A customer service job, first and foremost, requires an individual that deals well with people. People in this position deal with all of the complaints, questions and needs that customers have about the products and services the company provides. You need problem-solving skills as well. These traits are what employers look for in applicants to customer service job postings.

Personality and creativity, while crucial, aren’t the only necessary elements in customer service jobs. Customer service employment education and training can lead to a very successful career in the industry. The following resources will help you to obtain helpful education for a customer support job:

1. You will have better success with customer service job openings in management if you have a degree.

2. Access articles and online publications to find the best approaches to jobs in customer service.

3. Conferences and workshops will help you be more successful in customer service job positions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Obtain a management degree in customer service employment

One option for educational training is to obtain a degree in customer service management. Also, many organizations offer training courses for companies to improve the customer service skills of their employees. Either way, furthering your education in the industry will definitely assist you in obtaining satisfied customers.

I recommend: The University of Maryland University College offers an academic minor in customer service management. Belding Skills Training and Development provides internal, external, leadership and recovery training for the customer service industry.

Read articles and blogs for more information about maintaining a customer service job

Many business oriented organizations offer online articles and blogs which discuss trends and creative strategies for the customer service industry. Reading these articles regularly will help you to maintain a current knowledge of effective ways to solve the problems and answer questions that customers may have in a timely and efficient manner.

I recommend: Customer Service Manager (CSM), an e-magazine for the customer service industry, has several articles available. Frequently visit the Customer Service Experience, a blog on the AllBusiness website, for tips and advice on providing great customer service.

Attend conferences that discuss trends in customer support employment

Conferences and seminars in the customer service industry can provide helpful insight on the trends, strategies and tactics that make a successful customer service team. Many employers require their customer service representative to attend these events in order to keep them apprised of these strategies.

I recommend: Attend one of the customer service seminars offered by ProEdge Skills. Fred Pryor Seminars and CareerTrack offer a seminar on How to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service. Attend LOMA’s annual customer service conference.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure that the courses you attend can provide accreditation toward a degree in the management of customer service jobs.

If you like working with people and handling problems, then customer service employment may be right for you. Almost all businesses offer some type of customer service jobs as the way that the company interacts with the customer.

Customer service job positions come in a variety of forms. The most well known are call center jobs in customer service, where operators take calls to answer questions, take orders and handle any problems with a company's product. However, any job where you may interact with the customer, even cashier or greeter positions, still fall under the umbrella of customer service employment.

If you want to get some of the best customer service jobs openings:

1. Have a resume and cover letter. Many customer service jobs are entry-level and have an application that you can fill out. Because of this, employers are impressed with candidates that supply a resume and cover letter. It makes you stand out.

2. Cultivate a professional image. Unless you're applying for a customer service job at the local tattoo parlor, you should have a clean-cut image.

3. Keep a steady work history. Longevity with your former employers is likely to impress a new hiring manager.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use an agency to find temporary employment in customer service

Customer service is a great industry to find temporary employment, particularly for students that need work during vacation times. Many companies need temporary customer service employees to fill in when regular employees go on vacation or during busy seasons where there is more work. In most cases, the jobs are easy to learn and a newcomer can easily handle the work.

I recommend: Register at OfficeTeam or Kelly Services, two popular temporary employment agencies. After an interview, they will contact you as positions are available. These positions could last from a day to several months.

Use job boards to find a full-time customer service job postings

You can find customer service employment throughout the US, which makes it particularly attractive. Try searching for positions on job boards that cater to the customer service industry.

I recommend: After you sign up at CallCenterCareers.com, you can search through their available positions. Another great resource for customer service positions is Craigslist, which has job listings in a variety of cities.

Find a customer support job that allows you to work from home

As online customer service employment becomes more popular, many companies offer the option to work from home. Some companies actually prefer to hire employees from home because there are less overhead costs. Workers win too because they can spend more time with their families.

I recommend: Worldwide Work at Home lists some of the most popular companies that hire customer service representatives to work from home. Alpine Access is a large employer of customer care professionals. Many companies outsource their customer service to them, so you could find yourself taking customer service calls from different companies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember that there is often a lot of competition for customer service job openings. If you are extremely interested in a position, make sure that you follow up with your interviewer and thank them for the opportunity to interview.

Whether you're looking to break into the industry or you're a seasoned veteran of the customer service field, it's important to brush up on your knowledge of the vocabulary associated with customer service employment key terms. There's a wide variety of words to learn, such as temps, call center reps, help desk reps and sales reps. To be successful at one of these jobs you’ll need the right skills and education. You’ll also need to be familiar with the difference between inbound and outbound calls, regardless of the type of job you're looking to obtain. When you’re searching for customer service employment opportunities, keep some essential key terms in mind.

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Agent

The term agent is commonly used for customer service jobs in the airline industry. This person is usually a highly skilled worker who works full-time assisting customers on the phone and in person.

I recommend: Get information about the job specifics of an agent at Allegiant Air.

Call Center

A call center can be a virtual or non-virtual environment. Call center employees make and receive customer service calls. Sometimes, one call center employee can answer calls for numerous companies at a time.

I recommend: Snagajob.com offers insight into the basic duties of a call center representative.

Help desk

Most large corporations, and some small ones, have a help desk. Help desk customer service employees are there to answer questions and assist in solving problems.

I recommend: HRVillage.com gives a brief overview of the duties of a basic help desk position.

Rep

A rep, or a customer service representative, is an entry-level customer service position. A rep will make and answer phone calls, and he or she will help customers. Customer service representatives can work in various types of office environments.

I recommend: For a comprehensive guide on the functions of a customer service rep, visit the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Inbound call

An inbound call is one that is answered by a customer service employee. The call is often from a customer calling a toll-free number looking for help or information.

I recommend: SSW offers a guide to understanding inbound calls.

Outbound call

An outbound call is the opposite of an inbound call. It is a call that is placed by a customer service employee. These calls are often not-solicited, but they can be as a follow-up to a lead.

I recommend: To gain an effective understanding of outbound calls, look over the information provided by Lieber & Associates.

There are more than a few reasons why a company may want to check out the current role of customer service jobs in their field. In many top earning sectors, customer service job positions are a critical part of the company, businesses collect much of their revenue and reach out to their customers through this front line of professionals. From traditional fields like banking and medicine to newer businesses in smaller retail and ecommerce fields, customer service employment roles are a part of the equation for success.

When a business wants to check out the going rate for a variety of customer service jobs, or how other companies are promoting or offering customer service job openings to the public, business readers can look to the net for resources on customer service employment news and trends:

1. For the purposes of evaluating how another company may be using customer service job postings or integrating them into an expansion initiative.

2. For brainstorming the niche, salary range, duties and more for potential customer service job options within the business.

3. For looking at how other customer support employment opportunities are qualified in a particular field to see what skills and credentials are prized by the industry in general.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get news on customer service jobs in finance

Finance is a field that utilizes customer service jobs for many of unique purposes. Customers may need help with their credit cards or for figuring out complicated financial products. Customer service reps provide help and a public face for a company or business.

I recommend: The Real World online offers news on customer service job posting and roles in finance with an emphasis on "graduate jobs." Get stories and classifieds on CSR jobs in financial companies from BusinessWeek.

Look at customer service jobs in the medical field

Customer service agents are also very much in demand in the medical field, for collecting payments and helping patients with their financial responsibilities, or in any stage of a doctor visit or surgery. Find resources that highlight all of what CSRs do for a hospital or medical network.

I recommend: The Indeed website offers listing and more information on CSR jobs in a medical environment. For more, try other sites like SimplyHired.

Locate other customer service jobs news for general purposes

There is a lot more out there on the web about customer service job position types in general. Many companies put out information on openings, salary ranges, job descriptions, tips and more. Benefit from browsing a variety of sites to get a big picture perspective.

I recommend: U.S. News and World Report offers classifieds and more research on CSR jobs in general fields. For more general news, check out CSM, a magazine for Customer Service professionals.