Find Out About the Best Receptionist Jobs London Has to Offer

About Receptionist Jobs

Being a receptionist revolves around helping customers, answering their questions, solving concerns, and completing basic administrative tasks. There are many receptionist jobs London has to offer and if you’re considering looking for one, know that this job comes with various opportunities.

The demand for receptionists is increasing, especially in the healthcare industry. With a relevant high school degree, you can also apply for many corporate receptionist jobs in London.

What Do Receptionists Do?

If you’re wondering what type of work you should do as a receptionist, the main thing you should know is that it’s a job related to helping others. The receptionist job mainly entails greeting and talking with customers or clients.

Receptionists are often the first point of contact. That’s why you’ll want to be presentable, ready to answer various questions, and point people to where they should proceed. Reception jobs in London may also demand assisting people in filling out paperwork and questionnaires.

Front desk employees also collect information and answer or transfer phone calls. They explain and talk about the activities that occur on the premises. In some small companies, receptionists’ jobs could overlap with administrative work, such as accounting.

Other duties of receptionist jobs in London may include helping a company with clerical duties, taking messages, writing emails, or dealing with courier deliveries. Overall, the responsibilities overlap across industries.

Duties of Receptionists

Reception jobs are the first point of contact and, in a way, they should represent the company they’re working for. Since they’re the first line of communication with the customers, they often collect customer feedback directly. They’re the ones who communicate with customers and represent the organisation. Receptionist roles include, but are not limited to:

  • Greeting visitors
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Resolving customer complaints
  • Keeping records
  • Receiving payment for services
  • Performing administrative tasks
  • Checking in visitors
  • Handling outgoing and incoming correspondence
  • Ensuring that the reception area is tidy and clean
  • Creating a welcoming environment

Types of Receptionist Jobs

  • Spa Receptionist Jobs

Spa receptionists welcome guests, maintain bookings, offer refreshments, or process financial transactions. They may also give tours of the establishment, notify staff members when a client arrives, or schedule and cancel appointments.

Spa receptionists should focus on strong customer service since they usually work in resorts or private spas. A high level of professionalism is a must, while other skills include computer literacy and excellent organisation. The minimum requirement is a high school diploma.

  • Salon Receptionist Jobs

Working as a spa receptionist is similar to salon receptionist jobs across London, where front desk workers greet clients and schedule appointments. Other duties include processing payments, issuing receipts, and similar. Prior work experience is desirable, as well as knowledge of office equipment and POS systems. Excellent communication skills are a must.

  • Hotel Receptionist Jobs

Hotel receptionist job positions in London are also similar to the jobs mentioned above. In addition to assigning rooms and operating hotel management systems, hospitality is of utmost importance. Hotel receptionists may also deal with organising transport, passing on messages to guests, dealing with special requests, and providing information about sightseeing spots.

  • Corporate Receptionist Jobs

Corporate receptionists are focused on general office support, a variety of clerical tasks, requisition of supplies, sending newsletters, and cooperating with various departments. A corporate receptionist based in London may also maintain security and telecommunication systems. Executives will sometimes rely on them to filter out phone calls.

  • NHS Receptionist Jobs

NHS receptionist jobs in London are great opportunities for those wanting to work as receptionists but have some type of medical degree.

General practitioner receptionist, medical receptionist, clinical receptionists, or dental receptionist jobs in London require scheduling and cancelling patients’ appointments, entering patients’ information into the system, answering questions, organising and maintaining the waiting room, and similar. Their main goal is to keep a medical practice running and the patients satisfied.

Work Environment

The reception job typically involves standing or sitting behind a front desk. Receptionists work in areas with a lot of foot traffic and are in direct contact with customers. They’re located in a lobby, a waiting room, or a similar area. If they love working with people, receptionists will enjoy their jobs.

However, even someone working as a part-time receptionist may feel like their job is monotonous, depending on the location, season, or the time of the day. Receptionists also rarely leave their work area since they should cover the entrance at all times.

Injuries and Illnesses

People with a receptionist job in London firms may feel the consequences of continuous standing or sitting. Those who sit most of the time may gain weight, and their bad posture can cause neck and back pain.

Prolonged sitting can also cause heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Doing part-time receptionist jobs in London may also put a strain on the entire body.

Depending on the position of computers and phones, there’s a possibility of repetitive strain injuries. Continuous exposure to computers may also cause eye strain or headaches. Night receptionist jobs in London may cause temporary or permanent sleep disorders, such as shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).

Receptionists who mostly stand may also suffer from back and leg pain or musculoskeletal strain. Working in a standing position may also cause sore feet, leg swelling, varicose veins, or lower back pain.

Work Schedules

If you’re wondering about the work schedule at receptionist jobs, London is no different than other cities. Therefore, like any other career in London, you can expect a typical 40-hour workweek. Your work schedule might also include shifts, especially if you plan on landing some of the hotel receptionist jobs in London. In that case, you should be prepared to work three shifts, including nights.

When it comes to part-time receptionist jobs, your employer may need you to work only on certain days of the week. If you already have a job, but you want to see if you can work as a receptionist, you can apply for weekend receptionist jobs.

How to Become a Receptionist

Educational requirements and the hiring process depend on the industry in which you’re applying to be a receptionist. In general, the minimum requirement to get a receptionist job in London is a relevant high school diploma. You’ll receive short training once you’re employed, which can last from a few days to a couple of months. Afterwards, you should be fully capable of working as a receptionist at the company that hired you.

If you’re aiming at receptionist jobs in London with no experience needed, you can always start working as an intern to gain some experience. Employers usually prefer a person with at least some familiarity with the office environment.

Important Qualities

Besides a degree in the relevant field, you need to possess certain traits that make you a great receptionist. You should have a positive attitude, love working with people, and be very organised. Computer skills are a good addition to your resume. Good listening skills, patience, integrity, and a proactive approach also come in handy if you want to become a receptionist in London.

Education

A high school diploma in the industry you want to work as a receptionist is a must. For example, GP receptionist jobs can hardly be done by someone who has no medical knowledge. Additional courses in computer software, word processing, and spreadsheets are a plus since employers like to hire candidates with relevant skills.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Aside from your diploma, any additional course will boost your chance of landing receptionist jobs in London. These courses may be related to professional communication skills, office admin, or management skills. A receptionist certificate is a plus.

There’s no one-size-fits-all, and while some receptionists start with zero experience and receive on-the-job training, others have various certifications they can put on their resume. There’s one more factor to consider. Even though many receptionist jobs London has to offer require English-speaking employees, speaking another language is only a plus. London attracts 30 million tourists from all around the world every year, and not everyone speaks English.

Advancement

Any receptionist, including those having junior receptionist jobs across London, can show initiative to advance to higher administrative positions, such as secretaries or administrative assistants. Career advancement mostly depends on a set of skills and work performance.

If you’re working part-time, you can always ask to work full-time. Chances are your employer will appreciate your dedication.

Pay

The receptionist salary in London is about £23,000 a year. The lowest recorded salary is £19,000, and the highest is £26,406. When it comes to receptionist salary in the UK, the median is £25,886, according to Reed. The lowest salary is £23,862, and the highest is £28,019.

Job Outlook

When it comes to job outlook for receptionist jobs, London is the right choice for job seekers. There’s an expected 4% growth in employment from 2019 to 2029. The main industry that will hire receptionists is healthcare, especially physician’s, dentist’s, and other healthcare practitioner’s offices. However, other industries will go through more automation in administrative functions, meaning that the employment growth may slow down.

Job Prospects

Job prospects are looking up, especially in the healthcare industry. Many left their jobs, and vacancies need to be filled. Related work experience and computer skills should be the key to landing a reception job in London.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do receptionists earn in the UK?

The median salary is £23,000 a year. Based on Reed’s data, the lowest recorded salary is £19,000, and the highest is £26,406. Across the UK, the median salary for receptionists is £25,886. The lowest salary is £23,862, and the highest is £28,019.

What experience is needed for a receptionist?

Employers looking to hire receptionists are likely to want someone with relevant work experience. Applicants should know how to perform basic administrative tasks and have computer skills to run a front desk.

It’s possible to start working at receptionist jobs in London with no experience, but an internship is preferred. As with any other industry, the more experience, the better, but some specific skills could prevail.

Is receptionist a good career?

Being a receptionist is a good career with a great outlook and advancement possibilities. If you’re highly organised, communicative, and love working with people but also know how to do paperwork, this is a good career path that you’ll love.

What qualifications do you need to be a receptionist in the UK?

There are no set entry requirements to become a receptionist; it’s more about your skills. A high school diploma is enough, and any computer software certificate is a plus. Office admin or management courses may also land you a receptionist job quicker.

What are receptionist duties?

Receptionists’ main duties include but aren’t limited to greeting visitors, resolving their problems, pointing them to the person of interest, scheduling appointments, keeping records, dealing with administrative tasks, creating a welcoming environment, and handling correspondence. Various receptionist jobs London has to offer entail different duties, and they depend on the industry.

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