I did it. Yes, I did.

[Eireann]

Not yet. I discovered, the painful way, that trying to force things just doesn't work. I was demanding all sorts of things from life, rather than relaxing and letting them happen. I do want to be back there as soon as possible; I also want to get things worked out here so that I can maintain my residency. I'm making business contacts, doing things I love, and who knows? Someone could come across my path tomorrow and offer me a fantastic deal; someone could see my work online and ask me to work for him/her; it's impossible to say.

I keep reading that the more grateful you are for the good in your life, the more good comes to you, because you're focusing on it. That's what I keep reminding myself.

[Jester]

I doubt that anyone actually enjoys call centre work...

Oh, I have no doubt that there are people who do enjoy it. I remember working at the hotel and hosting some parties for telemarketers, they were pretty happy and really seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Of course, these were the career telemarketers, not the people who flamed out quickly.

Myself, I rather enjoyed my six months of working a call center for a national hotel chain reservations center.

My four-week, four-job telemarketing career, however.... blech!

[Barracuda]

I completely agree with people about call centers being VERY high stress. Since starting to work at call centers (no choice, starting about 4 years ago, only jobs I could GET) I have been diagnosed with clinical depression, I have started taking anti depressants to stave off panic attacks (keeps getting worse and overpowering the medication,) I have had suicidal bouts where I feel life isn't worth living if I have to work at something that makes me THIS miserable, coupled with the fact that the only jobs I get offers for are MORE call centers, making me feel like I will NEVER be free of them..... At this point, I would consider myself partially disabled. I am literally terrified of going to work--and I work from home! Taking calls for 4 years has gotten me so worked up that I worry that even if I do find other work, I have developed a phobia of working that will follow me and take a long time to get over. Call centers SUCK. You get yelled at by ignorant people on a regular basis, you get cursed at for policies you don't control, and the company always seems to be changing how they judge calls. When they find one you can deal with, they always seem to change it to one you CAN'T. They always understaff to keep everyone busy and "efficient", creating a pace that wears us out after one or two hours, let alone an entire day. People aren't machines, we can't handle constant calls in queue all day every day, one after another with no chance to breathe! (To top it off, they refuse to hire up to appropriate levels but then complain we drop too many calls because people get tired of waiting.) I too used to work as a Comcast tech support rep for internet via an outsourcing center, taking calls from customers in New York and New Jersey. (Everything you hear about customers from NJ? It's TRUE.) As it is, I still feel suicidal half the time, but I can't quit or I'm on the street. Finding other jobs is not working out. Is this how life is supposed to be now? Ongoing stress and panic? End rant.

[Kara]

I thoroughly enjoyed my call center days. Oh, there were people who made me want to hang myself with my headset cord, but for the most part, it was fun somehow. It was like being part of a study on psychosis. The things people got mad about, the level of their frothing rage over something so insignificant. The things they thought were owed to them somehow for things that were beyond ANYONE'S control. The things they thought there were entitled to after admitting that they caused their own issue in the first place. Sometimes, it was simply fascinating.

And then there were the ones I started taking notes on for the purpose of sharing on cs, thinking, "Oh, this is gonna be a GREAT post!"

[Eireann]

My supervisor wanted me to stay until the end of the month, but after today, I thought, "Why bother?" It's not that it was a bad day. I just knew that I didn't want to spend any more time working there. I kept watching the clock, waiting for break and lunch.

And what I'm doing now - the guy I'm working for wants more and more work, and it's fabulous! I've got so much I can do! The more I do, the better it will be for both of us, and I'll be building a reputation for myself and my work.

A lady I spoke with today had a great line: "God's honest truth, I'm not interested."

[Akasa]

Well good I'm happy for you.