What You'll Do

  • Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.
  • Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.
  • Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.
  • Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.
  • Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.
  • Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.
  • Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.
  • Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.
  • Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.
  • Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.0/5
Speaking 4.0/5
Service Orientation 3.5/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.12/5
Reading Comprehension 3.0/5
Critical Thinking 3.0/5
Monitoring 2.75/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.62/5
Coordination 2.5/5
Time Management 2.5/5
Writing 2.25/5
Active Learning 2.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.

Common styles

Dependability, Cooperation, Attention to Detail, Self-Control, Social Orientation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.12/5
Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Speech Recognition 4.0/5
Speech Clarity 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 3.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.0/5
Selective Attention 3.0/5
Near Vision 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Computer aided dispatch software Handheld computer device software Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Operating system software Video conference software Word processing software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Cooperation (High importance: 4.48/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.31/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.23/5)
  • Social Orientation (High importance: 4.19/5)

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

411 Directory Assistance Operator (411 Directory Assistance Op) Central Office Operator (CO Op) Change Number Operator (Change Number Op) Charge Operator (Charge Op) Communications Operator (Communications Op) Customer Service Assistant Directory Assistance Operator (Directory Assistance Op) Directory Operator (Directory Op) Emergency Operator (Emergency Op) Information Operator (Information Op) Information Specialist Inward Toll Operator (Inward Toll Op) Live Source Operator (Live Source Op) Local Operator (Local Op) Local Telephone Operator (Local Phone Op) Long Distance Operator (LD Operator) Long Lines Operator (Long Lines Op) Operator (Op) PBX Operator (Post Box Exchange Operator) Phone Operator (Telephone Operator) Phone Secretary (Telephone Secretary) Rate Quoting Operator (Rate Quoting Op) Relief Operator (Relief Op) Switchboard Op (Switchboard Operator) TELECOM Op (Telecommunications Operator) Telephone Exchange Operator (Phone Exchange Op) Toll Operator (Toll Op) Toll Relief Operator (Toll Relief Op) Toll Service Observer Trouble Operator (Trouble Op)

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.