Take a chance!
Hey there!
My name is Michael Banks and I have worked at Verizon (formerly New England Telephone) for 32 years. I went to college out of high school, but didn’t graduate and therefore applied at “the phone company”. At that time we were just that, a phone company. As time went by we started offering internet service through DSL. It was a great upgrade to the dial-up internet that people were using at the time. Then years later we came out with FiOS, which was much faster internet and offered TV service as well.
I have been so lucky to work at a company that has always been on the cutting edge of technology. I have learned so much, and have been able to share what I’ve learned with others. I went back to school nights, earning a BSBA and an MBA – 100% paid for by Verizon!
I started answering phone calls for about 5 years. Then I was promoted to Supervisor where I had about 20 Associates on the phones working for me. 10 years after that, I was promoted to Associate Director, where I have had up to 10 Supervisors and 200 Associates on my team. I have also worked in Information and Technology, Staff Support and, in the field, leading teams of technicians going to customers houses to install or fix their phone, internet and TV services.
A career in science, technology, engineering and math is something that will never go away. The world and technology is constantly evolving. There are things going on in the world today that nobody even imagined 32 years ago. Back in the day, when someone’s car broke down they had no cellphone to call anyone. They would just have to wait for someone to come to help.
I encourage you to get your education, and look for a career doing something you enjoy. However, it isn’t always clear if you will enjoy a job or not. I didn’t wake up one day thinking “I would love to work for the phone company”’. However, once I got in, I loved the work, the people and my job. Good luck! Take a chance!
