My Favorite Job

I was thinking about what sort of role I'd like to have in my industry if I weren't a Lead Software Engineer. And that led me to reminisce about what I would say was my favorite job. What triggered the thought was the fact I'm not really doing what I love to do. I do enjoy it enough to keep doing it. But it is more of a I'm doing it because it is my job sort of thing. As I pondered what other roles are available in my field, the ones I'm most attracted to are dealing with people. For instance, Project Management.

Well, that took me back to that job I had more than twenty years ago. I had already started my career in tech after having various other jobs like teacher, bookstore clerk, and sandwich maker...hehehe But I didn't like working in tech. Don't get me wrong, I love technology and enjoyed it as a hobby. I had the nack for it and, at the time, it made sense to attempt a career at it. Doing it for a job took the enjoyment away, however...LOL

I worked for a very toxic person and split from him to start my own company. I worked for him for about a year and then worked for myself for about another year. Running my own company came with some challenges. I decided I needed to get a steady job working for a company again. And since I wasn't really enjoying tech as a job, I decided I'd leave tech, pursue a new career, and possibly still do tech as a side gig for extra cash.

Back then, you still had to look for jobs by actually looking...LOL I think there may have been a few job websites by then. But nothing like it is today. I asked around and found that a new call center for Allstate Insurance had just opened in Indianapolis. They were in great need for people. I jumped on it as quickly as I found out about it. The interview process was easy. I do well in those. They had an aptitude test I needed to take. I passed that without issue. I was offered a job almost instantly and I began my new career being a call center representative...hehehe

The job training was extensive. Not only did I need to learn their systems and processes, I also needed to learn how the insurance industry worked. This particular call center was new for the company in that it specialized in small vehicle accident claims. Small fender bender type claims. Anything with an injury was immediately transferred to another department. Our department was called Auto Express. The express in the name implies that all claims going through our center would be quick to resolve. That was mostly true...hehehe

After four weeks of training, it was time to be out on the floor taking calls. Mind you, I had never worked in a call center before. I really had no idea what it would be like answering calls and helping people who were in distress. I went into without any expectations whatsoever. I was a bit nervous at the time. But after those first few calls, I knew I was exactly where I was suppose to be.

Helping people through the claims process was a rewarding experience. And I had the nack for it. I was able to efficiently get the customers through the process while also showing them empathy. I recall one customer who had to deal with calling our center for the third time when I answered the phone. As you can imagine, they were quite upset. After I was finally able to resolve the matter they were dealing with, they expressed their gratitude for my not only resolving the issue, but for also being kind and listening to their frustration. My demeanor had defused their anger and they walked away in peace. They thanked me and told me they had wished I would have been the first person they had dealt with instead of the last...LOL

I always strived to do my best at that job and would often go home and work on designing new ways to become even more efficient at the job. Part of our metrics involved quickly getting the customer through the process and on to the next call. That would often lead to confusion and mistakes. Not for me, though. What I would do was find faster ways to do the menial tasks that needed done during and after the calls. I developed a new software tool for my computer that allowed me to take notes throughout the call and then quickly transfer those notes to the require systems the company needed us to use. I designed in such a way that the app would collect the data in the order I would need it. At the end of the call, a simple click of a button and all of the data was transferred to the screens it need to go to and I was ready for the next call.

I eventually became so efficient that I earned 100% scores from the Quality Assurance department on all the calls of mine they reviewed. That was not common...LOL At one point, these earned me a position on a specialty team where, instead of taking calls, I would make outbound calls to do follow up work on claims that needed extra work that couldn't be completed on the initial calls. At the time, I volunteered to work every Saturday and take Wednesdays off. So, every Saturday would be a day I did the specialty work. And sometimes I'd get to do it during the week too.

Between the technology I created to become efficient, the 100% QA scores, and my specialty skills, I was approached by three different department heads at the same time requesting I join their teams...LOL The first team was the QA team. They wanted to tap into my skills to help the other agents become more efficient. The second team was HR. They were impressed by my people skills and thought I'd be a great fit for their work. The third team was the technology folks. They saw my software tool and really wanted me to become a part of the tech...LOL You might recall how I wanted out of tech and that's why I was working in a call center in the first place...LOL

Before I tell you what my decision was, I want to say that my fancy little tool actually got banned...hehehe Although management was impressed with it, they also said that it violated the information security policies of the company. Yeah, now that I've been in the tech field all these years, I get it...hehehe

Okay, so, I was quite happy that three departments wanted me. But now it was time to choose. I decided I'd go into HR. I loved all of the people in our office and I wanted to help provide everyone the resources they needed to have a great work/life balance. And I wanted to spread my positive attitude around the office in hopes that it would improve interactions with the customers as well. I gave the HR manager the good news and they were thrilled!

That is, until the senior manager of the entire office got involved...ugh! He immediately declined the HR manager's request to transfer me and instead insisted I be transferred into the tech department. Remember that app I created that they told me I could no longer use? Well, that sealed my fate. They wanted me to take those skills and apply them to our technology. I went from three paths to just one almost as quickly as the three paths first appeared. And it wasn't just his decision. The hierarchy above him insisted on it. As it turned out, my little app gained that much attention...LOL

I was bummed about what had happened. Since it was my job, I had to go with whatever management decided. I wasn't looking forward to going back into tech. But I made the most of it. At first, I really enjoyed the work. It wasn't quite like the kind of work I had previously been doing in technology. Call center tech isn't anything like the sort of thing I had ever worked with. So, that made it a little exciting.

I began to write about what happened next. I'll save that for another time. The point I wanted to make in this entry was that I loved working in a call center before I was drawn back into technology. What happened next set me on a bittersweet path that brought me to my career as it is today.

I miss those times helping people through the pain and frustration a car accident can be. Even a minor fender bender can be quite the ordeal. I've been in a few myself. They aren't easy to deal with. That's why I loved helping the customers through it. To them, in that moment, it was a big deal. And I was able to help them get through it. It was my favorite job ❤️