Call Center Industry: boon or bane?
5 April 2007

What business is the fastest growing industry in the country?

Clue 1:  In 2005, its revenue grew by 90% reaching $1.7 billion.

Clue 2:  When President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivered her state of the nation address last 2001, there were only 2000 seats available.  Five years later, it is 100 times bigger and foreign investors are still looking at doubling their work force this year.

If your answer is the Call Center Industry then you are fully aware that it brought the employment boon in the country.

Proof of that growth is the influx of young individuals taking their breaks in coffeehouses in the wee hours of the morning.  At night, you’ll see professionals of different backgrounds heading to work while everyone else is already at home getting ready to sleep.  More so, retired professionals just wanting to be back “in the game” have found a good venue to establish a new career and be productive again.

The Philippines is rapidly gaining a fair share in the business processing outsourcing trade. Aside from the fact that our average wage is about 20% lower than other countries, foreign investors looking for cost effective options for services have found a haven here because of the loyal and innately hospitable English-speaking Filipino.

But merely knowing how to speak English is not enough. Nearly all call center employees get intensive training to acquire a neutral accent that is acceptable to any customer from any part of the globe. Fortunately for those who wish to be a part of this industry, training is now easily available.

People2Outsource (P2O) believes in the Filipino talent and is offering free training for qualified applicants who would want to jumpstart their call center careers. P2O will help you assess whether you are fit for the job and will help get you into the biggest call centers in the country.

Be a part of this employment boon. Visit P2O today and be a part of the call center industry.

Speak well and get hired
11 March 2007

It is no secret that the Philippine Call Center Industry is the fastest growing sector of our economy. Major roads are dotted by huge billboards on career opportunities in the industry and full-page ads by call centers dominate newspapers. In a recent study, this industry was ranked number 4 worldwide next to India, China and Malaysia. It’s growth rate of 100% pumps around US$1 billion annually to the Philippine economy.

One of the biggest factors that contribute to this growth is the quality of the Philippine labor pool. Filipinos are renowned for their English proficiency, high IT literacy and customer orientation—core attributes that call center companies look for in an agent. All these make the Philippines the top choice among global outsourcing firms. To date, there are more than 150 call centers in the country, and this is expected to continue growing until 2010. Call centers contribute significantly to the reduction of the unemployment rate plaguing the country and more importantly, bring in much needed dollars and foreign currency without exporting our intellectual resources.

Yet in spite of  the opportunities for gainful employment, only 3 out of every 100 applicants are hired. Experts attribute this to the general decline in proficiency in English, both written and spoken, primarily due to the shift to bilingualism in the educational system in the early 70’s, and woefully confounded by the emergence of “text language”  in the late 90’s. SMS greatly modified, and to a large extent, distorted grammar, syntax and spelling.

People2Outsource (P2O) was created to bridge the gap between great opportunities and the quality of the labor pool. P2O provides free training and will equip qualified participants with the necessary skills that are vital in their application as call center agents.

Come join the ranks of the proud! Be a P2O-certified call center agent!

Second chances and equal opportunities
25 February 2007

There are a lot of interesting people all trying their luck in the call center industry. 70,000-80,000 thousand seats poised to be filled in the next year or two and we’re not making even a fourth of those numbers. Room to grow you ask? Lots! This is an opportunity not just for those who slaved away on hallowed school halls God-blessed with wit and intellect of high caliber. This is not just for brilliant executives whose curriculum vitaes boast years of corporate mileage. Now the corporate world has become real and tangible to the regular fellow.

Industry growth has become so monumental and competitive that manong Juan de la Cruz now has the same chance as with every other ‘encomiendero’ or double masters degree holder out there willing to take a piece of the profit pie. The ranks have been pulled and the only restrictions come in the spoken English language. That’s whether we have what it takes to communicate effectively or not – but let’s attempt to blur the lines further because this too can be learned. Imagine that! Absolutely no limits anymore, an open invitation to all. Hence, the interesting people spoken of earlier on:

“Mr. Driver” – wanted a better life for his family so much that he could almost taste it. And because he wanted, he was given. His want gave birth to drive and he studied, prepared for the skill requirements in the call center industry: English. Applied, passed and is now “Mr. CSR.”

Next there was “Mrs. Housewife of an OFW” – husband in the middle east and 3 mouths to feed as well as the rest of the family extended all the way down to nephews and nieces to the third degree (as is so typically Filipino). Dinars now just wasn’t enough for not even a near comfortable existence, so she decided to take on the industry famous for insane sleeping patterns. Now graveyard shifts notwithstanding, she proudly takes on a couple of scholars under her wing. “A better life for them someday,” she claims with a smile.

Then there’s “Ms. Forced-to-drop-out-of-school-because-family-lost-money-and- must-give-way-to-younger-siblings-still-in-high-school.” Heavy. Also however a stark reality of our present. She got herself a good dictionary and English exposure and now helps others with hopefully less trying backgrounds in one of the leading call centers in the Metro. As what you may ask? Submitted her stats last month for consideration in the next Team Leader opening.    

There have been others as well, not trivial in any way and with equally moving stories. But then that makes for almost everyone. Just factor in drive, determination, effective communication and some adjustment in sleeping patterns then we can all be on our way to fulfilling that human insatiable quest. Come take part.

The KEY to getting into call centers
4 February 2007

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. But now, thanks to the Call Center Industry, everyone has a chance for survival. Well, almost everyone.

We keep hearing that unemployment has gone down and that this is largely due to the customer service industry, and that even at present, hundreds of positions still need to be filled. However, even with this information, it is not that easy to get into a call center. So, the big question is:  Why is that so?

We know age is not an issue.  If you are between 18-65 years old, you are qualified.  If you are open to the idea of working at night and do not mind the changes in shifts, this is the job for you. While most call centers require college graduates, some accept undergrads and even those who finished vocational courses. With call centers from Commonwealth to Alabang, agents in Metro Manila and nearby provinces have the option to choose the center nearest them. Call centers have emerged as well in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Sounds easy, right?

The truth is, not all aspiring candidates have good communication skills, which is a very important factor. Who do we blame that on then? We could blame ourselves, for ignoring the “Speak English” campaign back in high school because we did not want to be called maarte or pasosyal. It could even be our old alphabet, which did not include letters like F and V, therefore resulting in having P/F and B/V defects.

However, instead of pointing fingers, why not be aware of our own limitations and make the conscious effort to unlearn the things we thought were right, and to relearn those which we may have forgotten.

There are centers which specialize in communication skills training. A better option would be to take advantage of centers who offer FREE training. These centers offer to teach you how to neutralize your accent, review your grammar and pronunciation, and even provide you with interview tips. These would surely boost your confidence which will give you better chances of getting a career in call centers. You have nothing to lose. Just bring an open mind and prepare to laugh at your own mistakes.

There’s no such thing as “too old”
21 January 2007

Welcoming the new millennium opens numerous opportunities and brings major changes to the Philippine economic and cultural setting. The emergence of cyber service via the Call Center has taken the country by storm. Almost overnight, career paths headed for the graveyard shift. Holiday less and wee-hour morning schedules became the norm for a majority of the workforce. Nightlife action are now wakeful hours of work spent in the confines of a cubicle with a computer and headset connected to someone thousands of miles away, providing a service that needs quick response. This now is the reality for many.

There are over 150 Contact Centers in the Philippines, scattered around the Metro Manila area and in select regions of the country.  As of the second quarter of 2006, this industry has the highest growth rate (90% in 2005) in any listed industry: with 145,000 full-time employees and a total of 85,000 seats filled in 2005, the numbers are still growing exponentially. Estimated revenues for 2005 alone have reached P1.7 billion. These are only a few of this industry’s factoids that give hope to an otherwise bleak and dark economic forecast.

Thanks to the abundance of both start-up and established Call Centers, people from all facets of life have the opportunity to compete equally for jobs, regardless of age, race or gender. Thriving thirty-somethings and even retired baby-boomers in their fifties are re-joining the workforce because of lucrative compensation packages and attractive bonuses. Call Center representatives constantly enjoy payday shopping, treats for the family and fun times with friends.  Here today is a job that gives not just work satisfaction but a pocketful of cash and a whole new zest for life.

Gone are the days when age was a factor in determining and putting a limit to a person’s chosen vocation. People over the age of thirty now have a well deserved lease on life, to prove that they too, can get the job done. They can be valuable members of the workforce for they are well aware of the values of commitment, responsibility and priorities. Here is the answer to equal chance and opportunity to every member of the community for a satisfying job and great compensation. The Call Center outburst is indeed a goldmine.

Good problems caused by working for a call center
3 December 2006

Do you ever wish you had problems? It might be a funny question to ask but it’s most definitely true. We all wish we had problems; problems like what car to buy, or where to eat or even where to take your vacation. Problems that concern how to spend money. Don’t we all wish we had that kind of problem?

With the boom of the call center industry in the Philippines, this kind of problem is being felt by more and more people. Although call center jobs are not for everybody, people who do get hired are amply rewarded with full benefits and higher than average salaries. The hours may not be the usual 9 to 5, but the sacrifice of working on shift is definitely worth it.

As more people join the call centers, unemployment rate falls and disposable income is injected into the economy. People are not only able to get by in life and provide for their family, but are also able to enjoy other pleasures. They can buy the latest phones and afford vacations to Boracay. Watching movies on the weekend with the family or a loved one becomes a regular thing. Life becomes not only bearable, but enjoyable.

The call center industry is expanding so rapidly that finding people for the workforce is becoming exceedingly difficult. A workforce shortage is expected to be felt by 2007. Finding the right people for the industry is vital because unlike what most people think, call center jobs are not just about answering telephones. A call center agent needs to have the right skills and often undergoes months of training before he is allowed to even speak to a customer. Since supply is lacking and demand will only increase, this translates to higher salaries for the right people. People2Outsource is assisting the industry, by providing Sourcing, Screening, and Training strategies designed to prepare your everyday Filipino, into a fully-equipped Customer Service Representative.

Don’t you wish you had problems? Problems like which call center you should work for? Problems like too many call centers calling you up to work for them? Problems like deciding which offer is better? Problems like these can lead you to a more significant career, and eventually, you can have a more meaningful life.