THIS Job looks GREAT on a Resume!

 Yes, this job does look good on a resume - AND what you learn working in an Answering Service or Call Center will be valuable in every future job you ever have.  We’d venture to say that no other job gives an employee as much or as varied customer service experience as this one does. 

Think about the number of companies you answer phones for, and in doing so, you gain a bit of understanding about how each business and industry works.  That knowledge gets stored in your subconscious, and you never know when it is going to come in handy.  As we learn about how our customers conduct business, we learn to consider things that might not ever occur to us if we were not answering their phones.  We look at commerce from a different perspective.

Whenever we answer a call, we become an employee of the company we are answering for.  We’re their representative and we often give the first impression of that company to the person who’s on the line; it’s important to make that impression a positive one.  Every single employer, everywhere, wants their employees to present a positive first impression for their clients.

 In our businesses, we learn how to work with all kinds of callers.  We control disorganized callers and help them get their message across.  We placate unhappy callers, calm panicked callers, and disarm angry callers.  And along the way, we learn sympathy, empathy and self-control.

We also learn self-discipline; our clients rely on their calls being answered at all times.  Call center/answering service managers know exactly how many agents are needed on-line, and they MUST be there!  Punctuality and dependability are requirements for this job, and they are sought after attributes that are appreciated by anyone who hires or manages people.  It doesn’t matter how good you are, if you are not there, YOU ARE NOT AN ASSET TO THE COMPANY.  If you are absent – you are a detriment – because everyone else will be working shorthanded.   If you have worked for a year or more in a call center or answering service, you have learned to be there when you are scheduled.  You have also learned to be polite, respectful and considerate, even when you are being pushed to the limit.  You are sensitive, kind and just plain nice.  Every employer is looking for candidates with these characteristics.

But these are qualities that don’t just make you perfect for a job; they make you the right person to be a role model, a mate, a parent, or a friend.  These are the attributes you need to be a leader or even a business owner yourself.  Any job in this industry makes a great customer service training ground, and that makes you a better candidate for just about any job, anywhere.