job description

I am a contact representative for the Social Security Administration

Well, I work in Fountain Valley, California, but we have offices located throughout the nation. I really enjoy my work atmosphere. I work in an office, and there usually twenty-five other people working in the office at the same time. This way, you are constantly interacting with people. I would also say that my work atmosphere is very professional, since everyone respects everyone else.

I help claimants when they come into the office and have questions about their benefits. Many of the people who come in have do not know how to go about obtaining their benefits, or they do not know which kinds of benefits they are qualified to receive. Most of them have many questions, and that is where I come in and assist them.

Correct. And that is why I really enjoy my job. You get to interact with all sorts of people from different backgrounds, and you get to learn a little bit about everyone you help. This gives you a lot of new perspectives, and it really opens your mind.

Well, I would not say that there is such a thing as a "typical question" in my career path, since each case is unique to the individual. For example, each client has specific needs since they all have different benefits and are eligible for different amounts. However, a couple of questions that are heard routinely are "How much do I get each month?" "Will my benefits ever increase or decrease?" and "Which forms do I need to fill out in order to get my benefits?." In many cases, benefits decrease for some people and many of them always comes in to ask why there is a decrease. In regards to the services I provide, I do a lot of translating, explaining complex policies to my claimants, and I advise them and direct on how to go about obtaining their benefits.

Yes, however I do have additional duties that I am required to fulfill.

One large responsibility is to make sure that I am correctly identifying the claimant. I am authorized to ask for sensitive information such as social security numbers, their marriage status, and disability information in order to establish identity. I also am required to ask for additional form of identification such as a passport, certificate of naturalization, adoption certificates and marriage certificates.

education & career path

Well, after high school, I went to college and held a part time job at the bank. I had been with the bank for several years, and I went to a government job fair. I had always wanted to work for the government but did not know how to make my initial contact with them. So I went to the government job fair, and filled out a little form, and I got a call back from them a few months later out of nowhere.

When I received the call, I was not very excited; I was too shocked. Like I said, they called me out of the blue, and I was really surprised. However, after absorbing all of the information, I was very excited about the new offer.

I felt that the transition was very easy. My experience at the bank has really helped me out in this position. Other factors that made the transition very easy for me were my educational background and the fact that I speak a second language fluently.

Well, I attended the fair in Renton, Washington, but I believe that they have job fairs throughout the nation quite frequently.

I heard about the fair through a community service organization I was involved in. They had a flyer with the information, and I took the initiative to attend.

After four years, I graduated with a degree in international business, and also had a minor in economics.

Definitely. Definitely get at least a B.A. With the government, you do need higher education. They do look at that as a key factor to whether you will be hired or not. They look at it heavily. I know in the private industries, they may not look at degrees as much and may only require a lot of experience, but with the government, education is a top consideration.

The next for my career would be a promotion to the position that I currently working in on a temporary basis. That's another thing that is great about this agency- you can be temporarily promoted and experience what the job would be like, to see whether you enjoy it or not. I am in that position right now, and I am testing out that next step up.

It really depends on you, the office, and the area. If you have an office where they are promoting people within, you will start off with a two-year promotion and they can promote you very quickly right after you reach your second year anniversary. However, with other offices, you can work there for five or ten years, and you might not get promoted even if you are performing well. Some managers believe in promoting from within, while others believe in bringing new people into the office. A lot of offices are promoting people from outside of the office, which sometimes is considered to be a little unfair from those who have been working in the office for some time.

my day

Well, we have a very flexible working schedule. Our representatives can come in anytime from 7:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Because I have to drop my two kids off at daycare every morning, I usually get to the office by 8:15 a.m.

The first thing I do after I clock in is work on the critical tasks that did not get completed the day before. These critical tasks include ensuring all of the claimants are getting paid. This usually involves pushing through paperwork.

Well, on top of that I answer the phone, and I do a lot of paperwork. There is always a ton of paperwork on my desk, and since I'm working with government files, I have to be very careful and organized with them. I also interview clients and establish their identity by asking for multiple forms of identification. On a regular basis, I also help answer questions from new representatives.

I usually spend about two hours doing paperwork a day. This is another reason why I really enjoy my job. I feel that at some jobs, you are basically doing paperwork all day or at other jobs, you are always with people, offering customer service. This job really allows you to do both. You get to have time to complete paperwork and you also get to meet with many claimants all in the same day.

It really varies. There are some days in which you get claimants who only have a few basic questions that can be answered in little or no time at all. Other days, you get a string of claimants who have the most difficult questions. But on average, I would say that I see about twenty-five claimants per a day.

The most difficult situation at work would be when we have a claimant who demands payment but is not due to receive one yet.

Well, we try our best to explain to the claimant that he or she is not due a payment. We have to look into the reason and clearly explain it to them. This step requires some research into the claimant's history. After this, if the claimant still insist on the payment, we try to look into alternative options, and in cases where there is no way to give them a payment, then we just have to say no and be firm about it. In situations where the claimant is still insisting on the payment even after the explanation, then we are forced to call security to escort them out of the office.

There are always other responsibilities if you are willing to take initiative to do more.

Well, my main job is interviewing claimants up front and completing the paperwork at my desk, but I can also help other newcomers, take in the mail, sort through the mail, and assist others who approach my desk looking for additional help to solve a problem or answer a question.

Well, we have to complete an eight-hour shift, so it really depends on when you come in. You can also stay for more than eight hours if you choose; then you earn "credit hours," and you can use them to get time off later on.

salary & lifestyle

It fits really well with my lifestyle due to the flexible hours. I can choose to come in early or late, and if I'm running late in the morning with my daughters, I can simply stay at work later. This career has really allowed me to dedicate a lot of time to my growing daughters. I can also choose to work extra hours, which I mentioned earlier, and they could be used to get time off in the future.

No, my job is strictly done in the office. There is a lot of sensitive and confidential information that cannot be taken home. Therefore, after I am done with work, I can just focus on my life at home, with my family and kids. This job allows me to spend my evenings with my kids in a way in which I do not have to worry about work.

I would say that my career has a large impact on my life. It has really opened my mind because I am always interacting with very diverse people who come from different parts of the world. Being surrounded by claimants who are disabled and have gone through so much in their life has also made me a more compassionate person

No, well at first yes. However, as you gain more experience with this career, you learn to appreciate your life and everything you have more than ever. At the same time, you also learn to not let the troubles of others become your own troubles. This is a very important lesson to learn, and it is one that I struggled with when I first started out. You have to learn not to feel sorry for these people since they are not looking for sympathy, but help.

Once you are in my position, you are pretty much guaranteed a career path with the Social Security Administration if you perform your job well. You can also get promoted, but that depends on you. Some people get promoted very quickly, after only two or three years. I do see a lot of people who say that this is not a job they want to keep, so they just say goodbye and leave.

The salary for my job is ranging right now from $30,000-$45,000 a year.

Yes, if you perform well on your job you certainly will get awards at the end of the year and those awards are usually in monetary form.

Yes, if you are a full time employee, you do have health benefits. You have vision, dental, and medical. The health benefit program is called the "thrift-saving" plan and it is quite similar to a 401(k). We also have a pension that is paid to you by the agency upon your retirement. On top of that, we have bonds that you can purchase for yourself or for your family members.

pros, cons & trends

Well, one really good thing is that you get to talk to a lot of different agencies, both in the private and pubic sector.

I actually have to deal with a lot of other agencies to complete my work. I make contact with the Department of Homeland Security, doctors' offices, nursing homes, and other companies in order obtain immigration status and verify doctor notes and employment status.

I enjoy the job because it does give you a variety of tasks. However, after a while, you do want to move on. Personally, it is something that I do not want to do for a very long time. There are people, however, who have been doing it for fifteen years, but I feel it is time to move on after three or four years.

Well, I feel that there are many good things that the job allows me to do, but if I had to choose only one, I would say that the job allows me to do is that it allows me to make independent decisions. I make my own decisions on case-to-case basis. There is not a lot of close supervision, so most of the time, you have to work independently in order to help out your claimants. I pretty much control my own workload. I would also like to say that the job also allows me to be challenged. I really enjoy difficult cases and finding solutions to the problems my claimants are facing.

The negative thing about the job is that sometimes you have to deal with a lot of barriers. For example, you have to deal with claimants who are disabled, and older people who do not really understand the system. There is also the aspect of having language barriers, since our claimants come from a very diverse background. You also deal with homelessness and people who made a lot of money but have suddenly lost it all due to accidents and other tragedies. There are also cases in which claimants have lost a loved one, and it turns out that there are no benefits for them. I'm not sure if these situations are considered to be a negative part of my work though, since I do get to learn a lot out of them. However, it is very sad and heart wrenching to hear stories of these claimants and learn a little about their backgrounds.

I believe it is growing, simply because we are at an era where the baby boomers are getting to the age where they are entitled to their benefits. Therefore, there are more people requesting assistance in terms of Social Security benefits.

advice

I would tell them to be humble and be willing to learn. There is a lot to learn in the position and it takes a lot of understanding. Sometimes you will have to deal with frustrating situations, and you need to be able to stay calm and deal with it. I would also tell them to learn to adapt to change, since they will be working in a new atmosphere that requires you to get along with everyone else in the office.

Someone who would be suited for this job must have a lot of patience. They also have to have a lot of compassion and be a team player, because you work as a team in the office, and you frequently rely on other representatives to help you. In turn, you must also be willing to help others. I also think that someone who takes initiative would be valuable for this position, since they would be more willing to work with difficult claimants.

Well, another way to do it is to keep your eyes open on your college campuses. A lot of people go to the college campuses and recruit. Also, you should try to check out your career centers since the Social Security Administration usually place job postings in the career center. You can also look up postings online. The website to look at is http://www.usajobs.gov Here, there is a listing of many government positions and you apply right there online. I think this is the best way to get a foot in the door with the government, and I would recommend this to those who are looking to start in this career.

I think a person should first find a job that allows them practice their customer service skills, because you are basically dealing with customers on a daily basis. It also really helps a lot if you speak a second language. Therefore, I would recommend to those who do speak a second language to continue to practice it or brush up on it before they become a contact representative for the Social Security Administration. Every day, you'll encounter claimants who do not speak English very well, and the only way to ensure that they understand their benefits and rights is to have someone translate. If you happen to speak that language, you can do this part yourself and this will save a lot of time. Another valuable experience would be to work in an office atmosphere that allows you to be responsible for different forms of paperwork. This will help you to quickly identify and distinguish one form from another.