Switchboard operators connected and transferred calls
Once telephones were invented, people could call anywhere in the world. However, this was not as simple as it is nowadays. Back then, every person who owned a phone relied on switchboard operators to manually connect their number to the person they wanted to talk to.
These days, this job sounds super strange since modern telephones and smartphones can automatically connect themselves with other devices in a matter of seconds. Back then, the work of a switchboard operator was not easy at all. It required quick motor skills to connect the lines as well as excellent customer skills.