Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators answer customer telephone calls, as well as Internet and email inquiries about goods and services, and promote the goods and services on the business.
Tasks
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Answers incoming calls, emails and messages, and assists customers with their specific inquiries.
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Identifies requirements and records information into computer systems.
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Creates further interest in goods and services by offering customers more information about goods and inviting customers to use services on offer.
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Updates databases to reflect changes to the status of customers and prospective customers.
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Arranges the dispatch of goods, information kits and brochures to customers and interested parties.
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Undertakes clerical duties, such as faxing, and filling out paperwork, and liaising with other departments associated with completing the customer contact.
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Issues invoices and receives electronic payments for goods and services provided.
Characteristics
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Call or Contact Centre Workers, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 65% of people employed as Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 39 hours per week in their main job. This is 5 hours less than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators work in industries like:
- Financial and insurance services
- Public administration and safety
- Administrative and support services
- Transport, postal and warehousing.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 29.7 | 31.6 |
VIC | 28.9 | 25.6 |
QLD | 21.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 8.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 6.0 | 10.8 |
TAS | 3.8 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.3 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.2 | 1.9 |
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Around 68% of Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators is 34 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 71% of the workforce. This is 23 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 3.4 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 17.7 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 30.5 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 19.8 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 16.4 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 6.5 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.7 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 34 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Call Centre or Contact Centre Operator. Some workers have a certificate II, III or IV in customer contact or engagement.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Tourism, Travel and Hospitality VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Call Centre or Contact Centre Operators | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 3.6 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 14.3 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 12.0 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 18.7 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 33.7 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 6.3 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 11.3 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Call or Contact Centre Workers who can communicate clearly with others and provide good customer service.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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54%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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54%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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50%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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48%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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46%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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43%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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43%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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43%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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43%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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43%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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43%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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41%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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41%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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41%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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41%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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39%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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39%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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30%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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29%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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29%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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75%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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57%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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57%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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53%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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42%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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38%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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34%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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31%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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29%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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26%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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23%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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20%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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18%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
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15%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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15%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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13%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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13%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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13%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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11%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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11%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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54%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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54%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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48%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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46%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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46%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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46%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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46%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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45%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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43%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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43%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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43%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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43%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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39%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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39%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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39%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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37%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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34%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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32%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
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30%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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30%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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73%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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67%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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67%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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63%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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62%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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59%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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57%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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55%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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52%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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51%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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51%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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50%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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48%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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48%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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48%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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47%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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47%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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45%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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43%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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42%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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90%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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62%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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62%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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19%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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14%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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86%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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62%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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52%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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43%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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43%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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40%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
Demands
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100%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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97%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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90%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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89%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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88%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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87%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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86%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
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86%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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83%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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82%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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81%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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81%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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79%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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75%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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69%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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68%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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68%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
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67%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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66%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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58%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 43-4051.00 - Customer Service Representatives.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.