Receptionist CV example and ATS keywords

Keywords employers screen receptionist CVs for

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that look for the words in their job advert. Use the ones that are true for you, in your skills section and in your experience. Always check the advert itself too, because each employer words things slightly differently.

Skills

• Front of house
• Meet and greet
• Switchboard
• Appointment booking
• Visitor management
• Telephone handling
• Microsoft Outlook
• Taking payments
• Post and couriers
• Complaint handling
• EMIS or SystmOne (medical)

Qualifications and checks

• GDPR and confidentiality
• Level 2 Customer Service
• First aid

Personal qualities

• Friendly
• Professional
• Calm under pressure
• Organised
• Good communicator

Example receptionist personal statement

Your personal statement (or profile) sits at the top of your CV. Keep it to 3 or 4 sentences: who you are, your experience, your strongest skills and what you're looking for. Make it your own: these examples show the shape, not words to copy.

Example experience bullet points

Start each bullet with an action verb and add a number wherever you can. Recruiters remember results, not duties.

• Answered 120+ calls a day on a multi-line switchboard, directing them to the right team first time.
• Booked and amended appointments for 6 clinicians using EMIS, keeping waiting times to a minimum.
• Welcomed up to 80 visitors a day, issuing passes and following site security procedures.
• Handled complaints calmly, escalating 2–3 a week to the practice manager with clear notes.
• Managed incoming post, couriers and meeting room bookings for an office of 60 people.

Mistakes that get receptionist CVs rejected

• Not naming the setting: corporate, medical, dental, hotel, school and vet receptions all differ.
• Leaving out booking or practice systems that the advert mentions.
• A cluttered CV. Employers read it as a sign of how organised you are.

How to lay out your receptionist CV

1. Contact details: name, phone, email, town and (optionally) LinkedIn. No photo or date of birth needed in the UK.
2. Personal statement: 3 or 4 sentences, like the examples above.
3. Key skills: 6 to 10 skills from the keyword lists that are true for you.
4. Experience: most recent job first, with 3 to 5 bullet points each.
5. Education and training: qualifications, certificates and checks.

Use one column, standard headings and no tables, text boxes or graphics, so applicant tracking systems can read every word. Save it as a Word file unless the advert asks for a PDF.