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Receptionist jobs can serve as steppingstone

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By BOB WEINSTEIN, Special Sections correspondent

Published: December 16, 2007

There is no shortage of entry-level receptionist jobs. Many of the job ads list similar responsibilities which include answering phones, screening calls and assisting clients; meeting and greeting visitors; and coordinating projects and special events.

What you don't read about is the importance of the receptionist's job, and how it can be an excellent steppingstone, entry-level job leading up the organizational ladder. The career gurus don't tell you that thousands of successful people started out as receptionists.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a strong demand for receptionists and ranks the job among the fastest growing positions through 2014. While technology — primarily the use of voice mail — has consolidated receptionists' ranks somewhat, organizations find that human contact is essential and irreplaceable.

Organizations depend upon receptionists

Two decades ago, mostly women held receptionists' jobs. That's no longer true. In all industries and offices, including physicians' offices; law, accounting and financial services firms; temporary help agencies; and consulting firms, both men and women hold receptionists' jobs.

While receptionists may be close to the bottom of the power-salary chain, their role in organizations is vital. It's hard to find an organization that doesn't depend upon them. Typically, they are the first representatives of an organization a customer or client encounters.

Receptionists' functions vary

Some tasks are common to most receptionists, such as answering telephones, routing and screening calls, greeting visitors, responding to inquiries from the public and providing information about the organization. Receptionists in doctors' offices, for example, may gather patients' personal and financial information. Receptionists in dental offices schedule appointments and process payment and insurance information. (The number of dental receptionist openings is expected to grow more than 27 percent through 2014, according to the BLS.)

One thing is certain: The days of receptionists anchored to a telephone system are long gone. Today, an efficient receptionist is a masterful multitasker. In a busy organization, they're managing multiline telephone systems and a central PC, and tracking the comings and goings of staffers.

Why work as a receptionist

Here are a few plusses to the receptionist's job:

- Perfect part-time job for students — Many organizations hire receptionists during busy seasonal periods and during the summer, when full-timers take vacations.

- Excellent first job experience —Unlike back office jobs, where there is little or no contact with the public, receptionists are on the front lines meeting and talking to people all day long. What better way to polish communication and people skills?

- Opportunity to sample different jobs — If you're unsure about which career path to take, working as a receptionist gives you a bird's-eye view of what a field or company is all about.

- Strategy for breaking into highly competitive fields such as radio and cable and network TV —Countless radio and TV broadcasters' anchor and production people started out in lowly gofer or receptionist jobs. These highly competitive fields are tough to break into because there are more candidates than there are jobs. Consider yourself lucky if you're paid more than the minimum hourly wage. But it's not about money; it's about making contacts so you can build your career by moving from one learning opportunity job to another.

- Minimal entry requirements —Although hiring requirements for receptionists vary by industry, a high school diploma or its equivalent is the most common educational requirement.

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