Over the summer, I got a job as a telemarketer. A telemarketer is basically a person who is attempting to sell, or market, something over the phone. Unless you’re really good at communicating, there’s a very steep learning curve that comes with the job. And unfortunately, I’m not good at communicating.  But I stuck with it, it was my first real job and I wanted to get good at it.

                During my time as a telemarketer, I noticed the different methods my co-workers used over the phone. One established rapport with the people he was calling; he turned a random person into a friend by speaking within mutual topics. Another would basically hype up the people he called into listening (if you’ve seen Boiler Room, you know what I mean.). What I concluded is that, no matter their style, they’ve been doing this long enough so that communication to them is second-nature, like holding a fork. It’s like any other skill; you start off awkwardly with the fork, trying different poses until it feels comfortable. And eventually, you don’t even have to think about it, you just pick up the fork and eat.

                The only thing that stands between being a stuttering and awkward speaker and the next contestant on “Shark Tank” is time. Like anything from sports to studying, it all depends on how fast you’re able to learn. Usually, I’m a pretty quick learner. But in this particular situation, I seriously went off course. The fact that this particular job only pays on commission, and I was basically allowed to come in whenever I wanted, appealed to the inner slacker in me. As a result, I didn’t get that good. My communication skills somewhat improved, but that’s about it.

                I want to apply the things we learn in class to my job and vice versa. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll one day become a good telemarketer.

Alex Abramov