
This refers to preparing for the interview whilst the candidate is still at home in front of a mirror. With looking in the mirror the person realizes what kind of behaviour they need to show at the actual interview, how their posture and word pronunciation needs to be, etc. This will help the individual at the time of the actual interview as they have already done an individual practise session on their own which will help them in facing the interviewer to a great extent.
5. Qualities of a Receptionist:
The candidate needs to know the general qualities that a receptionist needs to have when they approach the interviewer taking their interview. They may include having a clear speech during conversations, having an appropriate tone while speaking etc.
The person should use the same voice and speech they would use at the time of doing the receptionist job in reality by which the individual will realise that the person is perfect for the receptionist’s post.
6. Personality:
A physical appearance is very important for a person to have before, in the interview if they wish to impress the person interviewing.
The candidate should be well dressed before going for the interview and should have a personality which matches a receptionist and the place where the work has to be carried out.
On seeing this, the interviewer understands that the candidate is serious about the job on an everyday basis and will be a great fit in the organization.
7. Strengths & Weaknesses:
At the time of the interview, the interviewer always asks the candidate about their biggest strengths and weaknesses according to them.
For this the candidate needs to already have an answer prepared in their head and not begin thinking at that very moment as it can lay a bad impression on the interviewer.
The answer should be such that there should be some way of the person rectifying the weakness at the time of their job.
8. Counter Questioning:
This happens at every interview and it is also likely to occur during the receptionist interview. In the response of the candidate’s answer, the interview will always pose a question in front of the person which may be their response.
For this the candidate always needs to be well prepared for such a situation to occur and needs to respond back to the interviewer in a calm manner and the answer should have a positive feedback by the interviewer.
9. Punctuality:
This is a very important attribute that one needs to have self built within them. So the candidate must at once arrive for the interview on time and not keep the person waiting especially for them.
With this the interviewer will understand that this candidate has a punctual attitude within and will be on time if chosen for the job and will not cause any delays for the organization when they are working as the receptionist.
10. Importance of a Receptionist:
Prior to the interview the candidate must prepare a sketch regarding the importance of a receptionist and what it represents for the organization. They should know what are the key concepts that one needs to follow before going for a receptionists interview which lays off a very good impression on the interviewer knowing that a good research has been done by the candidate.
11. Communication:
The ability of having good communication is an important trait that a person should have who wishes to be a receptionist. Communication skills on the telecommunication devices such as the telephone, E-mail etc. should be good and knowledgeable as well as communication with the people in and outside the organization which is essential in carrying out daily tasks.
12. Dependability:
The whole job concept of a person wishing to be a receptionist is that whenever the office people need to be dependent on the receptionist to completing or carrying out a task the receptionist can be trusted.
With a person having this quality a task can be given by any member of the organization without any hesitation and the task can be carried out in an appropriate manner. So the candidate needs to let the interviewer, now that they can depend on the person whenever needed.
13. Computer Skills:
The person needs to atleast have a basic knowledge about the computer as it is required everyday for carrying out the work. The interviewer might ask the candidate about certain softwares like Microsoft Office, etc. which are used by them and if the candidate knows how to operate it, it will benefit the person to a great extent in being selected for the job.
14. Confidence:
Confidence is important for any individual to have at all times in their everyday lives in this case even before an interview for a receptionist. If a person is confident before the interviewer it helps in showing that the candidate is prepared for anything that comes across that person during the job and being confident even raises the morale of the candidate knowing that he is the best person for the job and no discouragement arises inside his mind.
15. Responsible Behaviour:
The candidate who is going for the receptionist interview should be responsible in nature so that others can be reliable on them whenever needed. The job of a receptionist also carries many responsibilities along with it which needs to be known by the candidate and they should realize that the organization can be reliable on them to carrying out the daily functions in the organization.
16. Positive Self Attitude:
Staying positive before, during and after the interview benefits the candidate to a great extent as the level of concentration is only on the matter at hand and not on other things which may cause stress, nervousness and anxiety to the candidate.
The candidate needs to stay positive during the interview till the very end so that they are ready to face anything that is brought up by the interviewer during the on going interview.
17. Good Interactions:
This refers to the receptionist having appropriate interactions between the members of the organizations along with the people from the outside. Most of the job carried out by a receptionist involves interacting with people from the outside and if these qualities are present with the candidate, the interviewer appreciates these qualities which will help the organization build good and strong relations with outside the world through the receptionist.
18. Multi-tasking:
Multi-tasking is a process where the person can do multiple tasks without any confusion or problem. The candidate should be ready to be a multi tasking person as the job of a receptionist involves doing multiple tasks at a single time whenever needed and mention it to the interviewer. This will lay a good impression on the interviewer and show him that the candidate is ready to be versatile enough in the work place whenever required.
19. Teamwork:
The quality of working as a team comes very handy in the work place. At the time of the interview the candidate must mention that there is ability within them towards working as a team during different on going tasks in the organization.
These may involve motorization of equipment, during staff training, during calculation of the expenses etc. This shows the interviewer that there is a sign of willingness amongst the candidate towards helping the colleagues.
20. Organizing the daily schedule:
If a person wants to be a receptionist, they need to be organized in the workplace and in their personal life also.
At this time the interviewer tells a lot of information just to know whether the candidate has an ability to maintain an appropriate order of it.
So the candidate must know that the most important tasks need to be prioritized and be done and then the other tasks to be done in the day should be put into effect by the candidate.
21. Salary Expectation:
This question always arises in the latter stages of the interview. The interviewer asks the candidate after selection is almost confirmed about their salary expectation.
If a person has previous work experience then they can ask for a salary which is more in comparison to their previous job.
A person who is a fresher should do some research before the interview regarding a minimum requirement of an initial salary and respond in that manner.
Conclusion:
So the job of a receptionist involves all such qualities which a person needs to have before the interview itself. Also, the question regarding the date of commencement or starting is also asked.
If the person is comfortable in starting as early as possible they can do so but it should not cause any harm. Also if the individual has any other questions they may ask it to the person interviewing which can benefit them before joining the job.
For a person who wishes to continue operating in the office line for the future, a job of a receptionist is a good way of starting the journey as the basic knowledge about the office is gained here.
As the time goes by the person develops skill and other qualities necessary for promotion which benefits them for the future. And in order to get over there, preparation is the most important thing that needs to be done by the individual before the interview itself.
