The top job in the Philippines is to be a call center agent or executive

Switzerland
July 1, 2009 1:56pm CST
Many people in the Philippines are working as call center executives because of its demand for catering American and UK market, they are required to speak english over the phone or send email in english text. Call center has been in the country for many many years but it was not that really famous job before. Since, people thought that you would not succeed being a call center employee. But it seems that finding a job in the Philippines is not easy at all. You have to be really competitive to land a job. Or even if you get a job, it could be temporary or you are considered under employed. Do you also have the passion to work in a call center industry? Thanks, Jef
11 responses
@tomjoad (551)
• Philippines
25 Jul 09
well i used to work for a call center before. the pay was good and i was treated very nicely by the employers. most of the bosses were americans and they were very very generous. since i was with sales it was indeed a very competitive and rewarding account. i thought at first though that i'd love the job. the environment was great, the people were good, and the salary was not half bad either. however, later on the stress caught up with me. i can no longer take it anymore. since our time zone here is the opposite of the time zone in the US so i had to work night shifts for more than 8 months. i couldn't take it anymore so one day i resigned. in my opinion, call centers are a great job and a good source of income. it has a very competitive atmosphere too and very challenging. the problem is that of the night shift. it's really hard to live like a vampire. you know, when you're awake all night and asleep all day? that doesn't really work. if only there were more daytime shifts than nighttime then i think it would have been easier.
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
25 Jul 09
hi tom. well there are morning and afternoon shifts available in selected call center companies. try to look for those that handle either australian or uk accounts. shift usually start at 4am or 5am and end in the afternoon. the afternoon shift starts at 3pm and ends at 11pm, not bad.certainly better than staying up late at night until the early hours of the morning. just look what particular accounts a certain call center is handling and you'll find your call center job with a more bearable shift schedule. cheers!!!
• Switzerland
26 Jul 09
You mean you are not working in a call centre now? Yes, Americans are actually generous. They will do all what they can to really train you for the job. Sales account is actually one of the most challenging. You will be meeting different people over the phone and you will be introduce to different situations. Sales is not an easy job because they sometime require you to have a target value for a particular period. But as what you have said, it is rewarding, true, because once you get much sales, you also get commissions aside from the normal salary you get. Sales require to have marketable people who can really talk very good and can introduce the product in a very nice manner. What brought you resigned as an agent is stress. Yes, stress is not easy to handle. It affects your daily activities and your work performance will not be as good as before. Also, when you are not used to graveyard shift, that could be lots of adjustments. But what is your work now? Thank you for the comment. Have a nice day. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting. Jeff
• Switzerland
26 Jul 09
Allen, you have a very good suggestion. If he is still interested to work in a call center industry, then definitely he can look for other accounts or companies that cater other markets. Then he can work in the normal time leaving the stress. Have a nice day. Happy mylotting. Jeff
@larish (2191)
• Philippines
6 Jul 09
I never work in the call center (not yet) but I have been with the corporate industry for the past 10 years and I may say that in our country (Philippines), the basic communication language in writing is still english. I think it is better explain in English than in our native language, at times we cannot find an exact translation of an english word in filipino (native language). Whatever industry you go to as long as it is the corporate world. You still have to master your english. Happy myloting.
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
24 Jul 09
I can't handle the stress in working in a call center. My English is poor and call center agenst are sleep deprived because the shift is often graveyard. Finding jobs here in the Philippines is very difficult only call centers gives opportunities to the Filipinos. Even if some Filipinos working there are over qualified for the work but they don't have choice because it offers big salary than any other available jobs here. Many still prefer go abroad even in risky places like Afghanistan or Iraq they still want to go there because it offers big salary than working here. Even if the government claiming that there's opportunities here but nothing can compare the salaries there.
1 person likes this
• Switzerland
25 Jul 09
Thank you for the response even if you never worked in any call centre business. But you actually work in a corporate industry which is much harder I guess. First, you dealt with different kinds of people personally. Second, you have to possess special skills to get some work done. You are correct that in Philippines, almost every paper, formal or informal, is written in English. Also, if we will use tagalog, we might not found the exact translation of the word or words. Lucky being a filipino, because all people can speak the language, good or bad, they have studied or not, and that is already an extra point because English is widely used in the world. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting. Jeff
1 person likes this
• Switzerland
25 Jul 09
Hello there. Yes, to work in a call centre industry might be stressful but I am sure you can handle any situation as long as you have to proper training which they provide. I, myself cannot speak good english but I was able to land a call centre job before because I really focus and concentrate on my job. It was really stressful during the training but when you start experiencing all your hardwork, then it pays more than what you expect.
@gjabaigar (2200)
• Philippines
26 Jul 09
Howdy yuansplace! Yep, working on Call Centers is the top popular job here in our country Philippines whether an agent, admin, technical or executive. Call Center are also kind of Data Sourcing. And of course as we may know, India is still the most competitive in the field of Data Sourcing or Call Centers. Like calling toll free for Microsofts querries from Philippines you will hear always the Indian English accent on the other side. As a joke or saying goes like something like this, in Tagalog Ang hindi marunong mag-mahal sa kanyang sariliing wika ay napupunta sa Call Centers. In English: Those who don't value their own local language are on Call Centers. Thanks and Enjoy! myLot!
• Switzerland
27 Jul 09
Hello again and again mister. How are you. Thank you for coming to this post. I did not know that India is famous for data sourcing as what you call it. Does this mean you also have the experience working in any call centre companies in the Philippines. I understand your Tagalog words mentioned above even if its not translated. That is really funny but true. I wish to work in a call centre too but my english is poor so I will just stick to other office jobs like admin or banking jobs related to what I have studied. Keep posting. Happy MYlotting. Have a nice day. Jeff
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
25 Jul 09
i'm working in a call center right now and i just got regularized. i was really surprised because i never thought i'd last this long not because i can't do it but because i never really intend on staying this long. i've always thought that i'll pack up my bags and leave the company after a month or two but i'm glad i've managed to make it this far. before i accepted this job i applied in four other call center companies and i'm happy that i got accepted in all four companies but i declined because i wasn't happy with the compensation package offered. anyway, after my sixth month, i've applied to two other call centers and i'm glad to note that i've passed both as well and i'm just waiting for the job offer. i do hope that i get a better package that i'm getting now. i still don't see this job as something that i can do in the long run, as i see it, it is something to do just so i can pay the bills and stock some cash into my savings. anyway, as long as it pays the bills, i'm up for it but as soon as i get a better gig than this, i won't have second thoughts about moving on to a different line of work. cheers!!!
• Switzerland
26 Jul 09
First of all, I would like to congratulate you for getting a permanent job. Since it is not easy to get a job nowadays because of the global economic crisis. And even if you have not trusted yourself before that you can manage everything, now, the prize is yours. You can have additional income for sure plus you have more rights in the company. So you mean you are looking for other call center jobs? Are you not satisfied yet with what you have right now or you are still expecting more from other companies because they offer good packages. Well, yours is the decision and I am sure you can make the right one because you have been in the industry for quiet sometime. Also, you are trying to say that this type of job does not really have the qualities of being called as real job since you only do the job for money. I respect this. Well, I wish you good luck on what path you will take and I do hope that you find the best job that you are looking. For now stay where you are because you are lucky enough to have a job as compared to others who are still jobless and cannot even work in a call centre industry because of lack of english knowledge. Keep posting. Jeff
@flaky03 (225)
• Philippines
5 Jul 09
PATIENCE is really a big advantage for an individual who wants to engage themselves in the call center industry. For the part three years, this industry had helped of a lot in terms of compensation offered, the skill of being a problem solves to hone which is very helpful in real life and the resource person to empower the consumers and customers rights. Even though this profession is far by a mile from the field of expertise that im pursuing, i really love the environment and setting that this industry offers.
• Switzerland
25 Jul 09
You have got the right word. Patience. Not only to engage in a call centre industry but almost any job that we work on. Patience helps us to become a mature individual so that we will not fail in every situation. And you have been working in the call centre industry for the past three years. That is pretty long and I am sure you already established a good career and earn and save for yourself. Another word that you use is empower. I give you credits for being a call centre employee empowering customers by providing their needs and make them important because they form part of the business. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting. Jeff
@mynestegg (519)
• Philippines
4 Jul 09
I'm a teacher working in a call center to support myself and my family. It's rather frustrating most of the times but it could also be very rewarding. Sometimes there are customers who make me want to quit right then and there but I feel really good to be able to help some of them. Today I got a commendation call just for taking a payment. How cool is that? (maybe not that cool, but I'm elated) The biggest reason I stay is the money. I would rather be teaching again if I can but now I'm just counting the days. I'm really not decided yet.
• Switzerland
25 Jul 09
Before you is a nurse. Now you are a teacher. I really admire you to work in a call centre industry the fact that you are suppose to teach students but you even accept being a call center agent. I agree with you that working in a call centre is frustrating but rewarding. Customers only talk like hell because they are over the phone and they make this because people are like that. I sometimes make crazy things over the phone just to get what I really want or to just play with the caller. Good thing is, you can actually help people solve their issues in many ways. Might be in computer applications, credits cards application and so on. Wow, and you mentioned that just today you get a commendation. That is really nice to know. And one more thing, yeah we have to admit that we must work because of the money. I cannot say that money is not important at all. Could be secondary important after working environment and working conditions. Compensation still motivate us to work harder. So good luck. Just continue and you will be more rewarded. Have a pleasant day to you. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting. Jeff
• Philippines
7 Aug 09
uhm, my best asset is prayer, everytime I pray for it, I always succeed as long as I have the right motive and it won't do me any bad thing.
• United States
1 Jul 09
I work in call center for a Geico. I' m a Emergency Roadside Dispatcher. In July I would have been there for a year. This is the first time I have worked in a call center before that I was worked in retail for three years. With the recession that going in the United States I'm lucky to have this job since Geico hasn't been doing any lay offs.
• Switzerland
2 Jul 09
You are really very lucky to have a job. Many people who are qualified for the position still could not find a job because of the global economic crisis. I love to work in an environment like call center but necessarily call center because my english is poor. Hehe.
@Jill22 (263)
• Philippines
2 Jul 09
I'm actually working in a call center now. And come to think of it, I'm a nurse! very under employed. And you're damn right, landing a job here in the Philippines is very hard, It's like trying to push a very thick thread to a small needle hole. But I have to be practical and just embrace what I have for the moment!
• Switzerland
25 Jul 09
It is nice to know that you being a nurse still consider to work in the call center industry. My cousins in the Philippines also work in the same field and one of them is also a nurse. She consider working in a call center because she hardly finds a job in her field. At the same time, she is good in english so why not use this talent to work. You might not have a passion to work over the phone but you can get into it and I am sure, you will enjoy in the end because of team building activities. Bonus is the money that you earn. Thank you for the comment. Have a nice day. Keep posting. Happy Mylotting, Jeff
• Philippines
20 Aug 09
Well if have what it takes to work in a BPO then use it to your advantage. I understand that it is difficult to find a job but are you doing anything to upgrade your skills and be hired? I still believe that you need to still learn regardless of your age, and since the BPO industry is challenging you must live up with it. There is success in the call center line of work.
• Philippines
11 Oct 09
My previous job was with a call center. Been in the industry for 7 years. I started out as a call center rep but I think I'm really not cut for it. So I decided to move to HR. Was really happy working as a recruiter in a call center.