How to become Receptionist
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
You can take a college course before applying for work as a receptionist. Some courses relate to particular types of work, others are more general.
For example:
- salon reception (beauty and hairdressing)
- business administration (office work)
- front of house reception (hospitality and catering)
- customer service
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
More Information
Apprenticeship
You could get into this job through an apprenticeship, such as:
- Hospitality Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Hospitality Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
These take around 1 year to complete.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
More Information
Work
You could begin as an admin assistant in an organisation, for instance by doing temporary work, then apply for a permanent job as a receptionist when a vacancy becomes available.
In a hotel, you could start in housekeeping and take further training on the job.
Direct Application
You may be able to apply directly for receptionist jobs. It will help to have good admin and customer service skills.
Some employers will prefer you to have GCSEs and IT skills to work with computerised booking or payment systems.
More Information
Further information
You can learn more about working as a receptionist in hospitality from Caterer.com.
You can also find out about medical reception work from NHS Careers.