Despite provocations, the dispatcher must remain calm, objective, and in control of the situation. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Employers prefer to hire high school graduates, especially those who have taken business courses. Preference also may be given to candidates who have previous business, dispatching, or specific job-related experience. Good reading and writing skills, as well as a basic knowledge of business arithmetic are necessary. Typing, filing, recordkeeping, and other clerical skills are also important.
Some employers give applicants typing tests.
Traffic, shipping, and receiving clerks and stock clerks who handle jewelry, liquor, or drugs may have to be bonded. Police, fire, and ambulance dispatching jobs generally are governed by State or local government civil service regulations. Candidates for these jobs may have to pass written, oral, and performance tests. A familiarity with personal computers or computer systems is an asset, because computers are increasingly used for inventory control and for dispatching. Job Outlook Overall employment of dispatchers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005 due to the growing need for the various services that dispatchers provide.