Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance

Also called : Aircraft Dispatcher, Charter Coordinator, City Dispatcher, Dispatcher (Dispatch), Mine Dispatcher, Paratransit Dispatcher, School Bus Dispatcher, Taxi Dispatcher, Train Dispatcher, Truck Dispatcher

What they do

Schedule and dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles for conveyance of materials, freight, or passengers, or for normal installation, service, or emergency repairs rendered outside the place of business. Duties may include using radio, telephone, or computer to transmit assignments and compiling statistics and reports on work progress.

On the job, one would

Schedule or dispatch workers, work crews, equipment, or service vehicles to appropriate locations, according to customer requests, specifications, or needs, using radios or telephones.

Prepare daily work and run schedules.

Confer with customers or supervising personnel to address questions, problems, or requests for service or equipment.

Relay work orders, messages, or information to or from work crews, supervisors, or field inspectors, using telephones or two-way radios.

Receive or prepare work orders.

KNOWLEDGE

Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

SKILLS

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

ABILITIES

Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

PERSONALITY

People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;

Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.

Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Related Occupations

Compliance Officers

Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks

New Accounts Clerks

Cargo and Freight Agents

First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers

Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan

Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks

Customer Service Representatives

TECHNOLOGY

Aviation ground support software

Calendar and scheduling software

Computer aided design CAD software

Customer relationship management CRM software

Data base reporting software

Data base user interface and query software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Expert system software

Geographic information system

Helpdesk or call center software

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Preparation
Some Preparation Needed
Education
High school diploma.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed.
Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.