School receptionists greet visitors and schedule meetings for school administrators. Read on to learn more about the responsibilities you'll take on if you work as a school receptionist.
Career Overview
School receptionists are often the first people that students, families, and visitors see when they enter a school. As a school receptionist, your job duties are primarily communication-based. As such, you'll need to be familiar with proper phone and email etiquette and possess strong interpersonal skills. Your daily tasks may include keeping records, scheduling meetings, and facilitating communication between teachers, staff, and families. In some cases, you may be required to provide secretarial support in addition to reception duties.
<h3 id="section---ImportantFactsAboutSchoolReceptionists">Important Facts About School Receptionists</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td> Required Education </td><td> High school diploma or equivalent</td></tr>
<tr><td> On-the-Job Training </td><td> Short-term training in specialized computer systems</td></tr>
<tr><td> Work Environment </td><td> Public or private institutions</td></tr>
<tr><td> Similar Occupations </td><td> Customer service representative, general office clerks, information clerks, tellers</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---CommunicateWithAdministratorsFacultyStudentsAndParents">Communicate With Administrators, Faculty, Students, and Parents</h3><p>As a school receptionist, you'll answer phone calls, greet visitors, and provide information to students. You'll also facilitate communication between administrators, teachers, and students' families. You will need to speak authoritatively on a variety of topics, including rules, disciplinary measures, and day-to-day operations. You may also be required to present policies and regulations to school visitors.
</p><h3 id="section---KeepRecords">Keep Records</h3><p>Keeping records of phone and mail inquiries will be a part of your job as a receptionist. You might create reports and file records of school operations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, <i>www.bls.gov</i>), if your job includes secretarial duties, you'll be responsible for managing the administrative issues that do not necessarily need the principal's attention. You'll maintain and keep confidential information for all school records, including:
</p><ul><li>Student registrations and class schedules
</li><li>Student immunizations
</li><li>Bus schedules and routes
</li><li>Academic transcripts
</li><li>Teachers' classroom assignments
</li><li>Payroll processing
</li></ul><h3 id="section---ScheduleMeetings">Schedule Meetings</h3><p>Many schools require you to oversee the creation of the activities calendar, which means you're responsible for scheduling parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. If you work directly for the principal, rather than as a general receptionist, your duties may include scheduling the principal's meetings and teacher observations, according to the BLS. The BLS also reports that you may act as the principal's representative in situations where his or her presence is not needed.
</p><h3 id="section---EmploymentAndSalaryOutlook">Employment and Salary Outlook</h3><p>According to the BLS, receptionists, in general, should see a little or no change employment opportunities between 2021 and 2031, which is as fast as average. The BLS reports that receptionists and information clerks earned median annual wages of $29,950 as of May 2021.</p>
