Answer Phones - One of the first jobs I had after leaving business school was to answer phones. I was working as a maid to put myself through school, and all I could think about was how that seemed like a dream job compared to what I was doing. I did not go to business school for a degree, but rather just for some office training so that I could get something better than what I had. In the end, though phones were much easier, I found that I was unchallenged and bored with the entire affair.
Many of my coworkers were great, but there were a few who did as little as possible. They loved doing nothing, but I couldn’t understand why. My main job was to answer phones, but the phones were not that busy. That meant I had to entertain myself, and that I did not like. When I am at work and on the clock, I like to be as busy as I can be. I would often call the admin assistants within the company to ask them for any work they may have lying around. They knew what it meant to answer phones for our company. There just weren’t enough calls to keep a person busy, but someone had to be there.
Many companies now have the same problem with those they hire to answer phones. Because of cell phones, it is much easier for existing clients to reach who they need without going through the main company line. There are some calls that always need to go through reception, but the number of those calls is going down. A receptionist in today’s world will have more responsibility than just to answer phones, or his or her salary is mostly a waste. There are exceptions, of course, but the difference is very noticeable.
If your first job is to answer phones, make sure you learn that first, but then apply yourself to different areas. The more you learn, the better your chances for promotion. Those in higher positions are watching you, even if you don’t realize it. When something opens up, many companies like to hire from within first, it makes things easier for them. You may not have answer phones for very long if you are always looking to keep busy and to learn new things. If you just go to work, do your job, and then go home, you may be answering phones for a very long time.
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