Do you enjoy problem solving and talking to people? Could you see yourself doing this for a living? If so, it may be worth your while to look into the many switchboard based automotive careers available to you. If you are good at multitasking, you might look into being a dispatcher, as there are plenty of agencies and companies that could use your service.
The most obvious career path that people think of when discussing dispatchers involves law enforcement. Dispatchers, also known as 9-11 operators, operate a digital switchboard and take a number of calls throughout the course of a day or night, and direct police officers to certain areas of the city, so that they can respond to the call. This sector of the career path has the most potential for stress, because there really is no telling what type of call a dispatcher might receive at any given moment. They might receive a phone call from a person who is distressed and in need of immediate help from a police officer. They may also receive calls from people who are severely injured and in need of urgent medical care. For these reasons, it’s important for a person interested in becoming a police dispatcher should be personable and possess the ability to stay calm under stressful situations.
Becoming a taxi dispatcher is another viable opportunity that you can take advantage of if you are looking for automotive careers to delve into. You’ll set up transportation both with locals needing a ride and people from out of town who are unfamiliar with the entire area. For this reason, you’ll need to use switchboards, GPS systems and digital maps in order to place drivers with clients. You can use these systems to make drivers and callers aware of the estimated time of arrival.
Outside of taxis and emergency vehicles, public transportation relies on switchboard operators as well. Dispatcher training prepares you to make bus drivers and shuttle operators aware of any changes in traffic, along with any other issues they’d encounter along the road. Likewise, drivers can phone in to dispatchers in order to ask questions or let them know of any changes along the route. Knowing the routes a driver takes allows the switchboard operator to keep in touch of the driver, with their safety in mind. For this reason, drivers routinely check in with dispatchers to keep them abreast of route beginnings and endings.
Keeping tabs on the driver’s travel, while helping to facilitate the process is a major role for a dispatcher, and while the job description might vary, this role largely remains the same. People looking for automotive careers have plenty of opportunity in front of them in terms of jobs.