BPOs now offer a career growth chances
GETTING a job in the BPO industry is a dream come true for many a young graduate looking to gain some quick work experience and make some big money while at it. And while the endless debate on safety concerns and the havoc created by permanent graveyard shifts on young bodies rages on, the fact remains that the BPO industry is a very lucrative and rewarding profession for young inexperienced job seekers with little more than a degree to their name. Call centres often start with a salary of around seven to eight thousand for beginners and pay up to 30,000 for experienced, higher-end and management positions. That kind of money can be hard to come by for most fresh graduates if it weren't for these money spinning outsourcing ventures. But for those looking for professional growth, do careers tend to stagnate a few years down the line? The correct answer to that question is, it depends...
Front end staff get promoted to team leaders and to other management positions within a a span of three or four years, which is more than what you can say about other professions outside the IT sector. Many large players in the BPO industry offer excellent training and higher education opportunities; so the perception of stagnation is by and large a misconception. A top private sector bank which has a BPO arm, for example, offers employees who've been with the company for 18 months or more the opportunity to move across its group companies. Another international bank which has its captive BPO centre, is another major player that offers higher education programmes for its employees as loyalty rewards. With attrition rates skyrocketing, most big players in the BPO industry are scrambling to find ways to retain employees, and career growth opportunities not surprisingly feature high on their list of priorities.
So if you are looking for a rewarding and gratifying experience of working with a call centre, here are some tips to help you get there:
The minimum qualification for landing a job in a call centre is a degree, though many call centres are accepting under-graduates and diploma holders with excellent communication skills and good accent.
Your spoken English needs to be impeccable, and your accent, preferably neutral. If you are serious about getting a call center job, you may want to enlist in a training programme for spoken English and accent neutralisation. Many of these programmes are tied up with a number of call centres and offer assured employment to those who pass. Find a reputed trainer in your locality and opt for a good training programme.
Finding job vacancies is not very tough. Call centres frequently organise walk-ins that are advertised in leading national dailies. You might also want to enlist with reputed recruiting agencies and head hunters. You could also network with friends and relatives already in the industry to recommend your name during the next recruitment drive. This is a growing industry, and with high attrition rates, there is no dearth of openings up for grabs.
A background in finance, accounts, banking or hospitality industry will give you a definite edge over the competition. Also consider learning a new international language - such as French, Japanese, German, - which are in great demand with international call centres.
Do not shy away from night shifts. Night shifts are a way of life in the BPO industry and almost every beginner is invariably assigned to graveyard shifts. As for safety concerns, all call centres have pickup and drop facilities for their employees, and most campuses take adequate precautions to ensure the safety and security of their employees.
Nevertheless, check out the reputation of the employer before you sign the dotted line. You could find out about the work culture and the management from other employees. But in general, night shift phobia is a trifle overstated. With thousands of employees milling in to work each shift in brightly lit offices, there is little fear of loneliness or isolation creeping in. Do remember, BPOs that require candidates to work in night shifts offer better pay, perks and work culture. However, if you are willing to settle for less in return for more comfortable shifts, you may find it easier to get day shifts in the domestic call centre industry. Finding a job in the BPO industry might seem easy enough. But for those of you planning to make a quick buck before beating a hasty retreat, our advice is, give it a fair shot and wait a little longer before you decide. Perseverance has its own rewards.
BINDU SRIDHAR
faqs@cnkonline.com
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