Where a receptionist can go next
12 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a receptionist already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Receptionists are responsible for the reception area of a business. They answer the phone, greet guests, pass information, respond to inquiries and instruct visitors. They are the first point of contact for clients and customers.
Also known as front desk receptionist, medical receptionist, corporate receptionist, office receptionist, receiving clerk, company secretary, receiving secretary, head receptionist, secretary, front desk agent.
Clerical support workers 35 skills on file 12 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: office clerk, 42%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 1 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
- office clerk 42% covered · difficulty 64
- secretary 38% covered · difficulty 64.2
- administrative assistant 34% covered · difficulty 65.8
- post office counter clerk 30% covered · difficulty 66.3
- investment clerk 27% covered · difficulty 69.3
- hotel concierge 27% covered · difficulty 64.4
- hospitality establishment receptionist 25% covered · difficulty 73.6
- usher 23% covered · difficulty 71.2
- veterinary receptionist 22% covered · difficulty 80.5
- billing clerk 21% covered · difficulty 69.1
- beauty salon attendant 21% covered · difficulty 75.9
- foreign language correspondence clerk 20% covered · difficulty 69
Table 2 · What the job itself asks for
A receptionist needs 13 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- maintain reception area management skills
- disseminate internal communications communication, collaboration and creativity
- maintain logbooks information skills
- disseminate messages to people management skills
- use microsoft office working with computers
- communicate verbal instructions communication, collaboration and creativity
- greet guests assisting and caring
- administer appointments management skills
- communicate by telephone communication, collaboration and creativity
- customer service business, administration and law
Table 3 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a receptionist does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
Look up another occupation
Receptionist is filed under Clerical support workers, ISCO major group 4. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a receptionist’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.