customer service representative

researcher

benefits analyst

social media specialist

senior software engineer

Telus

Helpdesk specialist at TELUS here. I will not say where or for how long for anonymity purposes.
 I love my colleagues, wonderful people, that I can easily refer to as friends. We hang out outside of work too, we chat often, we help each other out as much as possible, and we correct each other’s mistakes and learn together. I came across this job what seems like very randomly, through a contracting company who “loans” talent to TELUS in exchange for a contract and compensation. You work there as a contractor. After a while, years usually, there is an opportunity for full-time recruitment directly by TELUS, and you become a TELUS employee, with good benefits and perks. While you are a contractor, you do not have healthcare benefits and insurance, no paid vacation time and you are not eligible to take on extra-credits projects for bonus pay. These perks only come into play if you are recruited as a full-time employee.
 It is very fulfilling work helping people, mostly 911 operators and law enforcement, and find information about a particular customer and/or their location in an emergency situation, either to help them, or to stop criminal behavior. It is a 24/7 call center, and we work in shifts, usually 12.5 hours shift, 3 times a week, with calls covering the entirety of Canada, so you have to be fully French and English bilingual, written and spoken, this is mandatory to be considered for the job. Full-time workers are able to work a 4th shift in a week. 
There are necessary amenities, like gender-based bathrooms, fridge, microwave, fresh and cool water dispenser, underground parking. There are all sorts of office chairs so you can find one that feels more comfortable to you. Office is divided in cubicles, but you are often on your own or with only one other person in the office, as only contractors are required to work from the office. Full-time employees mostly work from home, unless they choose to come to the office, or a new contractor has been hired and needs to be trained, so full-time employees have to come in to train them. You do not get a lot of breaks or lunch breaks, you are usually assigned around 30 minutes total break time in one 12.5 hours shift, to take in increments when needed. Going to the bathroom only takes a couple minutes total from the time you get up  from your chair to when you sit back down. You are expected to eat and drink while taking calls. You are also expected to try and take your breaks when it is a fairly quieter time on the phone lines. 
You are well compensated for your work, you learn new things constantly as technology and internal procedures change often, and workers can rely on each other for answers and for assistance. A manager is always easily reachable if the need ever arises, like a question about a specific procedure that your colleague cannot answer, or any issues that need to be reported or need for assistance with something. There are some technical issues sometimes, which is unavoidable, whether with the hardware or software, but they are almost always quickly dealt with, and there are specific procedures and teams in place to help you depending on what issue you ran into. 
In short, I absolutely love the work there, very fulfilling, and even with the long hours, and commute if you are a contractor, I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I absolutely do recommend this job to anyone with interest in cellphone and computer technology in a big technology and telecommunications company, especially if you enjoy helping people in emergency situations by assisting emergency operators, personnel, and law enforcement.

What I like about working as a task contributor:

It's relatively easy work as long as you are somewhat familiar with the Internet and social media.
There's no experience or education required.
It's extremely flexible and doable for stay at home moms. Great side income or something to do while waiting to get hired for full time. 

What I don't like:

There's no transparency. They don't tell you how much you'll get paid they just tell you what the average person makes. You can see values at the top of tasks but there's no clarity on what that value means or how many you've worked (unless you keep track yourself). There's no sure way to make sure they're accurately paying you for the work you did. 
It's very inconsistent. The alerts don't work. You can refresh the page 30 seconds after you reserve a work available alert and there won't be anything there. And sometimes if you refresh randomly without an alert there will be tasks available. You don't need to sit at your computer all day but you do have to take the initiative to check on your own without relying on alerts.
Some of the tasks are super subjective and there's no clarity on whether you're doing it right or not. There's also no help. I've seen them fire people with no notice no explanation. So you just have to do your best and hope you didn't misinterpret anything.  

At our company, fostering growth isn't just a goal; it's ingrained in our culture. With a supportive environment and ample resources, the company empowers BDRs like myself to excel in our roles. Regular training sessions, mentorship programs, and access to cutting-edge tools enable us to sharpen our skills and stay ahead of industry trends.

Moreover, the company's commitment to innovation fuels our success. By staying agile and adaptable, we're able to capitalize on emerging opportunities and navigate evolving market landscapes effectively. Transparent communication channels foster collaboration across teams, ensuring alignment towards common objectives.

Beyond professional development, the company prioritizes employee well-being, offering perks like flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, and a vibrant office culture. This holistic approach enhances morale and fosters a sense of belonging, driving us to go above and beyond in our roles.

In essence, the company's unwavering support and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in propelling my growth as a BDR, enabling me to achieve success while contributing to the company's overall success story.

Working at TELUS has been an incredibly rewarding experience that surpasses expectations. The company's commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive work environment is truly commendable. From day one, I felt welcomed and valued, surrounded by a team of passionate and talented individuals. TELUS not only encourages professional growth but actively supports it through various training and development programs.

The emphasis on work-life balance at TELUS is refreshing, allowing employees to thrive both personally and professionally. The company's dedication to community involvement and social responsibility creates a sense of pride among employees, knowing that they are part of a company making a positive impact. The leadership team at TELUS is approachable, transparent, and genuinely invested in the well-being of their employees.

The innovative and collaborative culture at TELUS fosters creativity and forward-thinking, making each day exciting and fulfilling. With competitive benefits, a supportive work environment, and a commitment to making a difference, TELUS is more than just a workplace; it's a community that values its employees and empowers them to excel.

I have worked as a staff EAP counselor for over 3 yrs now…this is my first fully remote position and first time receiving a salary and benefits (vs. hourly or independent contractor). Despite everyone working remotely, our team and supervisors work hard to engage with and support one another…there’s always someone available with an encouraging word through our big group chat! I love all our direct supervisors and the new TELUS management is working hard to connect with us by providing regular coffee chats. I love the short-term nature of the clinical side, with the opportunity to help all sorts of people all over the country with all sorts of issues…there is a lot of variety and I am always learning about new resources and strategies to help with many issues. Best part- connecting with people who need help, many of whom have never met with a counselor before, and providing practical tips for immediate concrete gains. There are periodically challenges with technical issues, but I think you will find that anywhere.

- Fake culture. People peer-pressured to portray that they are always happy. People who wish to constructively criticize processes with a genuine intention of bringing about improvement are discouraged to do so by colleagues and leaders who appear as always happy and content robots. Most are there to just collect their pay cheques and survive without getting laid off. They don't have passion in their work (which is exactly why they largely don't protest and criticize when they see that there is something wrong).

- A lot of useless processes that make work inefficient.

- Hard to move to different Business Units.

- People are told by management to explore their interests, but then when you ask to take a course in something outside of the Business's objectives (e.g. some new technology outside of the core business of the team), they turn you down.

- Their salary negotiation process is very dishonest. They low-ball you, and then when you negotiate, they are willing to give you a 20% + spike in base salary. In other words, they try to get away with a low base salary if they can.

This position is for older workers, who are  almost near retirement and a young person out of graduate school with  little to some experience. You have no control over your schedule. It changes several times during the year and isn't accommodating to folks, who have families. When you start you will get the worst schedule  (working on weekends) and when people start to leave, your chances of getting the schedule you want is slim. What you get is based on the needs of the companies. Co-workers are very supportive, which is a nice thing about the job  and you are making  a difference in someone's life as a Client Care Counselor.  The least favorite task is scheduling and cancelling appointments for clients and people calling thinking you are HR asking for help with issues that are not related to counseling. Counselors with masters degrees are really treated like customer service agents. The health insurance with Cigna is so expensive.

I liked the job.  It was a good job.  That being said they hire part-time and offer overtime 'sometimes'.  They offer additional shifts as well and it's important to know the difference.  The additional shifts are paid normally while overtime is paid differently.

They are on people about the queue and trying to clear it because people can wait up to an hour to get to you and obviously that will upset people.  However, they don't bring enough people to work for those hours.

On top of it, your stats don't really matter.  They will have goals for you and that is important for your yearly bonus but it won't matter if you are under your KPI's, you will still be investigated and written up for not using your KPI's how they want you too.  So if your talk time is too low, they will force you to listen to 10-15 of your own calls and ask you what you did wrong before telling you all the things you could have done to sell things.

Management is brutal.  I would love working there if it wasn't for them.

Telus WAS a great place to work as a entry level job. For the first 10 years I only had great things to say. That all changed the new CEO was able to get 26 million for not doing is job. What did we get laid off! I have 50 former colleagues that have left over they years before it got to the point where I was depressed coming into work. I was doing the job of 5 people and not getting paid a dime extra. With the promise of opportunities that were then blocked by your own manager if they personally didn't want you to go. 

Unfortunately they pay so well it's hard to leave Telus but 50% of employees who work there if another job was offered to them outside the company they would leave. As well as would take a lay off package if offered to the department they would take it. 

So if you have thick skin and are okay with working crazy hours when required, then this place is for you.

Benefits are decent IF you get hired full time.
Pay is great.
Work life balance depends what department most don't have a good work life balance.

Team work is excellent. Management is supportive. 
Ability to gain experience from different populations and counseling situations. 
All equipment is provided.  6 week paid training.  Downside is the multiple contracts & process. Very critical on the technical process of your intake. Call center focus. Which means rotation of shifts every 4 months. Your shift bid is based on seniority.  PTO is placed in advance.  Meaning you are required to put in your future PTO days at the beginning of the year. No guarantee of all your PTO days being approved. No sick days. Health insurance is the worst. High deductible. Overall the job is great. The ability to WFH while providing counseling is the best. Also we provide help for the National Problem Gambling Helpline and we provide services for the state of Indiana Mental Health and Addiction. We provide services for a lot of colleges. I love the ability to provide in the moment support through phone and chat. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Customer service representative 3 salaries reported	$41,000 per year
Researcher 6 salaries reported	$125 per day
Benefits analyst 5 salaries reported	$44,140 per year
Social media specialist 3 salaries reported	$15.33 per hour
Senior software engineer 3 salaries reported	$86,333 per year

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