Working At A Call Centre.

[GemmaUK]

I would be late for work potentially, as I live a hour and 30 mins away from the Sydney CBD as it is... attending a retail interview OUTSIDE of the CBD at 9am, finishing at 9.30 and then only having until 11 to get to work is too stressful, the train system is not the fastest.....

 

I would, however, have one day per week off as it is 30 hours a week to begin with!

 

I would interview on my days off for sure, or TRY to schedule interviews before shifts IF the interviews were located near enough to the CBD of Sydney.

 

I will be SO happy to finally have an income, believe me......

 

However, it would be nice if I could get a job that I could keep during college.....

 

OK, let's go with the bigger practicality issues here as well as a happy existence issues.

 

Sort of a pros and cons list so fathoming what might or might not be a good choice.

 

You said you'd rather work in retail. You work at events and have done retail before now so you do have experience in that - and it sounded like you enjoy it. Is that right?

 

You are currently doing the Microsoft course or are about to - is that online or a class to attend?

 

The call centre role is likely to be pretty harsh in terms of targets and how they treat people. I think what JA123 is saying is relevant - a role there may just make you feel inadequate and wreck your confidence. It would mine - I know that without having even tried it.

However, if you are self confident enough and strong enough to go for it just for the money then perhaps you will do alright.

My lodger was totally driven by money - totally! But....and this is going to sound like I am making it up..I am not..I promise..the role she stayed at the longest and was happiest at...she became a fitness instructor at a women's only gym in my town.

She was in her forties, had a degree, had previously been an animal behaviourist which she loved but that kinda fell apart when she got anxiety issues, got into debt and had to declare herself bankrupt. This was a good few years ago.

She flitted from one type of job to another in the two years she lived here.

At the end of the day people generally are happiest in themselves when they do a job they love or at least enjoy.

 

Another thing about the call centre..you say it's 1.5 hours away and it starts at 30hrs per week..so 4 days? So the hours become longer or more days are involved later down the line..

This is not going to be great for finding other jobs for you. I don't drive so one big factor for me always is location and hours.

Being employed is great but being employed in a place where you are stuffed for actually making it to other interviews just sucks. I think once working you are loyal and time efficient and make sure you are there when you say you will be. Which is great! Except for...you can lose out on options for other employment and that one day off you will have may not be enough for interviews so you could find yourself a little stranded out in the middle of nowhere without being able to go for an interview due to travelling and wanting to be at your current role on time.

 

Basically the travel involved could really restrict your options in finding something else. Not only that but the CC role itself may undermine your confidence.

Companies have timelines for recruitment so one day per week that you could go to an interview may not fit with them and you might lose out on something good.

 

Next thing..do you just want to earn cash or want to be happy when you go home each day? What is ultimately most important to you?

The same as with finding a partner...are you happy to 'settle' or go for what you want? I know you are in a RS..I also know there are things about it that are not perfect...but you're happy and adored aren't you!

 

I apologise for bringing personal things in here..but...when a person ends up working at a job they hate it can all overflow into their personal life.

I would hate to see that you were really happy to get a job and then post that you absolutely hate it.

 

KPI's are everywhere btw. They are pretty much attached to every single role in some way or another. Some are just less demanding.

My view has always been that if you don't make mistakes you are not working hard enough or are not challenged enough.

[veggirl]

Who cares if they expect you to cancel other interviews? You don't have to and I certainly wouldn't. I just accepted a job that is due to start on Oct 1...yet I'm waiting to hear back from one other interview (the job I REALLY want) AND I scheduled an interview w/ another company for this Weds the 24th. If I get a better offer, damn straight I'll take it, and you should too.

 

Trust me, they wouldn't give it a second thought to fire you without warning, look out for yourself and take the job if offered and keep looking if that's what you want. That's how business works, I figure the job I accepted is free to match or beat any other potential offers I get...if they don't, too bad.

 

Also w/ retail you MAY be able to interview with a manager on the weekends too, so that's another potential day.

Edited September 21, 2014 by veggirl

[Leigh 87]

I have been having interviews for jobs I genuinly like the sound of. I am really enjoying the interview and I'm so excited that these are long term roles, such as the job as an optometry assistant I interviewed for today! I liked the manager and I loved the thought of working there!

 

I am definately enjoying interviewing for roles I dearly want to do.

 

I had an interview for a jewellery store today and also another jewellery store earlier this week. That, the optometrist interviewed me today and also next week, I have a job interview for a position as pharmacy assistant. I nearly decided to study pharmacy at college but didn't due to dire job prospects, however, I am genuinly enthused about the prospect of being a pharmacy assistant.

 

 

 

I've stopped applying for call centre jobs but I'm applying for retail positions in phone stores. I really like smart phones and I'd enjoy learning about them inside and out.

 

I have an interview at a phone store next week. It's full time but I told them of my plans to attend college next year. They said if all goes well, they would happily accommodate uni students who start full time and wish to demote to part time.

[Rock Chick]

Call centers are simple...sometimes. I started at Unisys in early 2000 as a help desk tech and quickly moved up to team lead and then technical writing in a year. I found it easy to excel by doing my job and then going above the expectations. For example when the TSA & DHS helpdesk opened, I helped find proceedures on my own by contacting people in various government agencies and then I would write them down and send them to management. I kept records of all these communications. I wasn't required to do this, but when the positions above me opened up I slapped down evidence of how I went above and beyond and was promoted in a snap because most of my peers were lazy and were only there for a paycheck.

 

This being said, after about 2 years of being a lead, I was overworked and under appreciated because of course, I showed how I would go above and beyond so it became an expectation, and they overworked me because I let them. I made good money but didn't enjoy it because i got depressed working too much. I don't do that kind of work anymore. Help desk is very stressful and I would be careful about making a lifetime career out of it, you'll be burnt out in the first 6 months easily. But help desk IS a good springboard out of college, go in make some good money and SAVE IT, then move onto something more fullfilling in a couple of years. DON'T GET TRAPPED.

 

Good luck!

[anwa]

I have worked in call centers most of my working life and currently work in a very large one now. I am very good at customer service andi know the game like the back of my hand.

 

This being said: call centers are THE WORST JOBS EVER. You have no say on your schedule. You will get in trouble for everything wrong you do. You are a slave to management. You are a worker bee with no name. You will not go up the food chain unless you become best buddies with management and that's difficult because its always a clique. Speacking of cliques... call center is another name for high school. You'll know who's sister' cousins baby daddys brother went out with the night before and got arrested for public intoxication. If you were late 1 minute 2 days in a row or absent on a Friday/Monday/whatever the usy day is you will be watched like a hawk and everyone will be pissed at you. If you get sick and end up in the hospital it counts against you and you'll be lucky you have a job to come back to. If you do still have a job then you best do every little thing right for the rest of your career there or they will fire you for whatever they can come up with. You'll be screamed at, cussed at, belittled by customers. Unless its slow, you won't get a rest between calls to regroup. You'll be doing a lot of lying to people on the phones and you'll end up being totally over it in a few months. If I were you I would steer clear away from call centers. They are the black holes of the job market. Death traps, if you will.

[UpwardForward]

I would be late for work potentially, as I live a hour and 30 mins away from the Sydney CBD as it is... attending a retail interview OUTSIDE of the CBD at 9am, finishing at 9.30 and then only having until 11 to get to work is too stressful, the train system is not the fastest.....

 

I would, however, have one day per week off as it is 30 hours a week to begin with!

 

I would interview on my days off for sure, or TRY to schedule interviews before shifts IF the interviews were located near enough to the CBD of Sydney.

 

I will be SO happy to finally have an income, believe me......

 

However, it would be nice if I could get a job that I could keep during college.....

 

Do you have Macy's Dept Stores in Australia? Macy's is hiring 86,000 for the holiday season.

 

If they like you as an employee, they may keep you over after the holidays.

[Leigh 87]

Do you have Macy's Dept Stores in Australia? Macy's is hiring 86,000 for the holiday season.

 

If they like you as an employee, they may keep you over after the holidays.

 

 

I am trying it all out trust me.....

 

Every department store and store that is hiring Christmas casuals I am applying for, in the hope that they will keep me on after!

 

I have an interview with my favourite fashion brand next week!

 

I will revert back to call centre roles IF I truly cannot get ANY retail or hospitality job near my home town......

 

Call centre work is an absolute LAST resort!!!!!!!!!!!!!