Regardless of whether you apply for a receptionist job in some small local place, big hotel chain, or in a corporation, you will always have to introduce yourself. Either on a job application, or in the interviews. But what should you say? Should you focus on your working experience, and what if you lack it? What matters for the hiring managers, and should you share some details from your personal life with them? We will try to find the answers on the following lines.
Let me start with a simple yet effective advice: While introducing yourself during your job search, you should always focus on your strengths. It means things that make from you a good candidate for the job, at least in your eyes. In some cases it can be your relevant working experience. In other cases (when you lack experience) your excellent communication and interpersonal skills. And if you are young and haven’t done anything yet, you can put emphasis on your motivation to learn and work hard, to eventually become an excellent receptionist. As you can see, your strengths depend on your particular situation. So think about it for a while, and decide what you will focus on.
Besides your strengths, you should share with them something from your daily life. Perhaps a hobby you have, things you dedicate yourself to in your free time. We should not forget that best receptionists are always smiling, good listeners, and enjoy talking to all kinds of people, and such a person shouldn’t struggle talking about their life outside of work, while interviewing for a job. Last but not least, remember that your non-verbal communication matters. Let’s have a look at some great sample answers.
7 sample answers to “Tell me about yourself” question for Receptionist job applicants
- My name is Camila, I am 26 years old, and people are my greatest passion. I enjoy meeting new interesting people, having interactions, learning from others. And I love the hotel environment, and feel that job of a receptionist would be a great match for my outgoing personality. I have just finished working in a retail store, and while I enjoyed the experience and learned new things, I came to a conclusion that working in a fast-paced store isn’t really my cup of coffee. Here I am, applying for a job with you…
- I prefer my results do the talking, but since I have little working experience I will at least try to outline who I am. You know this type of employee who is super responsible, never comes late for a shift, their colleagues can rely on them, and it is a pleasure having them around? Well, that’s me, or at least what I aspire to do, with my attitude to work and people I interact with. And I hope you will give me a chance to prove my words in this nice little place. In my free time I enjoy swimming and doing yoga, or read a good book when the weather outside is bad.
- I can tell you many things about myself, but I prefer to stay humble and let you make your own judgement as we talk in the interviews. Sure, I’ve done this and that job (as you can see on my resume), and I believe to have excellent social skills and emotional intelligence, something a receptionist here would no doubt benefit from. But everyone can claim to have such skills, don’t they? That’s why I prefer to answer your questions, and let you decide whether or not I have what it takes to become a great receptionist.
- I am probably the most experienced receptionist you will interview for this job. Have worked in the field for two decades, mostly in holiday resorts, but I also have a short span working as a corporate receptionist. Any problem with a guest you can imagine, no doubt I’ve already faced it in my job, and more often than not solved it successfully. And while I know experience isn’t as important in this field as it is in some others, I believe that looking at the references from my previous employers, you will see it makes a lot of sense to hire me, to give me the chance here.
- Let me introduce myself in five words: Motivated, positive, responsible, adaptable, and flexible. That’s how I see myself, and though I haven’t had a chance to prove the words in a job yet (this is my first ever job application), I have faced some challenges in life already, and faced them with my head high and my arms open. And one more thing I would like to say about me: I really love boutique hotels. Always when I have a chance I try to stay in one, and it would be the greatest pleasure to work in one as a receptionist.
- Well, let me start with saying that I would really love to get this job. I am still studying at the university, and working here on weekends and on some days when I do not have lectures is a perfect setup, one which would allow me to handle both school and work, and earn a much-needed income. I also want to say that I am a hard worker, can work independently, but at the same time I enjoy company, and interaction with fellow human beings. And while I have never worked somewhere before, I believe my grades at school reflect my attitude to anything I do in life: to always give it my 100%, to try my best every day. That would be a short introduction, but feel free to ask about anything that may interest you.
- My name is Ellen and I am undergoing a career transition right now. As you can see on my resume, I’ve worked as a chief editor of one of the biggest lifestyle magazines in the country. And you may (logically) wonder, why I want to change this six-figure job for a job of a receptionist in a small hotel. The answer is simple: complete burnout, and a strong urge to simplify my life. I had to quit. The 70+ working weeks, daily meetings and pressure, and the critics, it was just too much for me. Plus I really started to hate the celebrity scene, because almost everything is fake there… Hence I decided to change my career, and, considering what I am good at and what I want to avoid, job of a receptionist in a small hotel looks like a perfect choice to me…
Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Do not forget to check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions for receptionists:
- Why do you want to become a receptionist?
- Why should we hire you as a receptionist (and not one of the other candidates for the job)?
