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School and Career Surprises: Tips From People on the Job

Career: "I was surprised by the amount of people I would come across in my job. Though it is not directly affiliated with my degree, I am quite pleased with the interactions I experience at my job."

Career: "I was surprised by the amount of calmness and ability to handle these stressful calls that come into the call center. Not only do you have to possess the ability to do a million things at once but you must have the strength of character to calm down whomever it is you are speaking to get the relevant information to send them help. You see law enforcement, fire dept and ems getting accolades for the work they do, but what you don't see is that person on the phone who is actually the first person on scene. All in all becoming a communications officer has taught me I do have the strength and character to handle what comes my way."

Career: "I was surprised how well-paid you can be in this profession. You need to deal with stress efficiently, however."

Career: "I was surprised that being a customer service clerk involved as much math as it did. It was sometimes difficult to figure out the correct totals and percentages off."

Career: "Working at a hotel, you have to be trustworthy being there at night alone. But It's a great job to have when you have online classes to take. Also, once you receive your degree, you may get to go to dayshift and make some big decisions."

Best & Worst Things About This Career

"The best part of my career is that I get to work in the arts. The work I do, in the box office, helps the actors and singers and musicians focus on their art and add to the world's store of beauty. The worst part of my job, like any customer service job, is dealing with cranky patrons. There are only so many polite ways to say, "No, I'm afraid that your discount to the opera does not apply to the Symphony...""

"The best part of my job is that my company is located in Delaware so I work with little to no supervision. I am trusted to get the job done. The worst part is that my company is located in Delaware and the place where I work is a client's, so I don't have any co-workers and rarely feel a part of a team. It is a double-edged sword because I like the autonomy but at the same time can often feel isolated."

"The best part of the job is getting to interact with other people all day, every day. I talk to project managers, engineers and sometimes the Chief Information Officer or Chief Financial Officer on the customer's end and within my own company. It is a cross-functional job which gives me a little insight into other lines of work and a better understanding of how my company operates. Even though this is a collections job, I am representing my company and I need to be professional and courteous at all times. We want our money but we also want repeat business. The hardest part of the job is predicting accurately when we will receive payment so that I can meet my quarterly goals and the rest of the company can meet its goals as well. Once you get to know the customers, it gets easier."

"The most difficult thing about my work is dealing with particularly angry customers. Often, they have very good reason to be angry and vent at the only representative of the company they have. It is occasionally difficult to keep from becoming angry. This, however, is a very important part of the job. The best thing about this work is that the company provides outstanding support in terms of the tools it takes to do the job. Not only do I have the tools needed when taking supervisor calls, but each individual customer service representative is empowered to correct issues and compensate customers as appropriate."

"The best part of my career is helping people to understand their services and fix their equipment. The worst part of my career is being somewhat limited in how much I am permitted to help folks due to time limitations and support boundaries. While I understand the need for these limitations from my employer's point of view, it can be frustrating to know that I might be able to better help someone if these limitations did not exist."

"The best part of my job is the customer satisfaction. Many times customers will call back to ask for a supervisor so they can praise the job I did. Not only does this make me feel good but I also get a certificate and reward in the form of either a Dunkin' Donuts gift cards or movie tickets. I usually get at least two of these praise calls a month. One time, in fact, I got six in one day. It makes you feel good to know you did something to help someone else. I love the job I have and hope to be here for a long time. The worst part of the job is when a member calls and is angry from the time you answer and no matter what you do or offer to do he is not going to be happy. I can honestly say in the six years I have been with this company I have had only one of those callers. They are the ones who want a supervisor immediately and nothing I can offer will change their mind. Most times I might get an irate member I have the ability to defuse the problem and satisfy him without a supervisors help."

"The best part of my career involves the hours in which I work. I prefer getting to the office early in the morning, working set hours during the day, and getting home a reasonable hour. There is a sense of stability in knowing that your schedule does not fluctuate all that often. I also enjoy being able to help the customers with their issues. The process of changing a possibly confused and annoyed customer to one that is fully satisfied is a truly gratifying experience."

"The best part of my career is that my coworkers are amazing. I have a group of people around me who are extremely intelligent and very funny. A lot of the time we will sit and chit chat when things are slow. The people in my group genuinely care about each other and we honestly want to see each other do well. The worst part of my job is that compared to other spaces in our company, I really think that we are not as customer-centric as the other spaces. I really wish that we would be able to answer more technical questions on the spot instead of having to direct to the forums, and I really wish that sometimes we would be allowed to refund on the spot for small amounts. I think that overall it would be a better customer experience if we were able to do these things."

"The best part of my career is the pay and the benefits that come with it. The worst part is the stress involved. The pay and vacation time definitely help combat this stress, but it's still very nerve-racking and fast paced. There are quota stat numbers to keep up with and that can be anxiety-inducing. Often, there will be free lunch, raffles, or a snack cart that comes around to help lift morale. I sometimes dislike when we have a high call volume and I have to be on the phones my entire shift (I prefer to switch it up)."

"The best parts of the career are the constant change and fast-paced environment. No two days are alike and you get the opportunity to talk to many different types of people each day. You are constantly answer phones or helping customers, so the pace is very fast. It makes the day go by extremely fast and keeps you on your toes. In addition, you tend to learn something new everyday, which is really great. The worst part of the career is the possibility of coming into contact with unhappy customers. You must maintain professionalism even when a customer is using vulgar or demeaning words toward you."

"The best part of my job is being able to help the family of an Employee who's died. The satisfaction of being able to contact a family member and let him know that there is a Life Insurance pay out under the policy is very satisfying. The worst part of my job is dealing every day with sad situations and trying to comfort family members while having to decline the coverage as the employee was not considered eligible under the policy."

"The best part of the job is when you know you have helped someone or made someone's day a bit brighter. Helping out in an emergency is always very fulfilling as well. The worst part is when upset and frustrated callers decide to take those frustrations out on you, even when they know you don't actually work for the company. Being yelled at for something you have no control over and then having to apologize anyway can be very disheartening."

Tips for Succeeding in This Career

"Learn to smile, even when you want to strangle someone! Being able to smile, even when dealing with difficult people, will help not just in customer service, but in many areas of your life. When you are in a call center, the mute button is your friend. Use it, but make sure it IS engaged, before you vent. Put in some extra time to learn all the little tips and tricks you can about any specialized software you use. Little known keyboard shortcuts could save you ten minutes over the course of a busy day."

"I am not currently in the career that I want to be in, and I don't think many people start out aspiring to get into medical billing. So the advice I'd have to offer to people still in school is to become an elementary school teacher. Take courses in education and, if possible, work as a substitute teacher. That's what I do when I have time. It allowed me, at first, to see if I actually enjoy teaching... <I>before</I> I fully committed to it as a career, and also to try teaching the different grades, to see which ones I preferred. I was surprised because while I thought I would prefer the higher grades, the opposite was true. I loved working with kindergarten!"

"This job requires someone who can be patient and does not get upset easily. A pleasant voice and an even tone help you build a sturdy relationship with the customer. And good working relationships are essential. As you build a working relationship if/when there is problem with an invoice, the Accounts Payable person will be willing to work with you and help you resolve any issues that may come up. Never use harsh or threatening words or tones in your voice and always be professional. If you don't, upper management will hear about it from the customer. Also, you need to ask questions as to why something is not being paid and be willing to ask for the approver's contact information so you can work directly with them to resolve their complaints. It is essential to research the concerns that the customer's voiced and get back to him quickly. Sometimes it is necessary to talk to the customer's Chief Finance Officer (CFO) or you need to request help from your own Chief Finance Officer."

"The key to success in this field is knowledge. There is always something new to learn as things change constantly. It is critical that you remain flexible in terms of process and procedures. In addition to technical knowledge, management courses will help you to get ahead. Leadership is critical in a rapidly changing environment. Courses in leadership, supervision and counseling would be particularly valuable. This type of work deals with the public, and therefore I recommend any form of training that would allow a prospective employee in the field to remain an objective outlook. To do this work and remain happy requires the ability to separate business from the personal."

"This job often requires a great deal of patience, and sometimes you will be subjected to verbal abuse. Callers may be angry by the time they reach you, or they may be extremely technologically inept. You must be able to maintain a professional, calm demeanor regardless of the caller's attitude or ability to work with you. Learn as much as you can about the basics of telephone, Internet, and television equipment and services before applying; training is provided, but can't possibly cover all of the aspects of technology that you will address in this position. If you haven't already, take a keyboarding class. Although the typing speed required is fairly low, you will be much more efficient and less stressed if you don't have to "hunt and peck" when you're completing the trouble tickets that are required."

"Value your schooling while you can. You'll hear (and may even say one day), "I wished I'd taken school more seriously," "I wish I'd paid more attention," "I wish I'd gone to college" or "I wish I could do it over." You can't and I can't, but I consider myself extremely lucky to be employed. My career in the financial industry lasted 12 years and I could have pursued other jobs in that area but at the time jobs were few and far between, and I love customer service, so when I was offered this opportunity I took it and am so thankful I did."

"1. Work on your written and vocal communication skills. This extra work can only help your chances to succeed. 2. Be open to suggestions from your peers regarding types of customers. Those that have been around for a while tend to get a feel for the types of people calling in and the troubles they seem to have. 3. Take the constructive criticism given to you by your superiors as helpful advice instead of "deconstructive" opinions."

"First, you have to remember that when a customer is mad, although they may be rude and upset, it is not because of you. Sometimes it is hard sit and really listen to a customer yell and swear about a problem that they are having, but sometimes all they really want is for someone to acknowledge their problem and take ownership of it. The best customer service reps are the ones that remember that they too are customers at times, and they too get mad at times. The second most important thing to remember is to treat your customers like your friends. You wouldn't be rude and snippy to your friends (hopefully), so you shouldn't be that way to your customers. They are your job security and you should know first hand how they feel."

"I would take advantage of any training options or programs that the employer offers. This helps you keep abreast of on any new product developments, ideas, or directions the company is going in. It also keeps you well informed and competent at your job. Find a way to organize customer information as efficiently as possible. This requires you to individualize how you organize in general to match what works best for you. There are many follow ups with customers and things to check up on while not working with the customer directly. You will need to keep track of all of this."

"Consider taking courses to increase your typing skills - you are usually required to type notes during your conversations with customers. If you do not enjoy working with people and helping people, this career is not for you. Increase your knowledge of communication techniques - you will come in contact with many different types of people and it is important to learn how to communicate with different people in different ways. Not everyone communicates the same way. Learn a foreign language, specifically Spanish. Customers come from all walks of life and from many different countries, and Spanish will be very helpful."

"Take on as many extra jobs as you can besides what you handle on a day to day basis. Always volunteer to take on extra work such as helping other members of the team. If the company you work for offers courses, take as many as you can. This will help when pursuing a job opening through another division in the company."

"Tip 1: Be able to type quickly and accurately without looking at the keyboard at all. Tip 2: Be able to type while speaking to another person. Tip 3: Have a pleasant and courteous demeanor and be able to speak clearly. Tip 4: Have an extraordinary amount of patience."