Last year I worked a temp gig as a call center rep at Groupon for a month and it was one of the best lessons for me in 2013. Following are the BIG lessons I learned from my short stint at Groupon.
1. Watch What I Say
Because the Universe will respond. I used to say that I was willing to take a low paying job – almost anything – downtown as long as it was close to my train. After working in that call center for the hourly wage I received…No, I won’t. I believe I was placed there for a spiritual lesson. The position also pushed me toward my dreams.
2. Full-Time is Not For Me
I could do FT on a temporary or contractual basis, but as far as a permanent opportunity goes, which is what I’m looking for now, part-time is needed.
3. Sitting All Day is Limiting
I had to sit at a workstation all day, every day, which was very limiting. While I understand the nature of the position, it did not allow us to walk around at all. I was literally stuck to my workspace until we had our two 15-minute breaks and our one 30-minute lunch. And that was cut short because we had to follow the time sheet in order to get paid.
Now, I have to determine the contractual or PT opportunity that will allow me the freedom of movement and creativity.
4. I need a position that will allow me to be creative or training others in some capacity.
5. I’m an excellent worker; I’m just not a good employee. Your work will get done, but it probably won’t happen during traditional work hours, unless it’s a part-time position. You will most likely get e-mails at ungodly hours in the morning.
6. I have MAD respect for people who work in call centers. I vow to be really nice to these people unless they give me a reason not to.
7. I really want a short commute to my workplace, so I’m going to be specific about the location where I want to work. And I do not want to work from home because I waste time (like writing this blog post) and find other distractions that will not get me closer to my goals.
With that said, I’m going to focus on what I need to do now. Just wanted to share my BIG lessons from my short stint at Groupon.