Telephone Operator Career

Job Description: Provide information by accessing alphabetical, geographical, or other directories. Assist customers with special billing requests, such as charges to a third party and credits or refunds for incorrectly dialed numbers or bad connections. May handle emergency calls and assist children or people with physical disabilities to make telephone calls.


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Telephone Operator Career

What skills are required for Telephone Operators?

Importance Skills
  Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

What knowledge is needed to be a Telephone Operator?

Importance Knowledge
  Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Work Styles

Importance Styles
  Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
  Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
  Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.