Receptionist Job in Canada – A comprehensive Application Guide

The duties of a receptionist encompass just sitting down or standing at the entrance of the job attending to guests only instead they are the face of the organization, representing the company and giving the best greetings and welcome gestures to every guest of the office. Receptionists can work in offices, companies, hospitals, schools, banks, etc. They meet the clients, and customers, and process phone calls and messages. A receptionist job is demanding in various settings like law firms, Administrative offices in the hospital, non-profit organizations, schools and universities, etc.

Types of Receptionist Job in Canada

A Receptionist is a professional who works in various organizations like hotels, schools, healthcare, etc, and whose main roles are to greet/welcome clients/customers, manage appointments, perform multiple administrative works, etc. Various receptionist jobs are:

1. Front-desk receptionist: They are the type of receptionist who works in places like bars, spas, hotels, etc. They manage more guest services than the fulfillment of administrative tasks.
2. Medical Receptionist: This type of receptionist is found in the medical setting. They perform more administrative tasks like sorting patients’ files during visitation, settling and managing patient appointment lists, and payment records.  
3. Administrative receptionist: An administrative receptionist handles the administrative tasks in the department such as handling phone calls, and messages, managing appointments, including data entry, record keeping, and other tasks.
4. Dental Receptionist: This receptionist works in the dental clinic or offices; managing the patient schedules, health records, and payment. They also handle other important tasks like insurance.
5. Virtual receptionist: A virtual receptionist is a professional who provides his or her services virtually by handling phone calls, messages, emails, faxes, and other means of communication. They also manage all virtual meetings, and appointments and work with the personal assistants, and staff of the office to plan the office schedules.
6. Executive receptionist: An executive receptionist is a highly professional receptionist who assists senior officers in managing their meeting schedules, and arranging their appointments and travel orders. They also provide administrative support like handling phone calls, messages, and confidential matters.
7. Switchboard operator: A switchboard operator is a type of receptionist that manages the telephone systems, receiving and forwarding calls, responding to messages, and providing all requested information.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Receptionist Job in Canada

The roles and responsibilities of a receptionist are important to keep an office running and functioning. These roles are:

1. Handling Appointments and Schedules: They arrange appointments, and meeting schedules, including virtual meetings. They also coordinate and manage the staff of the office.
2. Managing Phone Calls and Messages: They receive, answer and forward phone calls including receiving messages and providing all information requested.
3. Administrative Tasks: Receptionists also assist and sometimes take full responsibilities regarding administrative tasks such as data entry, keeping of records, record safety, managing emails, and other means of communication used by the office.
4. Customer Service: They provide answers to the queries of the customers; ensuring that they provide the best information. They also resolve issues and address all concerns of the customer.
5. Greeting Customers and Guests: Receptionists are the first point of contact in any organization setting. They are the first to meet the customers and greet them accordingly.
6. Communication and Coordination: A receptionist is also responsible for relaying messages to other staff of the office and management. They coordinate office meetings, and events and also receive instructions from senior executive officers.
7.  Front Desk Operations: They also handle all the desk operations like tracking records, confirming payment, receiving cash and transfer notifications, and billing.
8. Record Management and Safety: Another crucial duty of the receptionist is to manage office records and ensure that the information recorded is safe especially the confidential matters.

General Eligibility Criteria and Requirement for a Receptionist Job in Canada

A receptionist job is like every other job in Canada, you must fulfill the eligibility criteria and requirements before you are eligible to apply and also to be considered for the job. These criteria and requirements include:

General requirements

• Age: To work in Canada, you must be at least 18 years old and above to work in any department in Canada.
• Language proficiency: For anyone looking forward to working in Canada, you must be able to speak, write, and understand English or French. You may have to take a language test or exam to prove that you are proficient in either language.
• Criminal record: You must have zero criminal record or be associated with any serious crimes.
• Good health: You must be in good health to work at your best ability. Your Canadian employer may request that you undergo a medical exam and submit a medical certificate to prove that you are healthy.

Specific requirements for a Receptionist

• Education requirement: For a receptionist job in Canada, you must have a basic education certificate i.e. a high school diploma but having a degree i.e. bachelor’s or master’s degree will increase your chance of success in the application process.
• Work experience: You must have worked in a similar position for quite several years. This will allow you to have some transferable skills from your precious experience. Special roles like executive receptionist may need more years of experience than other roles.
• Certification and Training: Some Industries like healthcare, and finance, may require you to possess some extra certificate to work in the industry setting. While others may put you in a training program to equip you with the right knowledge.
• Software and Technology skills: You must know simple computer skills like Microsoft Office, word, excel, etc. You must be able to operate this software because it will be used for many administrative tasks like record keeping, data entry, etc.

Soft Skills and Abilities 

• Communication skills: This involves the ability to be able to communicate effectively with the guest or customers i.e. being able to pass information to everyone and creating a good rapport between you and the guest.
• Organizational skills: Receptionist jobs require being a very organized individual and being able to prioritize duties effectively.
• Interpersonal skills: This involves being able to create a good impression with the customers and building a strong relationship with everyone.
• Problem-solving skills: You must be able to solve difficult problems, and challenges faced in your line of work and thinking out of the box to resolve issues.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment: As a receptionist, you must be able to adapt to the work pressure and adapt effectively to the working conditions of the industry.
• Analytical skills: This involves the ability to analyze issues and proffer strategies to execute plans.
• Attention to detail: You must be able to pay attention to detail, especially in confidential matters and important issues.

How to Apply for a Receptionist Job in Canada

To apply for any Canadian job from anywhere in the world, some due steps must be followed to achieve a better result. These steps are:

STEP 1: Job Search

• You must search for the most suitable receptionist jobs that match your profile.
• You can search for a receptionist job on any online job portal, they are available across all the platforms. Examples are: Indeed, Talent, Glassdoor, etc.
• You can use search filters like “job title”, “location”, “salary”, etc.

STEP 2: Preparing your application

• Read the job description at least twice before you click on the “apply button” to ensure that you can fulfill all the duties and meet up with the qualifications required.
• Ensure that you have gathered all the requested documents like birth certificate, ID passport, especially the education certificate in the format requested.
• Click on the apply button to begin your application.

STEP 3: Update your resume and cover letter

• Customize your resume and cover letter to suit the specific job you are applying for.
• In your resume, ensure that you highlight all the relevant skills, abilities, and certificates that can increase your chance of success.
• Your cover letter must be written in a formal format, do not use loose language, and make sure the information provided in your cover letter complements the ones in your resume and should never be different.
• Another thing you must consider is the use of keywords from the job description in your resume and cover letter.
• You can proceed to submit your resume and cover letter after you have confirmed the information provided to be correct.

STEP 4: Prepare for your Interview

• You may have to attend a job interview especially if you are applying for roles like executive receptionist.
• To ace your job interview, ensure you research about the company and the executive position you will be serving.
• Search for common interview questions and practice all the answers.
• Practice all the samples of customer service skills.

STEP 5: The Processing times

• It may take a few weeks before your application is responded to. Your Canadian employer will go through all the normal processes before making a decision.

STEP 6: Application Approval

• If your application is successfully approved and a job request is granted, you will receive a confirmation message and the next steps for action.

Conclusion

A receptionist job is not to be underestimated because of the various opportunities and benefits of the role. A receptionist in Canada has a higher chance of climbing the ladder of success faster than any other job role in the office. If you can fulfill all the requirements above, you can start your application now, to start a new phase in your career journey.