Receptionist
Business
Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments.
- 2Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
- 3Receive payment and record receipts for services.
- 4Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars.
- 5Analyze data to determine answers to questions from customers or members of the public.
- 6Calculate and quote rates for tours, stocks, insurance policies, or other products or services.
- 7Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
- 8Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public.
- 9File and maintain records.
- 10Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provided.
- 11Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents.
- 12Collect, sort, distribute, or prepare mail, messages, or courier deliveries.
- 13Keep a current record of staff members' whereabouts and availability.
- 14Schedule space or equipment for special programs and prepare lists of participants.
- 15Process and prepare memos, correspondence, travel vouchers, or other documents.
- 16Perform duties, such as taking care of plants or straightening magazines to maintain lobby or reception area.
- 17Enroll individuals to participate in programs and notify them of their acceptance.
- 18Take orders for merchandise or materials and send them to the proper departments to be filled.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- CCR
- Quoter
- Greeter
- ER Clerk
- Registrar
- Scheduler
- Call Taker
- Receptionist
- Utility Clerk
- Info Assistant
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
Typical entry
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Customer and Personal Service84%
- Administrative77%
Business
- English Language75%
English
- Computers and Electronics68%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- Mathematics55%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Public Safety and Security54%
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersNot at all
- Handling conflict situationsOften
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Time spent sittingAlmost all the time
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Enter and update databases of contact information, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work
Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Receptionists and Information Clerks
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org