The job of the hotel front desk clerk often requires maintaining a flexible schedule that involves working regularly on the weekends and in the evenings. The job also frequently requires working partial shifts or even taking on part-time employment.
A hotel front desk clerk is the public face of a hotel, and must deal one on one with most of the guests that come and go. Therefore, the hotel clerk needs to be friendly and have good communication skills. The job can also require several other skills, such as the ability to carefully and correctly complete paperwork, take care of accounts, complete various housekeeping duties, and occasionally help with food preparation. The main requirement, however, is that a hotel front desk clerk must have good people skills and appear professional at all times.
Hotel front desk clerks are valued most for their appearance and ability to interact with the public rather than for their level of education. Most people in careers as hotel front desk clerks receive their training while working, and are usually trained by an established hotel front desk clerk or manager.
The main advantage of obtaining a higher level of education is that having a college degree or formal training in hospitality management will make it possible to enjoy more promotional prospects. Obtaining an education in the field can also increase the chances of finding a job as a hotel front desk clerk in one of the more upscale hotel chains. Large hotel and motel chains are the most likely to have advancement opportunities for clerks, and they are also the most likely to offer management training programs.
Becoming a Hotel Front Desk Clerk
Many colleges offer programs in hotel management and hospitality. It is also possible to participate in the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s Educational Institute home-study or group-study courses in lodging management in order to become qualified for a job in the field.
There are many qualities that someone seeking a career as a hotel front desk clerk should possess. The main qualities they should have include the ability to interact with the public and good telephone conversational skills. They also need to have good face-to-face interaction with clients and the ability to field multiple requests from customers if needed. The job can be high stress at times, though this depends on the hotel and the time of the shift.
Clear pronunciation and vocal clarity are often highly regarded in this job as well. English tends to be the main language for this job, though knowing another language can be very beneficial when dealing with customers who are not native English speakers. Most hotel front desk clerks work forty hour work weeks, though one in five clerks work on a part-time basis. A variable schedule is common, however, even for those who work forty hour weeks. The job can be very pleasant for those who enjoy interacting with people, but it can also be a very high stress position.
