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Occupation AtlasSwitchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

O*NET · 43-2011.00

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Operate telephone business systems equipment or switchboards to relay incoming, outgoing, and interoffice calls. May supply information to callers and record messages.

Also called Answering Service Telephone Operator · CBX Operator · CBX Operator (Computerized Branch Exchange Operator) · Central Communications Specialist · Combination Operator · Command and Control Specialist · Communication Center Operator · Communications Coordinator
37 more

Communications Operator · Communications Specialist · Complaint Operator · Desk Operator · Exchange Operator · Information Specialist · Line Technician · Operator · PBX Operator · PBX Operator (Private Branch Exchange Operator) · PBX Service Adviser · PBX Service Adviser (Private Branch Exchange Service Adviser) · PBX Switchboard Operator · Police Communications Operator · Police District SB Operator · Police District Switchboard Operator (Police District SB Operator) · Private Branch Exchange Switchboard Operator (PBX Switchboard Operator) · Route Clerk · SB Operator · SB Receptionist · Service Operator · Switch Technician · Switchboard Operator (SB Operator) · Switchboard Receptionist (SB Receptionist) · Switching Clerk · Tandem Operator · Telecommunications Clerk · Telecommunications Operator · Telegraph Office Telephone Clerk · Telephone Answering Service Operator · Telephone SB Operator · Telephone Service Rep · Telephone Service Representative (Telephone Service Rep) · Telephone Switchboard Operator (Telephone SB Operator) · Test Operator · Through Operator · Traffic Operator

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code CRE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

CREConventional · Realistic · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • C Conventional5.95
  • R Realistic3.63
  • E Enterprising3.18
  • S Social2.91
  • I Investigative1.39
  • A Artistic1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent89%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate5%
  • Some College Courses2%
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate3%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (39%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (57%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (34%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.03.0Level 2 looks like: Take a customer's order
  • Speakingbasic3.92.9Level 2 looks like: Greet tourists and explain tourist attractions
  • Social Perceptiveness3.53.0Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Service Orientation3.12.9Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Read step-by-step instructions for completing a form
  • Coordination3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Monitoringbasic2.92.5Level 2 looks like: Proofread and correct a letter
  • Critical Thinkingbasic2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Determine whether a subordinate has a good excuse for being late
  • Writingbasic2.82.4Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Time Management2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Active Learningbasic2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
Show the other 23

Tasks

12 core · 7 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.4.7
  2. Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.4.7
  3. Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.4.7
  4. Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.4.5
  5. Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.4.5
  6. Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.4.4
  7. Relay or route written or verbal messages.4.4
  8. Place telephone calls or arrange conference calls as instructed.4.2
  9. Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.4.2
  10. Perform various data entry or word processing tasks, such as updating phone directories, typing or proofreading documents, or creating schedules.4.0
  11. Process incoming or outgoing mail, packages, or deliveries.4.0
  12. Perform administrative tasks, such as accepting orders, scheduling appointments or meeting rooms, or sending and receiving faxes.3.7
Show the other 7
  1. Monitor alarm systems to ensure that secure conditions are maintained.4.6
  2. Contact security staff members when necessary, using radio-telephones.4.6
  3. Complete forms for sales orders.4.4
  4. Answer simple questions about clients' businesses, using reference files.4.2
  5. Keep records of calls placed and charges incurred.4.1
  6. Stamp messages with time and date and file them appropriately.4.1
  7. Place orders, such as for equipment, supplies, or catering for meetings.3.4

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • English Language3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Administrative3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Computers and Electronics3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Telecommunications3.31.8Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Administration and Management2.82.8
  • Communications and Media2.72.5Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Mathematics2.52.9
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  • Personnel and Human Resources2.51.9Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Public Safety and Security2.51.7Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Psychology2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Economics and Accounting2.01.0Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Education and Training1.92.0Level 1 looks like: Show someone how to bowl
  • Law and Government1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Mechanical1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Therapy and Counseling1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Engineering and Technology1.5—
  • Foreign Language1.50.7Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Philosophy and Theology1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Sales and Marketing1.5—
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Geography1.3—
  • Production and Processing1.3—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.2—
  • Transportation1.2—
  • Chemistry1.1—
  • Food Production1.1—
  • History and Archeology1.1—
  • Biology1.0—
  • Building and Construction1.0—
  • Design1.0—
  • Fine Arts1.0—
  • Physics1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.13.8Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Speech Clarity4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Near Vision3.43.3Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Selective Attention3.12.4Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Deductive Reasoning3.02.6Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Inductive Reasoning3.02.5Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
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  • Information Ordering3.02.4Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Written Comprehension3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Written Expression3.02.9
  • Problem Sensitivity2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Recognize that an unplugged lamp won't work
  • Auditory Attention2.82.0Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Far Vision2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.62.4Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Category Flexibility2.52.3Level 2 looks like: Sort paintbrushes based on length
  • Finger Dexterity2.42.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Speed of Closure2.42.4Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Flexibility of Closure2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Memorization2.32.1Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Control Precision2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Fluency of Ideas2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Manual Dexterity2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Originality2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Mathematical Reasoning1.91.0Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Visualization1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Trunk Strength1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Response Orientation1.61.0Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Multilimb Coordination1.50.6
  • Dynamic Strength1.40.5
  • Depth Perception1.1—
  • Reaction Time1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Extent Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Spatial Orientation1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—
  • Static Strength1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.52.9
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.23.2Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.03.2Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.03.7Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Working with Computers3.82.7
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.73.1Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.43.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.32.8
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  • Processing Information3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.13.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.12.9
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.02.7
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization2.92.3Level 1 looks like: Have little contact with people outside the organization
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems2.92.7
  • Developing and Building Teams2.71.4Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.72.4Level 1 looks like: Apologize to a customer who complains about waiting too long
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.52.1Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People2.52.0Level 1 looks like: Determine whether to remove a tree that has been damaged
  • Analyzing Data or Information2.41.8Level 1 looks like: Skim a short article to gather the main point
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Work as a server responsible for keeping track of utensils
  • Training and Teaching Others2.21.2Level 1 looks like: Give coworkers brief instructions on a simple procedural change
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.11.2Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Organize a work schedule that is repetitive and easy to plan
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Show a coworker how to operate a piece of equipment
  • Scheduling Work and Activities2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Make appointments for patients using a predetermined schedule
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Exchange information during a shift change
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates1.91.8Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials1.91.1Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Thinking Creatively1.91.1Level 1 looks like: Change the spacing on a printed report
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information1.6—
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.6—
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies1.5—
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.5—
  • Performing General Physical Activities1.4—
  • Handling and Moving Objects1.3—
  • Selling or Influencing Others1.3—
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.2—
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.2—
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.2—
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.2—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others5.0
  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • E-Mail4.6
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.5
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.4
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4
  • Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.3
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate3.9

Technology

10 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (2)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot

Hot (6; 2 more marked hot above)

  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
Other tools (2)
  • IBM Notes
  • M-Tech Hotel Service Optimization System HotSOS

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Receptionists and Information Clerks
  2. Office Clerks, General
  3. Telephone Operators
  4. Customer Service Representatives
  5. Public Safety Telecommunicators
  6. Telemarketers
  7. Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance
  8. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
  9. Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
  10. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.