OpEd

Confessions of a Job Hopper--or "You can take it with you"

Introduction
As demand grows more and more in the vast field of technology, those involved in the recruiting process will be looking outside the bounds of resumes and degrees. They will need people with a variety of skills cultivated from all manner of jobs and experiences. This column documents how I went from getting a degree in Communications (which was ridiculed in a recent "Simpsons" episode as a sure-fire ticket to unemployment) through a series of positions that finally found me working for several high tech companies in Puget Sound area. It all depends on what you reap from your experiences--what you take with you.

In June of 1994, I graduated from a tiny liberal arts college with a "Communications" degree--a sort of umbrella term that allowed you to dabble in a variety of majors without really focusing on one. I diligently scoured the paper for jobs in writing, public relations or advertising, but anything with those keywords seemed to require three to five years of experience. Meanwhile, student loans and rent beckoned, so I began to look for something that might tide me over.

A friend of mine had gone to work for a local credit card company and loved it. She encouraged me to give it a try. What the heck, I thought. It would be real "experience", and they offered immediate medical benefits, a regular schedule, and more than minimum wage. I was interviewed and hired. My official title was "CSR" or "Customer Service Representative".

Everyone has her own nightmare story about calling customer service, regardless of the situation. This company handled calls for credit card holders--things like "What's my balance?" or "How much credit do I have?" That didn't sound too bad. We spent two weeks in training learning the computer system and company policy. The instructor was good-natured and helpful, and I caught on quickly.

Being "on the floor" was, of course, different from training. You were on the phone eight hours a day, constantly working. There was no web surfing or water cooler gossip. The customers called in bad moods. They were upset that their credit line had been reduced, or that they were being charged a late fee, or that after not paying their bill for several months they were receiving collections letters. The floor supervisors gave you weekly reports on how many calls you took and whether or not you were meeting your "quota."

One day, I took over two hundred calls in eight hours--roughly one call every three minutes. Between the constant ringing of the phone, the lurking of the supervisors, and the irate callers, you would get so frustrated you would just want to hang up on the person; I admit I did that several times. To this day, I still believe this was the most difficult job I have ever had.

Despite the stress and frustration, I did my best to learn while I was there. I learned what did and did not work when you were trying to get a disembodied voice over the phone to help you--specifically, screaming and threats. Maintaining a calm, even tone can do wonders. Hold onto your patience and your temper, unless you feel there are really extenuating circumstances, and if there are, politely request to speak to a manager. Take down names and times when you call, so if you have to call back, you have documentation to back you up. People are naturally much more cruel over the phone than in person; you're just a disembodied voice, after all. Just remember every time you call and speak to that disembodied voice, it's documented. Those threats and demands you made on that last call might be the first thing that person sees about you when you call again. Think of how you felt the last time someone yelled at you and exactly how much you felt inclined to help them afterwards.

Stress made its presence physically known in the form of hives five months after I started, forcing me to quit. But I took the lessons I learned as a CSR, and still apply them today. Listen. Be patient. Speak clearly. Summarize the situation. Always maintain a polite tone, even if you are telling someone you think they're nuts. After all, you may have to work with them later, and you don't want to be remembered as a screaming lunatic.

Next time I'll tell all of my experience in an office overflowing with nepotism, favoritism, and maybe some other "isms" for good measure. Just remember, you can always take something with you.

By S.D. Scattergood.
Stacie Scattergood currently works for the local technology monopoly as a software test engineer. She lives in Bellevue, Washington with two extremely demanding cats and her husband, a software development engineer. See more of Stacie's work.