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Call Centre

Educational opportunities

My daughter is waiting for her Intermediate results. She has been selected as a Trainee Associate in a call centre. Will she be able to concentrate on her studies after the night shifts?

Ayalraju Alexander

A lot of BPOs are hiring young candidates right after junior college and are offering them part-time opportunities. This allows the youngsters to gain valuable experience. The companies also sponsor their education at the same time. Your daughter will have to adapt a disciplined approach to studies so that she is able to focus on her education as well. If you are willing to offer support, this kind of a partnership could be very rewarding for your daughter's career.

Age limit

I would like to know if there is any age limit for joining a BPO. What are the qualifications and experience they look for?

P. V. Giridhar

Age is not relevant as far as a call centre job is concerned provided that you have the right skills sets i.e., good communication skills, customer centric attitude and willingness to work in a 24/7 environment. Globally you will find many old people being employed in call centres and this trend is catching up in Indian BPOs as well. A lot of them are offering opportunities to retired professionals and housewives.

Management in BPOs

I have heard that BPOs lack good managers but I have never seen them advertise for managerial jobs. I have an MBA and have extensive experience in international business.

Kartikeyan. G

BPOs fill most of their openings in-house or from the industry, as someone from within the industry would have an inherent understanding of client expectations and the nuances of the business from the word go. I agree that starting at an entry-level would be a waste of your time but, perhaps, starting as a team leader would not. It may be difficult to attain a position in a BPO at an operational manager level without former experience in the industry.

Public speaking

I am very confident when I speak with friends, but stammer when talking to strangers. In all the interviews they ask me to speak about a topic before a group, which I am not able to do.

Ranjeet Deshpande

Public speaking is hard for most people but with practice, you can become perfect. Focus on an object or a person when addressing a group and see if that helps. Observe other people who are good speakers. Notice what you like about the way they speak and incorporate these characteristics. If you are really serious about improving, try joining a class or training forum.

If you have any questions, write in to sunder.ramachandran@gmail.com

SUNDER RAMACHANDRAN

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