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Receptionist

Receptionist CV example and template (South Africa)

A receptionist is the first person a visitor or caller meets, so employers hire for calm, clear communication and a neat, organised front desk. Receptionist posts come up at doctors' and dentists' practices, law firms, hotels and guest houses, estate agencies and corporate offices. Each one wants slightly different skills: a medical practice wants someone who can check medical aid details and book patients, a law firm wants discretion with clients and documents, and a hotel wants check-ins on a booking system.

The example below is for a receptionist who moved from a hotel front desk to a busy family medical practice. Change the order of your skills to match the place you are applying to. Write the name of the switchboard or booking system you have used, how many calls or visitors you handled in a day, and the languages you speak, because a receptionist who can help callers in isiZulu, English and Afrikaans is worth more to many employers.

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Receptionist CV example

Ayanda Ngcobo

Receptionist with 4 years' front desk experience at a medical practice and a hotel

073 555 0129 · ayanda.ngcobo@example.co.za · Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

Profile

Friendly, well-organised receptionist with four years at front desks in Durban, first at a city hotel and now at a three-doctor family practice in Umhlanga. Books about 60 patients a day on GoodX, checks medical aid membership before every consultation and runs a busy PABX switchboard. Speaks isiZulu and English fluently and is looking for a senior receptionist post at a medical or corporate office.

Work experience

Medical Receptionist

Umhlanga Ridge Family Practice, Umhlanga | Jan 2024 – Present

Answer about 120 calls a day on a 20-line PABX switchboard and take messages for three doctors
Book and confirm around 60 patient appointments a day on GoodX and send SMS reminders
Check medical aid membership and benefits for every patient before consultation
Open and update patient files, scanning ID and medical aid cards
Take co-payments and balance the front-desk cash every evening
Book couriers for pathology samples and documents and keep the waybill register

Front Office Receptionist

Garden Court South Beach, Durban | Feb 2022 – Dec 2023

Checked in and checked out up to 80 guests a day on the Opera property management system
Took card and cash payments, settled guest accounts and balanced the shift float
Answered the hotel switchboard and transferred calls to rooms and departments
Handled guest complaints and room changes, calling the duty manager when needed

Education

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Umlazi Comtech High School, 2020, NQF level 4

Subjects: English Home Language, isiZulu First Additional Language, Business Studies, Tourism, Computer Applications Technology, Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation

Skills

PABX switchboard
GoodX patient bookings
Medical aid membership checks
Opera property management system
Visitor and courier registers
Cash and card payments
MS Word, Excel and Outlook

Certificates

Front Office Operations (short course), CATHSSETA accredited provider, 2022
First Aid Level 1, St John Ambulance, 2024

Achievements

Reduced missed appointments at the practice by sending SMS reminders the day before every booking

Personal details

Nationality:: South African
Languages:: isiZulu (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Basic)
Notice period:: One month
Availability:: Full-time, including Saturday morning shifts

References

Dr Prenisha Naidoo

Practice Owner, Umhlanga Ridge Family Practice

031 555 0142

Bongani Zungu

Front Office Manager, Garden Court South Beach

031 555 0187

Receptionist CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Friendly, well-organised receptionist with four years at front desks in Durban, first at a city hotel and now at a three-doctor family practice in Umhlanga. Books about 60 patients a day on GoodX, checks medical aid membership before every consultation and runs a busy PABX switchboard. Speaks isiZulu and English fluently and is looking for a senior receptionist post at a medical or corporate office.

Skills to list on your Receptionist CV

Answering and transferring calls on a PABX switchboard
Greeting visitors and keeping a visitor register
Booking appointments and managing diaries on practice or booking software
Checking patients' medical aid membership and benefits before consultations
Taking payments and issuing receipts at the front desk
Hotel check-in and check-out on a property management system such as Opera
Booking and dispatching couriers and keeping a courier register
Receiving and sorting post and deliveries
Keeping client and patient information confidential in line with POPIA
Typing letters, emails and simple Excel lists
Handling difficult or upset callers politely
Keeping the reception area neat and stocked

Duties written as strong bullet points

Answered and transferred about 120 calls a day on a 20-line PABX switchboard, taking accurate messages for doctors and staff
Booked and confirmed around 60 patient appointments a day on GoodX and sent SMS reminders the day before
Checked medical aid membership and available benefits for every patient before consultation, which cut rejected claims
Opened new patient files, scanned ID and medical aid cards, and updated contact details at every visit
Took co-payments and cash payments, issued receipts and balanced the front-desk cash at the end of each day
Kept the visitor register and issued visitor badges, following the building's access control rules
Booked couriers for documents and samples with The Courier Guy and kept a register of waybill numbers
Checked in up to 80 hotel guests a day on Opera, handled room changes and settled guest accounts at check-out

Tips for a stronger Receptionist CV

Match your CV to the type of front desk

Reception at a doctor's practice, a law firm and a hotel are three different jobs. For a practice, put medical aid checks and patient bookings first. For a law firm, stress confidentiality and handling client documents. For a hotel, lead with check-ins and the booking system. Moving your most relevant line to the top takes five minutes and makes a big difference.

Name the systems at your desk

Write the actual names of the systems you used, such as a PABX switchboard, GoodX or Healthbridge at a medical practice, Opera at a hotel, or Outlook calendars at an office. An employer who sees their own system on your CV knows you need less training.

Give your call and visitor numbers

Numbers show how busy your desk was. "Answered about 120 calls a day" or "booked 60 patients a day" tells a practice manager you can cope with their Monday morning rush. Estimate honestly from a normal day.

Show you can be trusted with information

Receptionists see ID numbers, medical aid details and private client matters every day. A line such as "kept patient records confidential in line with POPIA" reassures doctors and lawyers, who are responsible for protecting that information.

Questions people ask

What does a receptionist at a doctor's practice do differently?

Besides calls and bookings, a medical receptionist opens patient files, checks that the patient's medical aid is active and has benefits left, captures ICD-10 codes or billing details if asked, and takes co-payments. Many practices use software such as GoodX or Healthbridge, so name it if you have used it.

Do I need a qualification to be a receptionist?

Matric is usually enough, together with good spoken English and computer skills. A short course in reception or front office, a computer certificate such as ICDL, or a TVET qualification in Office Administration or Hospitality can help you get shortlisted, especially at corporate offices and hotels.

What is a PABX switchboard?

A PABX is the office phone system that lets one receptionist answer incoming lines and transfer calls to staff extensions. If you have used one, say how many lines it had and that you can transfer, hold, conference and take messages, because new receptionists are often tested on it.

Is a hotel front desk job good experience for an office reception post?

Yes. Hotel front office work shows you can handle many guests at once, take payments, use a booking system and stay polite under pressure. When you apply to an office, describe those skills in office terms, such as managing bookings, handling queries and keeping accurate records.