Like what I have said in my previous article, working in a call center is not for everyone, and most of all not for the faint hearted. There were a lot of scandals that was released to the public in the recent years about call center agents failing to resolve customer issues and ending up in a blistering arguments with callers.

 

TESDA offers a training course for individuals who want to work in the call center industry, but do you really think teaching someone to speak in a foreign language is enough, do you think that if they can talk in English they can surely get a job? The realistic answer is "NO," it takes more than just conversational skills and language fluency to work in a call center.

 

You may talk like an American, or have the accent of a Brit but if you lack analytical and critical decision making skills, then my friends you are not only having false hopes but you are definitely headed nowhere.

 

Way back when I started in the industry, I knew absolutely nothing about how and what to do. But I had one thing that I know would take me places. Ever since I was young, my grand parents brought me up being familiar with the English language, but more than that I have developed a skill that I didn’t know would be of great value for me in the future, and that was the ability to analyze a certain problem and come with a solution just by observing.

 

Going back, during my first months in the industry my friends were surprised that I was only 19 and I had the skills that normally would take years to acquire. You see being able to speak the language doesn’t mean you can be in the industry, it takes more than that. 

 

Try using the language more often, even if your in public places, converse with your friends in English, remember practice... practice... and more practice. why? Well my friends we were not born speaking the language, even the Americans make a lot of mistakes most of the time. The only one who can help you is yourself, not some organization, not me, not the networks, YOU. Instead of reading tabloids read news papers that are in English, watch more English programs. Believe me pretending you're good will not get you anywhere.

 

I'll be straight forward, I have seen a different kinds of people in this industry, and a lot of them I don't even know why they get mad when they don't get accepted when they apply. Have they ever thought that they lacked something, yes you may be half American, yes you may come from an exclusive school, or maybe yes you're a socialite that speaks like a "Kolehiyala" that forces herself to sound fluent but in the ears of those who studied how to become fluent you sound terrible.

 

These sorts of skills do not apply. You have to understand before you react. One of the most common reasons why one does not pass an interview is, when asked a specific question, they give a way different answer, it’s in English but Hey! that is not the answer.

 

This year an estimated 800,000 jobs are found to be in danger, and out of this 800,000 about 200,000 are sure to lose their jobs, now that’s not yet the call center industry, so does that mean that most of these people would most likely apply in our industry? Hmmm lets look at some numbers, this year let’s say 100 call centers are still up and running and these centers would open jobs for at least 100,000 total.

 

But given the current requirements that centers nowadays have let’s say only 50 to 80 thousand seats will be occupied. That’s more than 50 percent less job opportunities for people who are bound to be unemployed.

 

The average call center takes in 50 to 100 applicants per day, and roughly 20 out of a hundred would pass the initial interview, so that means out of 10,000 applicants in a day roughly 2,000 get a chance and out of those 20 applicants about half would fail the written, vocal and listening test.

 

So that means out of 2,000 only 1,000 would get a chance to get interviewed on the next level. The numbers speak for themselves. The life expectancy of an average call center agent is about 3 mos, after that either they resign or get terminated.

 

In these days new hires look to call centers as easy money, but that is entirely an illusion if you’re the type that thinks being in a call center is another walk in the park.

 

Those like me who have been in this industry for quite sometime now no longer go after the money, for we know that money is easy to earn, but like one great philospher said "if you love your job, You would never have to work a single day in your life" Well we love our job and feel like we're just in an extension of our homes.