- Are you comfortable greeting people and answering phones?
- What are some of the most important qualities for a school receptionist to have?
- How would you handle a situation where a parent is angry about their child’s grades?
The job search takes patience and tenacity. After putting together an eye-catching resume and a strong cover letter, you are faced with the initial interview. It is crucial that you stand out during the face-to-face and that the hiring manager sees you are not only serious about the job but are also a good fit for the company. Competition for a position can be fierce, and you need to make a good first impression. Whether you have years of work experience or you are a recent graduate, it is necessary that you prepare for the interview.
One of the best ways to be prepared is to anticipate the questions that will be asked of you. Some of the inquiries will be general in nature, such as “why should we hire you?” or “what are your strengths?” Other questions will be tailored to the specific position that you are applying for. Make sure that you have done your research about some of the common questions and are prepared with proper responses. The following are some typical front desk receptionist interview questions and answers to help you wow your interviewer.
SCHOOL RECEPTIONIST Interview Questions & Answers! (School, College + University Receptionist Jobs)
8 Receptionist Interview Questions and Answers
How many years of experience have you had as a speed typer and what is your typing speed?
The goal is to make sure the receptionist is able to keep up with the flow of work by being a fast typer.
What to look for in an answer:
- Do they quote a typing speed above 60 wpm?
- Are they a confident typist?
- Do they have enough experience as a speed typer?
Tell me about a situation where you needed to manage an upset individual at the reception desk. How did you handle it?
The goal is to find out how the candidate deals with unhappy or upset clients.
What to look for in an answer:
- Does the idea of handling an upset person make the candidate uncomfortable?
- Does the candidate have a confident approach to the issue?
- Do they demonstrate experience handling such a situation?
A receptionist may have periods of downtime where they do not have to attend to client or coworker needs. Receptionists should be able to be productive and find ways to improve their efficiency even when there are no pressing business needs. It’s their responsibility to find time to complete administrative tasks such as filing documents, preparing memos and sorting mail. Strong candidates are proactive with their free time at work when they are not actively interacting with guests.
Look for these main points in a candidate’s response:
- Desire to get ahead of schedule
- Understanding of a receptionist’s passive responsibilities
- Interest in self-improvement
Here is an example of a strong answer to this interview question:
What do you believe the receptionist brings to the office culture at any company?
The goal is to see how the candidate sees a receptionist role fitting in with the broader culture of the company.
What to look for in an answer:
- Do they see the receptionist as integral to company culture?
- Do they have good ideas about how to add to the culture of the company?
- Do they understand they are representing the company?
How do you manage the office communications in a secure way?
The goal is to make sure the receptionist understands that one of their roles is discretion.
What to look for in an answer:
- Are they comfortable managing complex political situations in the office context?
- Do they keep focused on who needs to know what?
- Do they have discretion?
Can you describe your ideal relationship with your office?
The goal is to make sure they have a productive sense of their relationship with the office they work for.
What to look for in an answer:
- Do they voice positivity about working in an office environment?
- Are they excited about the prospect of being the face of your office?
- Will they bring good qualities to your office environment?
What types of software have you used in previous jobs?
The goal is to find out what software the candidate is familiar with.
What to look for in an answer:
- Do they demonstrate facility with the common software types used by receptionists?
- Do they know what those types of software are?
- Do they show experience with software?
A person calls and asks to speak to someone who isn’t available to talk. What do you tell them so they will feel you are doing your best job to enable them to connect with the person they want to speak to?
The goal is to make sure the receptionist has good skills at managing people on the phone.
What to look for in an answer:
- Is the candidate confident about their phone skills?
- Do they sound like the enjoy handling people on the phone?
- Do they have skill at rescheduling calls?
How do you manage your workload when it’s really busy?
When answering this question, it’s great if you have some prior work experience to speak to, but busy times in your academic life can also support a good answer. Your interviewer wants to hear about how you dealt with competing priorities and deadlines:
“During my last semester, I was managing five courses, and three of them had final exams scheduled over the same two days. I also had assignments due during that time, so I had to prioritize and be extremely organized. I set out a work schedule ahead of time so that I could ensure all my time was being used effectively.”
Apart from the fact that I have over 5 years of experience working as a school receptionist, I am well-organized, patient, and have a pleasant attitude, all of which help me do my job properly. Also, I am a stickler for perfection, which makes it easy for me to handle my work in a proper manner.
But what you can do is practice possible answers to questions that you may be asked for a school receptionist position.
These sample interview questions and answers will give you an idea of what to expect and how to answer in an interview.
There is very little that you can do to prepare yourself for a school receptionist interview completely.
I was once verbally abused by a parent who was not happy with how his child’s marks had turned out. Since I was the first person he met when he entered school, I had to face his anger. I tried to explain that he would have to take this up with the principal, but he wasn’t having any of it. So I had no choice but to remain calm and call the authorities to handle the situation.
A receptionist’s work becomes meaningful when it provides excellent customer service and present a positive face of the company.
When a client or visitor ask you a question that you don’t have the answer in such case, simply ask the visitor to wait. So that you can find out the answer or can direct to the right person.
I would feel uncomfortable, but without seeing as a personal affair, I would ask for clarification to a co-worker and own the problem. I would implement further actions to improve the situation.
As a receptionist, the most important skill is to be comfortable with meeting and interacting people from diverse backgrounds. He should be always of a pleasant and cheerful demeanor to any person.
10) Explain what would you do when a client or visitor ask you a question that you don’t have the answer?
FAQ
What are school receptionist duties?
What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers?
- Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief? …
- How did you hear about this position? …
- What type of work environment do you prefer? …
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? …
- Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
How do I pass a receptionist interview?
Why should we hire you as receptionist?
