Meet Ellis, 25, from South Yorkshire. She is a hospital receptionist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
One of the best parts of the job is seeing someone who is very ill one week, and then they return the following week looking much better.
My name's Ellis and I'm a receptionist in the Cancer Centre department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
Ellis:
(to patient) It's just down that corridor there to the next reception. They'll book you in, okay?
Patient:
Thank you very much.
Ellis:
No worries.
In my job as a receptionist, I welcome patients and visitors into the building and make sure they've got everything that they need and answer any questions they might have. I also do jobs for the consultants like scanning documents and helping out all of the healthcare assistants, by printing off paperwork. I work as part of a team to help the smooth running of our clinics.
Colleague:
Hi Ellis, are you alright?
Ellis:
Hi, are you alright? Yeah, I've just got your next patient.
Colleague:
Oh, great. Okay.
Ellis:
See you in ten?
Colleague:
Yeah, see you in ten. Alright then love. See you later, bye.
Ellis:
Being a receptionist, you get to know your patients very well. One of the best parts of the job is seeing someone who's very ill one week and then see them coming back the next week and they look much better. What I don't love about my job is the opposite, seeing someone deteriorate very quickly is very difficult.
I graduated from university with a Contemporary Theatre degree and from then I went on to a job in customer service, but I didn't really feel like that was the right role for me. So I went into NHS Blood and Transplant, where I started taking blood donations, but I didn't really feel like that was the way that I wanted to go with my career either. So, I decided that I wanted to get more of an administrative role, and that's why I applied for the receptionist job.
The recruitment was fairly simple. I had an interview that was virtual, they said that I had to do some training before I actually got the job, then they were like "yeah, you've got the job. That's fine." I think my customer service skills were the most important for this job. I feel like I work very well in a team, I'm very professional, I work very well under stress.
There's over four hundred patients that come into our clinic every day and without customer service skills, their experience isn't as good as it should be.
(on the phone) Main reception Cancer Centre. Ellis speaking. How can I help?
I wish that I'd known that getting good grades in your exams is not equivalent to you being clever, and a lot of people show their cleverness in different ways.
I show my cleverness via coursework and essays, so I like to research and think about things before I form an opinion, and knowing that just because you don't get a good grade doesn't mean that you're not clever. It means you need a different way to show your cleverness.
My top tip for students is to try and aim for something that you are proud to say that you are able to do. To say "I am proud to say that I'm a receptionist here at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital" and it's also important for you to know that your preferences can change through life. I thought that the customer service job was perfect for me at that time. I thought the NHS Blood Transplant job was perfect for me at that time, but my preferences changed, and that's because your life changes as you go on and that's okay.
Just make sure that you're proud to say that that's what you want to do for your job.
- Ellis' role involves welcoming patients into the hospital, booking them in for clinical appointments with consultants, ensuring they have everything they need and answering any questions they might have
- Some of the skills she uses in her job include customer service skills, functional skills, and written and spoken English
- She studied Maths, History, Biology and Drama at A-level and completed her degree in Performing Arts
- After graduating, she worked in customer service but was furloughed during the Covid-19 pandemic
- This gave her the opportunity to look for careers in healthcare. She initially worked in her local blood donation centre, and then applied and was successful in getting her current role.
Top tips
- Try and aim to do something that will make you proud
- You should embrace any opportunities. If your preferences change and you work in a number of different jobs or departments, make the most of it.
What to expect if you want to be a receptionist
- Receptionist average salary: £15,000 to £22,000 per year
- Receptionist typical working hours: 38 to 40 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a receptionist?
Some receptionist roles may not require formal qualifications, so you could be able to apply directly or work your way towards the role in another job. However, there are qualifications that could help you, such as college courses or an apprenticeship. There are relevant Level 1 and Level 2 college courses available, as well as a Level 3 T-level in Management and Administration (England-only).
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service,
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the for more on T-levels.
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Careers in healthcare. collection
A collection of stories from people working across the healthcare sector.
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