So you want to apply in a call center? Or you probably already have and have failed for the past couple of attempts and you cant figure out why?
For a newbie, applying in a call center or BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) is a major [major] challenge. What sets it apart, and perhaps what adds to this challenge is the structured measurement of an applicant’s communication skill.
I’m a veteran in the call center industry, before my exposure to customer service, I was a radio disc jockey for five years in the FM band. This experience led me to believe that applying in a call center was “chicken feed”, but to my horror, the first three attempts resulted to a depressing failure. I could not understand why.
I remember after this three failed attempts, I ordered myself a tall latte, sat in a corner of Starbucks and began to analyze my performance from the interviews. I used my experience in interviewing applicants for the radio jock post (when I was still a Program Manager) in this self-examination phase, and this is what I realized: consistent grammar and pronunciation problems, poor diction, limited vocabulary, and provincial intonation and accent. I realized, too, that the contents of my responses to the interview questions were nothing more than a stab in the dark, it was empty, unmotivated, and therefore unconvincing. The negative streak only ended after I realized what my faults were and WORKED ON THEM, and I had to work on them fast if I wanted to land a job. The end of this story is that I got my first call center work and had been in the industry for the past nine years.
I am a frequent visitor of the call center forum on http://www.pinoyexchange.com, and I realized that there are just too many applicants out there who are in the same plight as I was – relentless in their intent to find a job but repeatedly fails. The forums they go to offer very little advice, if not a complete background or the steps they need to take to land that elusive job.
This blog series aims to help by providing answers to questions and if possible, practical solutions to problems faced by a lot of candidates while applying in the call center industry. You can also reach me via iwannabeacsr@gmail.com. The easiest way to reach me is by leaving a comment on ASK SEVEN or right below any post.
Gino Borlado 