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How Do I Become a Front Desk Supervisor?

Whitney Leigh White
Whitney Leigh White

Becoming a front desk supervisor is an excellent career choice for people with strong leadership skills. Many tasks are performed by a company’s front desk personnel and the supervisor is in charge of making sure that all of the tasks are completed in an effective manner. Since front desk personnel work within so many industries, the process to become a front desk supervisor does vary. Most employers will require you to have a high school education, front desk experience, as well as possess certain skills in order to become a front desk supervisor. Some employers may even have post-secondary education preferences or mandate that certain types of training are completed.

Most employers will require you to hold a high school education or its equivalent in order to become a front desk supervisor, but this is not always the case. Some employers do not have any educational requirements, while others will prefer for you to complete college level courses. If you do take college level courses, be sure that you take classes relevant to the industry within which you will be working. For example, when supervising a front desk for a construction company, you will need to learn construction terminology.

A hotel front desk supervisor may oversee guest check-ins.
A hotel front desk supervisor may oversee guest check-ins.

The best way to gain experience as a front desk supervisor is to work beneath one. Many companies will require you to work under their current front desk supervisor for a period of time before you can take over the position. During this time, you may or may not be paid. If you are in college, you may find it beneficial to obtain an internship with a front desk supervisor during the summer. This will allow you to gain plenty of experience before you graduate and to build your resume.

A front desk supervisor at a hotel may assign rooms and handle guest questions and complaints.
A front desk supervisor at a hotel may assign rooms and handle guest questions and complaints.

Many times, an employer may have its own training program through which it sends a front desk supervisor. When this is the case, the training program usually consists of educating the person on areas in relation to marketing, accounting, and industry-relevant subjects. Training programs are very beneficial to employers because it enables them to train you exactly as desired.

No matter what industry you choose to become a front desk supervisor within, it is imperative that you possess certain skills. You must be able to effectively manage a front desk area in an efficient manner, as part of your job is to help to increase profit levels by maintaining the front-house portion of the business. Being computer literate and having superb customer service and relation skills will aid you in completing the required daily tasks. A front desk supervisor should also be able to effectively delegate authority and responsibilities to front desk personnel.

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    • A hotel front desk supervisor may oversee guest check-ins.
      By: David Gilder
      A hotel front desk supervisor may oversee guest check-ins.
    • A front desk supervisor at a hotel may assign rooms and handle guest questions and complaints.
      By: mertcan
      A front desk supervisor at a hotel may assign rooms and handle guest questions and complaints.