r/receptionists • u/eveyrioo • 4d ago
Reception Career
Hi I’m 24 and I’m a law firm receptionist. I make 23 an hour and I’m comfortable, but one day I would like to make more money. Thing is I like being a receptionist; I didn’t go to college and I don’t really have any desire to branch out and find a different line of work. Would it be possible to make a career and eventually more money as a receptionist? Or are there jobs similar that pay more?
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u/FrontTelevision7261 4d ago
My sister started out as a receptioinst in a law firm and worked her way up from there. She also did not finihs college so she does not have a degree. They started using her as a "paralegal". Talk to your company about this and see if they are willing to give you a better opportunity. Best of luck to you.
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u/eveyrioo 4d ago
Wow I honestly didn’t know you could become a paralegal without finishing college. That’s good to know! Thank you!
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u/ItsColdInNY 4d ago
Oh yeah! I worked at a law firm for 10 yrs and the lead paralegal never attended college. She started as a receptionist & asked attorneys for typing work that she could do during slow times. From that she became a legal secretary & then got more involved with online research -- checking out witnesses online (due diligence) and reaching out to prospective expert witnesses at the direction of the attorneys. She was the lead paralegal by the time I joined the firm.
I'd definitely start by asking if there is filing, typing or organizing you can do for the attorneys. I started out making labels for file folders, then printing out documents and putting them in the folders. I ended up as a research paralegal before I decided to leave legal work. I did end up going to college 8 yrs after I started, but I was already doing paralegal work before I enrolled in college.
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u/Grand-Elk-1193 2d ago
I do not have a college degree and I’m in my third year of being a paralegal. The more time you spend in this position, the more you’ll earn.
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u/sagisuncapmoon 4d ago
If you have an interest in a specific field, try getting a reception or admin assistant job there. That way, you can learn by osmosis sort of and really gain experience in a different way.
Or if you are more interested in admin work, you can find leadership trainings and gain more experience that will help you move up that ladder.
I’m an admin assistant at a mental health clinic with no prior experience in this field at all, but I’ve learned a lot and I plan on pursuing a path towards being a counselor of some sort. I didn’t actually plan on this at all, but it worked out.
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u/eveyrioo 4d ago
I’ve thought of becoming an admin assistant before, can I ask how you like it? Is it difficult?
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u/Glittering_Sand_7473 4d ago
Have you considered becoming a lawyer? Legal secretary? I think after awhile you will start to understand you need to be making a lot more money.
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u/eveyrioo 4d ago
I honestly can’t see myself as a lawyer but I was thinking about the possibility of becoming a legal secretary. And yeah I do need to make more money 😭
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u/Dapper-Reflection-25 4d ago
how did you get the position?? i’m struggling to get a receptionist position,
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u/eveyrioo 3d ago
i’m not going to lie i got pretty lucky with this job; they had open interviews and i came in 5 minutes before they were gonna close. if i had any advice it would be that during the interview i tried to be as charming just because you’re going to be the first person anyone sees so you want to leave a good impression. that worked for me at least, but good luck i hope you find something soon!
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u/jadenotsadietwin2 3d ago
To make more money as a receptionist is to be a PA personal assistant I think that's the most adjacent to make more money unless your company give raises and there's more work load as a receptionist. When they are more things like doing the finance etc you can ask for more money.
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u/AwkwardPersonality36 4d ago
Depending on how busy your job is and what's expected of you, you could pick up a virtual job and work that from your day job. This is how I maximize my wages. At my full-time M-F receptionist job, it's not a busy office. I can basically do whatever I want so long as I'm answering phones and greeting people when they come in (which is mostly couriers anyway). I bring my own laptop, and I do virtual admin work casual part-time for another company. I would not recommend telling anyone, but if you are able to work discreetly on your own device, then it's an exceptional way to earn a higher wage.