Receptionists and Information Clerks

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• 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.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

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 at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  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
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  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:

• Social Orientation
• Cooperation
• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Empathy
• Optimism

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