A front desk receptionist cover letter must include basic contact, subject, recipient, and salutation information, as well as a brief introduction of the candidate and her motivation for writing. As a summary of the receptionist’s resume, the letter should focus on the skills and experience she has, using verbs and accomplishments to describe what happened rather than empty adjectives that subjectively describe the applicant’s abilities. The front desk receptionist cover letter’s final section includes contact information, an interview request, and thanks, as well as a closing phrase, signature, and, if necessary, an enclosures line. All content should demonstrate a link between what the company needs or wants to achieve and what the receptionist can provide, so applicants should do their homework on the company before writing to personalize the letter and avoid formulaic constructions at all costs.
When writing a front desk receptionist cover letter, the most important thing to do is research the company where the position is available. When a company has a pool of equally qualified candidates, they prefer employees who understand the company’s mission and are a good fit for the company’s philosophies and mission. This is especially true for receptionists, who are the company’s first “face” to clients. Find facts about the company that the candidate can relate to his experience and structure the letter around them.
It’s time to start writing the letter once someone has learned something important about the company. Include information such as the applicant’s name and address, the company name and address, the date, and the subject line on one line per data set, left justified. The salutation follows, and it should include the name of the person to whom the letter is addressed — “To Whom It May Concern” should not be used on a front desk receptionist cover letter because it implies that the applicant was not serious enough to research who to contact.
The first paragraph of the front desk reception letter follows the introductory information. The candidate should introduce herself in this paragraph, summarizing why she is writing. It’s also fine to explain how the candidate learned about the receptionist position and what the company stated they were looking for in a candidate.
The receptionist should go into greater detail about her qualifications in the second paragraph, relating each qualification to the company’s requirements. She can, for example, explain that she has x years of experience or a certificate in reception from University Y, using bullet points if necessary. She should focus on skills that are considered essential for receptionist work, such as communication management, organization, and database management. The use of generic adjective phrases like “I am a team player” is one pitfall to avoid. These statements are subjective, do not describe what the receptionist did, and require specific, verifiable evidence to be effective, such as “My collaborative efforts with all staff members resulted in a 12 percent increase in project completion and a nomination for Administrative Staff Worker of the Year Receptionist Organization Z.”
The final paragraph of a front desk receptionist cover letter should inform the recipient that the candidate’s resume or other required documentation is enclosed, and that an interview would be appreciated at the recipient’s convenience, based on the listed experience and qualifications. It should also invite the recipient to contact the applicant and provide contact information for the applicant. The final component is a brief statement thanking the recipient for her time and consideration.
A closing element, such as “Sincerely” or “In appreciation,” is required to finish the letter. The candidate should sign her name after hitting return at least three or four times. The enclosure line should be two lines below this, and should say something like “Enclosures ([number of enclosures])” or “Enclosures: [list of each enclosed item, separated commas].”