So I accepted a job back in June, one that I was told would lead me to the promised land of upward moblity as well as a serious pay upgrade…

And sure enough that turned out to be true, but the person who made me the offer over the phone neglected to mention just what the job entailed.  Now I’ve been at said job for over a month and a half and I’ve come to realize just what I got myself into.  The operation is new from the ground up, in fact new people are being brought in all the time as we staff up to capacity and get everyone trained and squared away.  Its so new here in fact that it seems weekly something changes, this week it was a process and a client’s name that changed, the week before it was the phone system and who knows what will be different next week.

Not only are the processes and names in flux but the list of clients is growing and somewhat rapidly.  Currently I watch three ticketing systems in addition to my company email and taking incoming phone calls which result in tickets.  I’ve heard through the grape vine that more clients are waiting in the wings to sign on with us, some of them in exceedingly short time frames.  Considering I don’t fully have a handle on the responsibilities and processes currently assigned to me I don’t grasp how I am expected to learn even more when I still don’t have the current pile under control.

So what have I learned from all of this?

• Never let pay or compensation be your primary deciding factor
• Always ask for more information about how the company functions and the kinds of processes you will be involved in.
• Training training training, make sure they explain to you in depth how the training period works and how long it lasts
• Above all else demand to see the operation in-progress when possible, it sheds all kinds of light on how you will feel about the job a month or two into it
• Work environment is just as important as compensation; its not always worth it to ditch a good crew for a few more dollars an hour.