My Experience In The BPO Industry (Part 1)

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I was in my fourth year of college when I entered the call center. I was looking for a company where I will finish my on-the-job training (OJT). I am in the field of computers so I decided to work as a technical support representative in the call center. My reason for entering the call center was because I do not want to spend my 4 months of OJT without getting good money. I don't want to get that very small allowance that the companies give to the students on OJT. I was feeling confident to pass the first company I tried, but unfortunately, I failed. However, the recruitment team gave me the things I need to improve to pass the application in the future. 

So I stayed at home for two weeks. All I did during the daytime was watching English movies, series, and talk shows. I exposed myself to how the American people express themselves. I never even watched any Filipino shows, news, and even advertisements. At night, I would recite tongue twisters and I would record myself to know if I am pronouncing each word correctly. 

After grounding myself at home for two weeks, I tried to apply again. I wasn't expecting to pass yet that time since I felt very nervous and it was very cold inside the recruitment office. The lady who interviewed me said they will just call me if I passed the application. So I tried again to another call center since I already know the process. I realized that all call centers have a very cold environment or maybe I was just feeling nervous, but at least I already know the possible questions in the assessment. 

I keep applying to call centers that are literally miles away from where I live. Hoping to be hired by even just one of them, but in no luck, they all said they will just call me if I passed. So I tried the closest call center to my house. It was just a 20-minute ride to go there. I guess there were around 50 applicants inside and little by little, we are decreasing until we are only 5 applicants waiting for our results and it was already 11 PM. Until we were told that the 5 of us passed. I thought that was the first achievement in my life since I am still pursuing college. 

On the last day of my OJT, our professor gave us the evaluation sheet that needs to be filled by our bosses. I gave the paper to my TL and my TL said to me "Ikaw ang top agent as team. Gawin mo kahit among gusto mong ilagay jan" (You are the top agent in the team. Do whatever you want to do to that paper). So I decided to write a perfect score of 10/10 to my evaluation sheet. I graduated college and still working on that call center for 1 year and decided to look for another call center since I already got the experience and my colleagues keep telling me my Php16,000 salary is very low since I am still a newbie.

I applied again to the first call center I tried when I was still looking for OJT and then I passed without a sweat. There, I was getting Php 19,000. However, the account got dissolved since we are not reaching the client's goal. We were supposed to be transferred to another account, but I decided to go to another call center which is the most popular and most difficult to apply at that time since they are paying a good Php24,700 with a 10% yearly increase depending on your performance. My team on my current call center got surprised that I passed the application and will already be getting good pay. 

To be honest, it was not a comfortable experience for me to work on my third call center. I find all my colleagues very smart. Well, I guess that's why the salary is much better for that company. I stayed there for almost 3 years and decided to transfer to the call center where my cousin is working. There, I became the best agent from training to productions. I was about to be promoted as a team leader, but fate hit me and I became deaf.

I did not have any work from 2013 - 2016. My parents don't want me to go outside alone since I am deaf and it is dangerous when crossing the road. I eventually managed to go outside and go home safe. During those times, all I did was go to the church and pray to God to give me a job since I really missed working in the call center. I missed talking to different people on the phone, empathize, laugh and solve their reason for calling us. Most of all, I missed having a salary and incentives when I am the top agent.

I bumped into a Facebook post about nonvoice, email support. I went there right away since the workplace is just around 30 minutes away from my house. Unfortunately, I did not pass as I was stuttering during the interview. I know my capability in expressing myself in English, but that was the first time in 3 years of becoming a house bum that I once again talked in English. Maybe I already have a problem in talking since I am already deaf, but that did not stop me to look for another call center.