Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

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Job Outlook:
None
Education: High school diploma or equivalent
Salary
High: $52,710.00
Average: $37,230.00
Hourly
Average: $17.90

What they do:

Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.

On the job, you would:

  • Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.
  • Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.
  • Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.

Personality

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Characteristics of this Career

90% Dependability  -  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
85% Self-Control  -  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
83% Stress Tolerance  -  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
81% Attention to Detail  -  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
80% Integrity  -  Job requires being honest and ethical.
80% Concern for Others  -  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
80% Cooperation  -  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
72% Social Orientation  -  Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
69% Persistence  -  Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Strengths

95% Conventional  -  Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
61% Enterprising  -  Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Values of the Work Environment

78% Relationships  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
61% Support  -  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3 Your Strengths Importance

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

78% Oral Comprehension  -  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
78% Oral Expression  -  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
75% Speech Recognition  -  The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
75% Speech Clarity  -  The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Job Details

Responsibilities
Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.
Type documents.
Sort mail.
Schedule appointments.
Execute sales or other financial transactions.
Monitor alarm systems.
Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
Refer customers to appropriate personnel.
Greet customers, patrons, or visitors.
Prepare cash for deposit or disbursement.
Collect deposits, payments or fees.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Operate communications equipment or systems.
Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
Operate communications equipment or systems.
Relay information between personnel.
Operate communications equipment or systems.
Monitor alarm systems.
Maintain security.
Maintain call records.
Operate audio recording equipment.
File documents or records.
Answer customer questions about goods or services.
Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

100% Telephone  -  How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
100% Contact With Others  -  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
90% Electronic Mail  -  How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
90% Face-to-Face Discussions  -  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
87% Frequency of Decision Making  -  How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
85% Deal With External Customers  -  How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
84% Work With Work Group or Team  -  How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
84% Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People  -  How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
83% Indoors, Environmentally Controlled  -  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
73% Importance of Being Exact or Accurate  -  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
70% Letters and Memos  -  How often does the job require written letters and memos?
69% Physical Proximity  -  To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
68% Freedom to Make Decisions  -  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
67% Spend Time Sitting  -  How much does this job require sitting?
65% Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions  -  How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
A3 Your Strengths Importance

Tasks & Values

87% Getting Information  -  Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
79% Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events  -  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
76% Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates  -  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
74% Performing for or Working Directly with the Public  -  Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
70% Working with Computers  -  Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
68% Performing Administrative Activities  -  Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Getting Started

Education:
89%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Information provided by CareerFitter, LLC and other sources.

Sections of this page includes information from the O*NET 27.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

CareerFitter, LLC has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.