Overwhelmed

[Robby]

So this is a bit involved, so bear with me, but I feel I need some help/support on this matter. I started training this week for a job that I was referred to by Vocational Rehab. The job itself is for an auto insurance company. I had been thinking it would be mainly roadside assistance and very basic, but come to find out it's a Customer Service Rep job. The people there have been very nice, and welcoming, it's a fairly stringent corporate type setting, but so far people have been nice. That's no issue. However the issue is with me..I've sat through two days of orientation and I am completely overwhelmed. It's far more involved than I thought. I had thought it would only be giving and dispatching trucks to people, that's why I interviewed in the first place, and that's part of it but it's a lot more, it's just tons of stuff, remembering peoples' type of membership, where they're located, and whether you need to transfer a call or whatever.

It's just a LOT of stuff, way more than I thought. I have mild autism and am pretty verbal but I am terrible at processing information. This lady who is training us is super nice, and very sweet, and I even told her I am mildly autistic, and she was very nice about it, and assured me it was mostly scripted stuff, but the training is proving that it's going to be way way more involved than I ever thought, having to memorize details about membership benefits and stuff, and plus the nature of having to take incoming calls and not knowing what scenario, that freaks me out. I hate unpredictability. The more I sit through orientation the more I realize just how long I'd be tethered to a desk all day, and having to be on the phone. I just don't think I can stand it, plus, all the information she's giving us, in the training, it just basically all goes in one ear and out the other, not because I don't listen, but because I have trouble with processing info unless I have time to consider it and take it in. This also worries me because on this job, being on the phone with members, I'd have to assess and respond quickly and this is NOT my strong suit. Plus I just don't like having to sit all day long it kind of makes me crazy.

Orientation for this job lasts through early next week, but I have a couple other job prospects, one for security, the other for a warehouse job that would pay pretty well. I feel like I'd do better if I don't have to worry about customer service or multi tasking, and working in a call center just feels like I would not like it because it's too high pressure. I feel like whatever job I take has to be something I can DO, or else it's a waste of time. I just wouldn't want to go ahead and take the call center job and then be constantly clueless and having to ask for help, because they'll wonder why I didn't learn much from orientation, but that's part of my problem, I don't process info quickly. It takes me longer.

So I'm thinking now, just finish the orientation this week, since I'm getting paid for it, and then by next week decide if I want to stay there or take the security job or the warehouse job. I hate to attend orientation for a job for a week and then say I decided it's not for me, but I'd rather do that than accept it and not do a good job. I just don't think customer service is right for me, because over the phone, if something comes at me out of left field, I tend to freeze.

The good thing about the security or warehouse jobs are, no customer service and no being at a desk all day. I wished I had known more about what was involved with this call center job before orientation, but you learn by doing I guess. Lesson learned, never apply for a call center job again.

 

[David Larson]

It sounds like you've already figured out where things stand. That job doesn't sound like it would be a good fit for you, and you don't sound too excited about the nature of the work even if you learned everything in orientation perfectly. It just doesn't sound like a good fit, and if it's not a good fit then that's that.

You sound way more optimistic about the security or warehouse jobs. I worked in a warehouse once, it was a lot of fun and totally satisfied a lot of those Aspie guilty pleasures (stack these boxes on this pallet in an interlocking fashion? Hells yes I want to play with giant Legos).

Trust me, if you take a job you hate and will struggle to do, you'll regret it both sooner and later. I'm not sure if you were specifically looking for advice and opinions, but mine is to get out of that orientation and into one of those better jobs ASAP.

 

[Robby]

Yea I guess I thought I could try it, but from what I know now, just purely about the job duties, it's just too much. Way too much. The people are great, but I am not able to remember any of this stuff and I just don't like having to deal with people all day. I guess I thought over the phone would be more manageable, but it's literally going to be talking on the phone all day long and assessing their needs and solving calls. I have always had major problems with auditory processing especially new info, or info that comes at you suddenly, like with callers. I'm sure the company would give me leeway, but I just see myself struggling too much with it. I knew after day 1 of orientation that I would hate the job duties. Although the people there are really nice, I don't think it's for me. I have a touch of ADD so something where I physically move around wouldn't be bad at all.

I really don't even want to go back ad finish orientation, because I don't think I'm going to take this job anyway. But I guess I'll finish this week, and then let them know that I don't think it's a fit for me because I can just tell them then that I went through initial orientation and I don't feel it's the right job for me. Meantime, I'm hopefully going to get something in a warehouse because I think I'll enjoy repetitive, predictable tasks a lot more. I figured it out finally, I like predictable, repetitive, visual tasks! Nothing to do with auditory or short term memory.

 

[Judge]

I really don't even want to go back ad finish orientation, because I don't think I'm going to take this job anyway. But I guess I'll finish this week, and then let them know that I don't think it's a fit for me because I can just tell them then that I went through initial orientation and I don't feel it's the right job for me. Meantime, I'm hopefully going to get something in a warehouse because I think I'll enjoy repetitive, predictable tasks a lot more. I figured it out finally, I like predictable, repetitive, visual tasks! Nothing to do with auditory or short term memory.

Simple point- insurance is brutal when it comes to customer service. Whether you're dealing with internal or external customers. It sounds like you're going with your instincts...and is probably the right decision.

I've also worked as a warehouseman. Just be aware of two things. Your physical fitness is likely to be a factor. And an ability to master inventory systems....knowing what is where plus being able to account for things on invoices. For me it was a lot more than I expected with industrial electrical parts. But otherwise, yeah most of the time it was very routine and repetitive. And I loved operating the forklifts!

 

[Robby]

Yea I didn't even apply there, I just went to interview because Voc Rehab had a contact there and referred me. I didn't know what was involved, I assumed it would be simple dispatch but nope. Way more than that. Way more. I didn't know it was going to be a customer service job. The amount of info they're throwing out just in two days is completely mind boggling and overwhelming to me. It would take me 6 months to learn all that, let along learning how to handle calls.

I'm in good physical shape, not a body builder or anything, lean, fit, able to walk and move well. I am actually VERY good at knowing things and where they are and in their place. I LOVE routine and repetitive! That's what I like! I hate predictability and having to think quick on my feet. I am also VERY visual, not auditory at all. Things go in one ear and out the other, but visually I have a razor sharp mind.

At this point I'll probably go to orientation for this insurance job one more day, then call the recruiter and tell her I don't think it's for me, so I can just focus on job hunting again. I have a prospect for a warehouse job through a temp to hire service that I am pursuing, and all the tasks it lists are things I can do.

 

[Robby]

Well I gave orientation one more day, and just had to quit. I don't like to start something and not finish, but it was obvious that this customer service call center job would be way too much for me. Not because I'm not smart, but my brain just isn't hardwired to take constant calls from people, plus I am more a contemplative person, and not good at all with thinking on my feet. I also have major problems with short term memory, and I realized that customer service period isn't for me.

So back to square one now. Having tried a couple call center type jobs that have not worked out at all, I'm going to try something different. I am a very visual person, and like repetitive, predictable, work, so am going to try production now. Might be physically harder, but as long as I can do the job tasks, that's the name of the game right.