Dental Receptionist CV example

A good Dental Receptionist CV does more than list your duties – it shows that you’re the friendly and capable professional every practice needs at the front desk. 

From greeting patients and managing bookings to handling payments and ensuring compliance, you’re the first impression and often the person who keeps the day running. This guide walks you through writing a CV which proves that.

Messy CVs are like overbooked calendars – nobody wants to deal with them. Being a receptionist means thinking clearly and staying organised, so your CV structure should show you understand that. When a hiring manager glances at your application, they should be able to pick out your qualifications, skills, and experience within seconds.

Here’s the layout to follow:

• Name and contact details – Place your name and personal details prominently at the top of your CV for quick access. Adding a photo is up to you.
• Profile – Open with a compelling overview of your skills, experience, and career goals.
• Core skills – List your key abilities in this section, focusing on those that will be most relevant to the job.
• Work experience – Provide a detailed breakdown of your work history, starting with the most recent job first.
• Education – List your qualifications, including degrees and relevant certifications, in reverse chronological order.
• Additional info – Use this optional space for relevant hobbies or personal pursuits that enhance your application.
  

Navigating through your CV’s format shouldn’t be like pulling teeth. Keep your CV clean and simple: use bullet points to break down dense text, bold headings to divide sections, and a clear, professional font to keep it legible. Avoid clutter – a crowded CV is just as off-putting as a chaotic waiting room. And make sure it stays under two pages in length – long enough to show your strengths, short enough to respect the reader’s time.

Your professional profile is the welcome message of your CV – it should reflect your customer-facing confidence and organisational know-how, all in a short paragraph. Use it to summarise your experience, outline the kind of dental environments you’ve worked in, and express the benefit you bring to a team.

You need to convince recruiters that you can do the job, and keep patients feeling at ease while you‘re doing it: your CV profile should accomplish that in just a few lines.

Include the following:

• Where you worked – Briefly mention the types of practices or clinics you’ve supported – private, NHS, specialist, or high-volume dental centres.
• Your top qualifications – If you’ve taken dental reception or administration courses, mention them here.
• Essential skills – Highlight your strengths in patient care, appointment scheduling, admin systems, and front desk management.
• Software knowledge – Note any experience with dental practice software or booking systems.
• Value delivered – Emphasise how your presence helps practices run smoothly, improve patient experience, or support clinical staff.
  

This section offers a quick glance at your most relevant strengths – think of it as a receptionist’s cheat sheet for the recruiter. Focus on practical, role-specific skills that are directly relevant to the dental environment.

That includes things like diary management, handling patient records, operating dental software, processing payments, and maintaining compliance logs. No need for filler – stick to skills that show you can run the desk, not just sit at it., so avoid vague descriptors – recruiters are looking for clear, job-ready capabilities they can match to their clinic’s needs.

Your work experience section should give a clear picture of the types of practices you’ve worked in, the duties you’ve carried out, and the pace or complexity of the environment. Whether you’re managing a busy phone line or calmly dealing with a delayed appointment and a full waiting room, this is where you show what you’ve handled – and how.

List your roles in reverse order, starting with your most recent. For each job, begin with a short summary describing the workplace and your overall responsibilities. Then use bullet points to list your specific duties and achievements. Focus on how you kept things running smoothly, maintained records accurately, and contributed to positive patient experiences.

• Outline – Briefly describe the dental practice and your role in it. Mention the volume of patients, size of the team, or type of services offered.
• Responsibilities – Use action words like “managed” and “coordinated.” For example: “managed daily appointment schedules using EXACT software” or “coordinated between dentists, hygienists, and patients to ensure smooth clinic flow.”
• Achievements – Highlight how you improved service delivery – such as streamlining appointment booking, increasing patient satisfaction, or helping maintain compliance records.

While formal education isn’t always the deciding factor in this role, your CV should still include your academic background – especially if you’ve taken any admin or dental reception training. Start with your most recent qualification and work backward.

Include any professional development courses, particularly those related to medical or dental admin.