Receptionists and Information Clerks

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Receive payment and record receipts for services.
• File and maintain records.
• Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
• Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
• Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provided.
• Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents.
• Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
• Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents.
• Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
• Take orders for merchandise or materials and send them to the proper departments to be filled.
• Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.
• Enroll individuals to participate in programs and notify them of their acceptance.
• Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
• Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
• Analyze data to determine answers to questions from customers or members of the public.
• Keep a current record of staff members' whereabouts and availability.
• Process and prepare memos, correspondence, travel vouchers, or other documents.
• Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
• Schedule space or equipment for special programs and prepare lists of participants.
• Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
• Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.
• Take orders for merchandise or materials and send them to the proper departments to be filled.

Skills

• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

Abilities

• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.

Knowledge

• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Bellingham Technical College
  3028 Lindbergh Ave, Bellingham WA 98225-1599
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-752-7000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.btc.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

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• Clark College
  1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver WA 98663-3598
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 360-992-2000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.clark.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• Columbia Basin College
  2600 N 20th Ave, Pasco WA 99301
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-547-0511
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.columbiabasin.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Peninsula College
  1502 E Lauridsen Blvd, Port Angeles WA 98362
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-452-9277
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.pencol.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Award Level
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• Renton Technical College
  3000 NE Fourth St, Renton WA 98056-4123
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 425-235-2352
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.rtc.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Award Level
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• South Puget Sound Community College
  2011 Mottman Rd SW, Olympia WA 98512-6292
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-596-5200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.spscc.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Spokane Community College
  1810 North Greene Street, Spokane WA 99217-5399
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-533-8400
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://scc.spokane.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Wenatchee Valley College
  1300 Fifth St, Wenatchee WA 98801-1799
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-682-6800
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.wvc.edu/
  Program Name
  Receptionist
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

43760/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

21.04/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

31,980

Yearly Projected Openings

4870

Personality

Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Social Orientation
• Achievement Orientation

Tools

• Desktop computers
• Dictation machines
• Filing cabinets or accessories
• Franking or postage machines
• Laser fax machine
• Magnetic stripe readers and encoders
• Personal computers
• Photocopiers
• Pocket calculator
• Premise branch exchange PBX systems
• Public address systems
• Scanners
• Special purpose telephones
• Typewriters

Technology

• Accounting software
• Calendar and scheduling software
• Cloud-based data access and sharing software
• Customer relationship management CRM software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Internet browser software
• Medical software
• Mobile messaging service software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Time accounting software
• Word processing software