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Receptionists and Information Clerks
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Information clerks and receptionists route and screen calls, answer telephones, respond to inquiries, greet visitors, and provide company's information. The responsibilities of information clerks and receptionists may vary depending upon the type of work and company environment.
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Job Prospect
Information clerks and receptionists who work in doctor's offices and hospitals may collect insurance and personal information of a patient and direct them to the waiting rooms. These professionals working in corporate headquarters greet visitors and manage the common conference area. Receptionists and clerks who work in beauty and hair salons may direct customers to the hairstylist, arrange appointments, and serve as cashiers.
In large corporations, government offices, and factories, information clerks and receptionists take visitors to the office and provide identification cards. Clerks and receptionists working with train and bus companies answer to inquires about arrivals, departures, stops, and other related information.
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Information clerks and receptionists use personal computers, multi-line telephone systems, and tax machines to execute their everyday tasks. When these workers are not busy with customers, they are required to perform various duties comprising of collection and allocating parcels, opening and sorting mail, transmitting and delivering faxes, etc. They also have to execute other duties such as preparing travel vouchers, updating appointment calendars, and performing basic work processing, bookkeeping, and filing.
Work Environment
Information clerks and receptionists who greet visitors and customers, usually, work in clean and spacious offices. Sometimes, these workers may get tired by answering continuously on the phone. They may come across the stressful situation when a customer gets irate. The working environment, however, is motivating and friendly for those who enjoy greeting customers and provide them facilities.
Educational Qualification
Candidates wishing to get into this field need to have completed a high school diploma or equivalent. However, the educational qualification varies by the industry. Candidates should possess good communication skills. They ought to be proficient in computer technology. Most employers prefer candidates who have completed formal office education and training.
Some employers offer on-the-job training to new employees. In this training, employees are taught how to operate computers and the telephone system. They are also taught how to cope with visitors, and distribute fax messages, mails, and parcels. These workers have to possess other skills including customer service skills, interpersonal skills, good communication skills, etc. Additionally, information clerks and receptionists have to communicate information precisely and accurately to others. These workers have to operate a wide spectrum of office technology. Therefore, they should have sound knowledge of advanced technology.
Employment
Information clerks and receptionists held approximately 1.2 million jobs in 2006. The social assistance and health care industry consisting of hospitals, physicians, outpatient care facilities, and nursing homes hired almost thirty-three percent of all information clerks and receptionists. Wholesale, manufacturing, retail trade, real estate, government, and other industries employed a large number of information clerks and receptionists. Over three of every ten information clerks and receptionists work part-time. They have to carry out following responsibilities.
Responsibilities
- Provide information, take messages, schedule appointments, operate telephone switchboard to respond, and forward calls
- Receive payment and keep receipts for services
- Execute administrative support work such as transcribing handwritten information, proofreading, and operating computers and calculators to work with invoices, balance sheet, pay records, and other documents
- Welcome customers entering the establishment; determine purpose and nature of visit, guide them to the specific destinations
- Solve complaints from public and customers
- Maintain and file records
- Transmit documents or information to customers using mail, computer, or fax machine
- Update and maintain appointment calendars and schedule appointments
- Equip customers with information about the company such as services provided, offices, and department
- Keep and maintain the record of staff members
- Sort, collect, prepare, and allocate messages, mail, and courier deliveries
- Compute and fix rates for stocks, insurance policies, tours, and other services and products
- Prepare and process memos, travel vouchers, correspondence, and other documents
- Deliver talks and organize tours describing elements of public facility like national park or historic site
Employment in the field of information clerks and receptionists is predicted to grow in near future. Information clerks and receptionists will have many jobs over 2006-2016 periods. The positions of information clerks and receptionists are expected to increase by seventeen percent from 2006-2016. The tremendous growth in the fields like legal services, offices of physicians, employment services, technical consulting and management has maximized job opportunities to the skilled professionals. The arrival of modern technology may affect the employment growth for information clerks and receptionists.
The increasing use of telephone automation lessened the need for receptionists by letting one receptionist to work where previously required a number of receptionists. However, there are many tasks, which are interpersonal in nature and cannot be easily automated. Therefore, information clerks and receptionists are often in demand.
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