How to Get a Job as a Front Desk Clerk in A Residence Hall

As a front desk clerk in a residence hall, you will be required to greet everyone who enters to provide both residence security and customer service. You usually work on a university campus in a particular residence. If you are part of a team of clerks, you may work in all residence halls from time to time or be assigned to just one so that you get to know those staying in the residence and can easily identify visitors. When school is in session, the front desk must have someone working there twenty-four hours a day, which means you will have to do shift work. It is essential to be able to respond quickly in emergency situations in such a job.

You will receive training on the job for this position, but you will have to be familiar with the university or college policies with respect to residence halls. One of the requirements for a front desk clerk in a residence hall is that you are a student of the university or college with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher. This is really a part time job in the administrative field that will help you earn extra money that you need as a student. It will also give you some work experience to put on your resume when you look for a job after graduation.

In the position of front desk clerk in a residence hall you will have to be available a few days before the start of each semester when students start arriving and remain a few days after the semester ends until all the students have left. You will have to attend meetings of the front desk clerks and attend all training sessions. Before the start of the semester you have to submit your class schedule to the Director of Student Housing so that your work schedule will be developed around your class schedule and still leave you time for study. You should be available to cover for others when they are ill or have to put in extra study time. While you are on duty, you can still have your books with you and work on your studies.



The duties you have to perform, as a front desk clerk in a residence hall is to sort the mail for the resident students, take telephone messages or reroute calls to the appropriate individuals and coordinate initial responses to emergencies. As building security, your job is to ensure that everyone who enters the residence either has the proper student identification that they stay here or have visitor identification. Most residence halls require students to sign in and out so that if they have visitors or telephone calls, you will know where they are.

You will also have to do regular maintenance checks to make sure the doors and windows are locked. You should report any irregularities to the main office. You will need to have excellent interpersonal skills to interact with all the students and administrators as well as the visitors that you encounter in this work. You will be responsible for reporting to the senior staff on duty if an emergency should develop.