Guitarist/Customer Service

1. Name
   Blair Manie
   
   
   
2. Age
   28
   
   
   
3. Job Title
   Guitarist/ Backing Vocals in ‘Wadakai’. Customer Service Operator at Yellow Pages Connect.
   
   
   
4. Job Description
   As Guitarist in Wadakai I write and perform the songs that we play in the band. At YPC I answer phones and look up businesses on our database for customers.
   
   
   
5. Hours (per week)
   Wadakai - the hours are unlimited. Basically I use my spare time to practice guitar, write music and help take care of the managerial side of running a band. Things like booking gigs, advertising, organizing recording and rehearsal and of course rehearsing on average 10 to 20 hours a week. At YPC I work between 25 to 40 hours a week.
   
   
   
6. What was your first job?
   My first job was as a gardener for a family friend at 14. My first serious job was at the local music shop at 16.
   
   
   
7. What inspired you to choose the particular career you're working in now?
   I was inspired to play music by my love for listening to music, also the guitar looked and sounded so awesome, I started playing at 14 buying my first guitar and amp with the proceeds from my first job. I became involved with the call center because I need to be able to have flexible hours and the pay rates are good.
   
   
   
8. What qualifications are needed to work in this field?
   To be a guitarist you must have a passion for music and be willing to practice many hours. To work in a call center you must have a decent knowledge of computer skills and have a pleasant manner when talking to customers.
   
   
   
9. What are the best aspects about your job?
   The best aspects of playing in a band are being able to express myself creatively, having fun playing with a few of my best friends, and performing onstage. Also one of the most amazing things is having someone come up to you and say that one of your songs or your playing inspires them or is their favorite song. The good aspects of call center work are that you can choose your hours, the pay is good and you meet great people.
   
   
   
10. What are the worst aspects?
    The worst aspects of playing in a band is the frustration of how difficult it is to manage a band and play in it, how hard it is to get gigs and how hard it is as a relatively unknown band to get people to your gigs. The worst aspects of the call center is having irate customers getting angry because the business they are looking for is not listed and staring at a computer screen all day.
    
    
    
11. How many years’ experience do you have in this field?
    As a guitarist I have been playing for 14 years, I have been playing in and managing bands for about 11 years. I have only been working in call centers for about 1 year.
    
    
    
12. Are there many employment opportunities?
    Only about 1 in 10,000 bands ever makes it big but you can always get out there and play for the fun of it. Even if you just play at parties for friends and the occasional pub gigs, it’s a hell of a lot of fun. There is a fair bit of opportunity for work in call centers and you can always get temp work which is handy if you are juggling other commitments like Uni, or if you are wanting to travel, and work in between trips or while you are staying in a foreign city.
    
    
    
13. Other related careers
    My other jobs have included, guitar teacher, repair and maintenance of guitars (Guitar Tech), Sound Engineer (Mixer), Sales in a music shop, electronics assembler and making guitars for Maton Guitars.