So I developed a chronic illness years ago. It makes working outside the house pretty much impossible for me. I ran my own business for a good while, but it’s struggling. I have all kinds of random skills and abilities, but I don’t really see how they fit together in the context of employed work, so for all intents and purposes, I would have to consider myself as someone with little experience regardless of what I might do.
In the meantime, I’ve been studying web development, and that’s probably what I’m going to try to do, but I was just wondering what other realistic possibilities are there out there for someone in my situation? I just want to see if there’s anything I’m not considering.
Customer service can be a possibility. As long as you can talk to people, and are able to work a set schedule, it doesn’t require much prior skill.
Seconded on this. Customer Service sucks when you start out because you have to deal with a lot of crap from people. However, if it’s something you’re good at, you can build a pretty decent career moving into Account Management or Customer Success Manager. I started out in a call center back in 2014, now I have a 6 figure salary as a CSM, and it’s easier than any job I’ve ever had.
Potentially weird question, but how did you get in to CSMing? I started in customer service and moved over to the training department instead. I’ve dome that at various companies since 2017, including training new CSMs for 2 years. That said, there is no real room for advancement for me with my current path I feel because I really don’t want to move in to management.
Is there a route you would suggest, outside of starting over at the bottom of the totem pole somewhere and working my way to CSM?
I can only speak to my experience, but I got lucky that “CSM” really started evolving as a role around me and I was basically already doing it, so it was an easy transition. That said, you’d need to go back to a customer facing role. I know there are Associate CSM roles now which I think is basically an entry-level csm role. It might be easier for you to start talking to people within the company you are currently at. If they know your experience and skills, it would be easier to go for a role change from training to csm. Once you have that first CSM role under your belt and on your resume, you’re in. Then just work your ways up the levels of csm.
This sounds promising. I wonder if there’s customer service jobs like this centered more around typing rather than talking? I can talk to people well enough, but depending on the day with my health stuff it can really take it out of me. Typing meanwhile, I could do for longer stretches.
First thought I had as well. By far the easiest point of remote work entry because a lot of people don’t like call center work.