Melissa Hibbard | Stenographer

We had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa and got to know more about her journey, her experience, and what its really like working as a stenographer. Heres a look at her story, in her own words.

Tell us about yourself, who are you outside of your job?

I am a wife, and mother of three young children. Someone who loves nature, anything that has to do with reading, the ocean, libraries, and architecture. I love crafting and crocheting.

If your job had a warning label, what would it say?

Warning: Will talk to fast and give you sass.

What's one thing people always get wrong about what you actually do?

That I just take phone calls for broken down vehicles.

If you could give your first-year-on-the-job self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Take one day at a time.

What's something in your car or your bag right now that most people wouldn't expect?

A sewing kit, I guess you never know when you need to fix something.

Describe your job in exactly five words.

Multitasking chaos coordinator.

What's one piece of advice you wish you had ignored?

I dont think I have ever received BAD advice.

What's a totally random skill your job has accidentally made you great at?

Listening to multiple conversations at once, split hearing.

Have you ever been mistaken for something you're not (a lawyer, a cop, security) because of what you were carrying or wearing?

Yes, all the time. But not by what I am carrying or wearing. I work in a 911 call center, and people always assume they are talking to a police officer and not a dispatcher.

What's one piece of jargon from your world that would confuse literally anyone outside it?

10-8, 10-27, 10-97, I could go on and on.

If your job were a reality TV show, what would the tagline be?

I am so bad at things like this.

What's a moment on the job that reminded you why the work actually matters?

When even a small significant, or so you thought, act or favor is done, and it means the world to the person you are doing it for.

Who was the most memorable person you've ever worked with or for and why?

I would say the people you work shift with that will actually make the shift fun to work. My current line of work can be very stressful, exhausting, and frustrating. But when you work with a good group of people everything flows, everything is communicated and received well. It makes a huge difference to your day when things mesh good.

What's the proudest "nobody will ever know I did this, but I did" moment of your career?

I took a call from someone who was concerned about the welfare of their loved one. They stated this person made suicidal statements and was afraid of what they were going to do. I didnt have much to go buy as far as location, but I tried every avenue I could think of. I was able to get a cell phone trace done and we were able to find this person and get them the help they needed.

If you weren't doing this job, what's the one career you'd have chased instead?

A nurse.

Favorite local restaurant?

Its called Cattlemens. I honestly dont know if it is local or not, but its local to me!

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