Hi everyone,
Sorry its been so long since I have written anything, my life has been terribly crazy as of late. A lot of good has happened to me in the past month and a half and I owe a lot of it to you guys. Without all of your helpd with my eloan, I couldn't have cleared the way to long journey to becoming a teacher. But, its not going to happen nearly as fast as I thought it would. While I was initially disappointed at the news, I came to view the waiting not as a burden, but as a challenge to better myself, hone my skills and be the best teacher I can be for these kids. I am no use to anyone extremely educated but with very little real life and work experience outside of academia. I have come to accept the longer course as more of a positive in my life than a negative. I have to get my feet wet in a classroom before I even approach getting my MA, which means putting lots of volunteer time in either as a tutor or TA.
A few days after I got what I considered devastating news that I would not be able to go back to school for at least a year, I got the best news I could have gotten besides "oh its totally possible to start your MA in September of 2015". I am now gainfully employed at a job that I love (customer call center representative at major wireless carrier, which is a fantastic job. It has consistently been on multiple best places to work list). The training process is long and arduous, there is a lot to learn, a lot to know, a lot to remember and a lot to prepare for. And, in a way, I view this as an opportunity to learn how to educate people once again. I know it sounds weird, but a customer care rep is a lot like a counselor and a teacher all rolled into one. I mean, yes, the job is about taking care of customer requests etc, but its also about so much more than that.
Teaching is extremely important to this job. One of the key components to being a successful customer care representative is being able to explain complex, multifaceted issues to just about everyone, regardless of education level. Fact of the matter is, when we get a call (this goes for any ground level CSR/PSR/CCR) we have no idea who we are talking to at the other end. Being able to quickly adapt to the customers ways of thinking, ways of speaking, and education level within 30 seconds to 1 minute is key to being successful at our jobs. Now, I will admit that many customer care centers have lost their way, but it seems like the one I work for is 100% customer service oriented, with stuff like sales and call handle time residing at the edges of our metrics. The company I work for does not pressure its reps to push products that, as account experts, we are not comfortable selling based on the customers account and usage history. It also means that reps have more time on the phone with the customer to solve issues and alert the customer to any pending billing or account issues that may come up in the future. Basically, at my work we are given the power to advocate for the customer. It is really a neat system they have built, and one I have, quite honestly, never experienced at any other job. I mean it comes with other awesome perks, discounts on stuff, super good pay and benies, lots of opportunity for MONTHLY bonuses (that is huge, btw), tons of trips and prizes can be won for performance. Lots of solidarity building is encouraged. Its really like working for google or something. I can't believe I work at a place like that, after my experience with wal-mart (believe the hype people, they fucking suck).
Its sort of cognitive dissonance-y for me right now. My cynical brain is looking for the catch, and knowing what I know about giant corporations like the one I work for, I am waiting for the gotcha moment. But slowly, as I realize just how awesome the culture is around there, how much they reward and listen to their employees, and how many tools this company gives us to be advocates for our customers, I am starting to think there are not many drawbacks. I know that this is not going to be where I find a career, I have a greater calling than working in a call center, but for right now, in this moment...its exactly what I needed. And I am grateful for it.
I dunno why I am writing this...maybe its because we hear so much about all the bullshit employers out there who are terrible. Who threaten to fire their employees if a certain person is elected president, who axe people the instant they stop "working out" and never allow for any room for improvement, those who promote based on popularity and not skill, those that fire massive amounts of workers just because their CEOs need another private island or fleet of jets, or just massive amounts of nose candy. I feel like, once I find that good one, that diamond in the rough, everyone should know about it. I should shout about it from the rooftops.
My fiancee and I actually now work at the same exact call center and are much better financially, and finally in a position to give back. I think that is the best feeling of all. Getting to have a schedule matching my sweetie and having enough to give back.
Anyway, just a quick update on my situation. Sorry for being so me-centric, back to political blogging I swear ;)