Receptionist Cover Letter Example

The role of a receptionist is paramount for any organisation, and writing a receptionist cover letter is often more complex than you might expect.

As a receptionist looking for work, the first thing to consider is your cover letter. The cover letter will need to show that you are a people person with a positive and engaging personality. The cover letter is relatively short, so it can be difficult to get the tone just right to represent who you are and why you are applying for the role. How can you get your strengths and abilities across, in around 300 words?

This guide, together with our receptionist cover letter example, will discuss the following topics:

• How to ensure you select the most appropriate cover letter format, as well as the general paragraphs that should appear on the receptionist cover letter.
• How to make the most of the wording of each cover letter section, your introduction, body text, and conclusion.
• Important aspects to consider when writing your cover letter.
• How to ensure you don’t make any mistakes on the receptionist cover letter that might cost you an interview.

The next sections will guide you through the process of writing your receptionist cover letter. You will learn how to approach it before you even sit down to start typing, and how to ensure it makes an impact. Let’s get started.

Best format for a receptionist cover letter

Although the content of your cover letter is important, you shouldn't overlook the format. The format will ensure your receptionist cover letter is clear, concise, and easy to read. Adhering to a set format and structure will help ensure you cover all of the important points.

When considering the format of the receptionist cover letter, these are the main elements it should contain:

• A strong header that makes an impact
• The salutation of the person you are sending it to — you might find these details in the job application specs
• An introduction to set the scene
• The main body of the cover letter
• A conclusion to sum up the details covered in the receptionist cover letter, together with a call to action

Your receptionist cover letter will need to show an understanding of the main functions of a receptionist and what the expectations will be. You want to make it clear that you recognize what the day-to-day running of a reception desk entails, together with any pressures it may include. You shouldn’t just focus on the aspect of communicating with people, as there is a lot more to it and you will be expected to have a strong grasp of this.

You can find more information on how to write your cover letter in our comprehensive cover letter guide. We will go into more detail on the specifics of a receptionist cover letter, including maximising the impact of each part of the letter.

Below you will find a receptionist cover letter example, which you can use as a good reference and even adapt for your own receptionist application.

Cover letter header

Believe it or not, some candidates completely forget about the cover letter header. This is where you display your contact details, along with your name and position title. So if this information is missing, the hiring company has no means of contacting you. Some recruiters will only look as far as the cover letter, and if it makes enough of an impact, they may decide to contact you straight away.

If you are active on social media and have a good network — especially including reviews/recommendations — you may also want to include a link to these on your cover letter. For instance, if you have recommendations on LinkedIn from previous employment, this can be an attractive prospect for future employers. If they can quickly see that others recommend you as a receptionist, it will be a positive indicator that they should take your application forward to the next stage.

Aim of the cover letter header: Provide basic information on how the hiring company can reach you — telephone, email, address — with the addition of social media platforms if it offers some benefit. Think about what information the company needs to know and what may give you an advantage forward to the next hiring stage.

Cover letter greeting/salutation

Receptionists understand the importance of a positive impactful greeting, more than most. After all, this is one of the significant aspects of their day-to-day job. The cover letter greeting needs to be respectful and designed to suit the respondent.

The cover letter salutation will be more formal than how you would greet someone at the reception desk, or how you would write an email. For instance, you should not just say ‘hi or hello’ on a receptionist cover letter. It is much more professional to address your cover letter to the hiring manager by name, if you have this information, simply as “Dear Mr/Mrs Surname". You should never write “Dear David” or “Hello David”; you should always use the recipient's surname with a formal salutation.

As a general rule, it is always best to try and address the cover letter to an individual by name. When you use the recipient’s name, it helps build an instant rapport. However, you may not always know who the cover letter recipient will be, or be able to find out. In this case, you can address it “Dear Recruitment Team” or “Dear Receptionist Hiring Manager.” 

Main purpose of the greeting/salutation: As a receptionist, you must show your professionalism, and using a formal greeting will help ensure this.

Cover letter introduction

How do you approach a cover letter introduction? Think of it this way: when you speak to someone for the first time and introduce yourself, you are creating a first impression — one that can be difficult to change. A positive introduction between two individuals can help forge a lasting relationship.

Consider this when you are writing your receptionist cover letter. You only have one opportunity to make an introduction, so you really want to grab the attention of the reader and make a positive first impression. The introduction is the soul of the cover letter. It should be a couple of sentences at the most and powerful enough to entice the hiring manager to want to read more.

The hiring manager wants to know what kind of receptionist experience you have, and that you are aware of the challenges this role can present. The main point is that you are a strong communicator, with excellent organisational skills, who will give a positive first impression of the company. If you can capture this in your cover letter introduction, you will be onto a winner.

Main aim of a cover letter introduction: What impression do you want the hiring manager to get when they read the start of your cover letter? How can you ensure they want to read more about you?

Below are the greeting and introduction from our receptionist cover letter, which you can adapt to your professional details

Cover letter middle part (body)

The focus of the middle part, or body, of your cover letter should be the most important career history highlights that are relevant to the job. You can alter this for each job that you are applying for, as there will be different elements to each role. It is up to you what format you use for this — for instance, bullet-point lists for main achievements, and quantifiable if possible. 

This is the place to show who you are and what you can do. Don’t be afraid to be proud of your achievements. You should be confident in your abilities, as this will show in the language you use in the body of your cover letter.

The examples you use should reflect your ability to deal with challenging situations — for instance, demanding visitors looking for information or a busy reception area. What do you do in your role that ensures visitors are happy with how you have attended to them? How do you treat visitors and go above and beyond for them?

We know that receptionists are not paid particularly well, so anyone doing this job really needs to enjoy the role and love dealing with people. You need to be someone who is passionate about helping others and giving them a positive impression. You also need to be highly organised and efficient, with the ability to work well on your own initiative.

Communication is the main aspect of a receptionist role, so this is the main skill you should focus on in the cover letter.

Main aim of the cover letter body: Help the hiring manager to understand what a reception area that you run would look like. How would you ensure that visitors have a positive impression of the organisation through your initial interaction?

Our receptionist cover letter sample illustrates what you might include in the middle part.

How to close a receptionist cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)

The conclusion is the round-up of the cover letter sample, and the chance to leave a final and lasting impression. The hiring manager should be left with reassurance that you are extremely interested in the role, and why it is the right fit for you. 

The reader must understand the qualities you can bring to the role. Put yourself in the position of hiring managers and what assurance they would want to shortlist your job application. What sets you out from the rest, and why would they be crazy to ignore you? The cover letter is a teaser to the CV, and it should be a stepping stone for further discussion at the interview. Make the hiring manager want to learn more about you.

Your cover letter conclusion should reiterate what you believe is important about the role of a receptionist. It also should show that you are keen to hear back from the employer, but doesn’t presume that you will. That's where a call to action comes in, which gives your cover letter readers a sense that you expect some kind of follow-up at their end.

There is a fine line between sounding confident and arrogant, so tread carefully here. For example, it is acceptable to say that you look forward to hearing from them, or that you are available for an interview at any time. But don’t say that you can’t wait for your interview. Although well-intended, this can come across as presumptuous, which might not be too appealing to the hiring manager.

Your concluding paragraph is followed by simply "Sincerely" or "Regards" above your name.

Main purpose of the cover letter conclusion/sign-off: Why do you think you should be interviewed and what final thought can you leave the hiring manager with?

Below is the closing section of our receptionist cover letter, which can be modified to suit.

Writing psychology: showing your work ethic through your receptionist cover letter sample

It may be a good idea to think about your cover letter sample as a short insight into your career and credentials. The receptionist cover letter paves the way to your CV, which will go into much more detail about your skills and experience. The reader should leave your cover letter with a good idea of the type of person you are and what you can potentially bring to the company and the role. 

It is always a good idea to back up your successes by quantifying them. For example, instead of saying you "managed a switchboard". you could say you "managed a switchboard with 200 lines and over 300 calls per day". As you can see, this gives the hiring manager a much clearer image of what you can do and achieve. 

Your receptionist cover letter should achieve the following to help you progress to the next stage:

• Show how you would treat visitors and ensure they have a positive experience with their first point of contact.
• Give the reader peace of mind that you understand how a reception operates and you can deal with the challenges that may arise.
• How you approach your day-to-day work and your work ethic.

The day-to-day role of a receptionist can vary from being hectic to having quiet spells. Make sure you give the hiring manager reassurance that you can deal with both, and organise your time well. The role of a receptionist can often include dealing with difficult customers, and the hiring manager will want to be sure that you have the disposition to be able to deal with this.

Common mistakes on a receptionist cover letter, and how to avoid them

As a receptionist, there is the expectation that you will be able to communicate well, verbally and also in written format. Therefore, your cover letter should be well presented and free from any errors, as this will reflect your abilities. Some common mistakes to avoid:

1. Spelling and grammar – proofread your cover letter and run it through grammar and spell check. Any errors, no matter how minor, will reflect negatively on your ability to communicate effectively in the written format – something that is important in a receptionist role.
    
2. Keep to the point – hiring managers don’t want to spend long reading applications, after all, they usually have a number to get through. Cover the bases but stick to the point, short and sweet is the way to go with your receptionist cover letter.

Key takeaways for a receptionist cover letter

1. The reader should know what visitors can expect from you when they arrive at the reception.
    
2. You should show that you can deal with a range of visitors and any challenges that may arise.
    
3. Use examples to support any claims you make about your expertise.
    
4. Leave the reader curious to find out more, i.e. to take a look at your CV.
    
5. Use our cover letter samples to get an idea of how to approach this.

At Resume.io, we aim to make your cover letter as simple as possible. We have ready-made cover letter templates waiting for you to start compiling your own version. We hope that this guide has given you some ideas on how to go forward with creating your receptionist cover letter.