How to become a Receptionist
Official title: Receptionist (general)
Also called: Appointment clerk, Front desk receptionist, Office receptionist, Front desk receptionist, Office receptionist
Receptionist (general) receives clients or customers coming into establishment, ascertains their wants, and directs them accordingly. He/she obtains caller’s name and arranges for him/her to see the person called upon and directs the caller to his/her destination and records name, time of call, nature of business, and the person called upon. He/she also schedules appointments and maintains appointment calendars. He/she may perform various clerical duties.
Main tasks
- Receiving and welcoming visitors, guests or clients
- Answering inquiries about goods, services, and policies and providing information about their availability, location, price and related issues
- Dealing with telephone requests for information or appointments; and providing advice, information and assistance
- Identifying requirements and entering events into a computer system
- Referring complex enquiries to team leaders or expert advisers
- Recording information about enquiries and complaints
- Issuing relevant forms, information kits and brochures to interested parties
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Hotel & Restaurant Management. You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
- Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Hospitality Operations; Technical Diploma in Hospitality & Hotel Management. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Hotel & Leisure Management (Republic Polytechnic); Diploma in Hospitality & Tourism Management (Temasek Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $32,688 a year. The middle half earn $23,724 to $40,188 a year.
- Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- Medical/Dental receptionist
- Hotel receptionist
- Passenger services agent
- Customer service officer/clerk
- Contact centre information clerk
- Hotel executive
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Receptionist?
Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.
How much does a Receptionist earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $32,688 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $23,724 to $40,188.
Will AI change the work of a Receptionist?
Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026