What Are the Different Types of School Receptionist Jobs?

In practice, most school receptionist jobs are made up of a collection of similar tasks and daily job duties. Some receptionists might work most often at the front desk of a school, while others might provide more behind-the-scenes administrative support. In general, however, most school receptionist jobs involve answering the phone and assisting callers, as well as providing assistance to everyone in the school including the students and the staff. Most medium to large schools will have multiple receptionists and administrative professionals working at once; some work year-round, but most will only work during the school year, as there is less of a need during summer break.

School receptionist jobs typically involve manning the front desk of a school. As a result, the daily tasks will involve answering the phone when people call in to the school, as well as assisting people who walk in, whether they are students, parents, or other visitors. In the morning, the school receptionist might primarily be responsible for collecting attendance records and answering the phone from parents who are calling to say their children won't be in school that day, and then preparing the attendance report. The next few hours of the day will likely be a little less busy, but the receptionists still must be available to provide assistance and answer questions as needed throughout the day.

The school receptionist may also provide assistance to other administrators in the school, such as the principal and vice principal as well as anyone else working in the office. Though these people will sometimes have individual administrative assistants, in smaller schools the receptionist might simply provide this assistance for everyone. This might involve scheduling meetings, preparing reports, and maintaining the overall office environment. These school receptionist jobs are somewhat less common, since most schools will have a variety of staff to perform these tasks, but they do exist, especially in smaller communities.

Many school receptionist jobs will only exist during the months of the year that the school is open, though some schools will keep one or two receptionists on staff during the summer. These people will again provide administrative support and help get ready for the new school year. Otherwise, the hours for school receptionists are typically the same ones that the students are in school. A person who succeeds as a school receptionists will likely be eligible for raises and/or promotions, particularly if administrators are hiring someone to be an executive administrative assistant.