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Useful experience for receptionists includes previous customer service work such as in a store or cafe.

Receptionists may do some or all of the following:

• greet visitors, clients or patients and notify staff of their arrival
• answer telephone calls and other enquiries
• make bookings or appointments for clients or patients
• administrative tasks such as managing documents, filing, or organising catering
• receive and sort mail, and arrange courier and mail pick-ups
• maintain financial accounts
• collect money from clients or patients.

Medical/dental receptionists and admissions officers may also maintain patient records, and maintain and check hospital waiting lists.

Vacancies common but competition strong

Competition for receptionist jobs is high, but vacancies are common because:

• the industry is large, employing about 24,000 people
• turnover is high, as the pay is low and workers progress to higher-paying positions.

According to the Census, 22,920 receptionists worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Administration and customer service skills in demand

Your chances of securing a job as a receptionist are best if you have both administration skills and experience dealing with customers or clients.

Types of employers varied

Receptionists work for many types of organisations in the private and public sector, including:

• hotels and motels
• dental, health, medical or physiotherapist clinics
• public and private hospitals
• various businesses
• government departments.

Association of Administrative Professionals New Zealand

enquiries@aapnz.org.nz - www.aapnz.org.nz

Receptionists may move into other roles in the organisation or hospital where they work, such as:

• administration officer
• clinical coder
• personal assistant/executive assistant
• medical records officer
• medical typist.

• Administration officer job information
• Clinical coder job information
• Medical typist job information
• Personal assistant/executive assistant job information

Receptionists may specialise in particular roles, such as:

Admissions Officer

Admissions officers greet hospital patients and organise their admission and discharge.

Hotel/Motel Receptionist

Hotel and motel receptionists greet and assist guests.

Dental/Medical Receptionist

Dental and medical receptionists work in doctors' or dental surgeries, hospitals, or private clinics.

Receptionists need to be:

• calm, pleasant and efficient
• good at communicating and listening
• good at planning, organising and problem solving
• able to multitask and work well under pressure
• be accurate and have attention to detail
• able to keep information confidential
• able to work independently.