what’s so bad about being in a call center?

whatever people. go get a life. what’s wrong with working in a call center? it’s a decent job.

i admit, i too despised the call center job.. BEFORE. i mean duh.. what’s the purpose in studying hard in a university to earn an IT degree if you’ll end up in a position that even highschool grads can enter? sorry. i was a bit harsh before.

why do people look down on you when you say you’re working in a call center? more so if you graduated a degree in college. more especially if your degree is IT or Computer Science.

when you have a degree in nursing, everybody expects you to take the board  exam, pass it, and work abroad. when you graduate with a degree in engineering, everybody expects you to be in the industries months later. when you graduate with a degree in education, you are expected to take the board, then be a teacher. when you graduate with a degree in IT, not everybody will agree to a common expectation from you. some will expect you to be in the industries and/or work for software companies while a reasonable percentage will expect you to be in a call center. but of course, only those who don’t have a background of what an IT student works hard for in college agrees with the percentage of the latter.

your mentors, you classmates, your schoolmates, will never expect you to be working in a call center after college.

so why do people end up in call centers?

– in this industry, it’s so easy to find jobs. businesses from developed countries are so focused in designating their manpower to production therefore outsourcing is the fad. and where else would they outsource? of course from the underdeveloped countries where the cost of labor is close to T.Y.

– have you checked our inflation rate? did you check that cash register tape from your groceries? do you watch the news? it’s crisis everywhere. and it’s so felt especially in a third-world country like ours. that’s why even doctors opted to become nurses years ago right?

– take a look at our country’s employment and unemployment rate dear. when you get a job in the Philippines today, you are really lucky.

– the salary is really enticing. why the hell would someone say no to 20,000 Php a month? especially if you did not graduate college, if you are in dire need of money, if you don’t want to be a pain in your parents’ ass anymore for being unemployed though you finished college..

not all people who work in a call center just receive calls. there are also other departments (like programming dept) you know. and even the people who actually receive calls should not be underestimated because they might know more about networks than someone who studied a subject of it in college. yes. people in this position, which even highschool graduates can apply for, receive training not just in english speaking but also in the fields of the product where in they are assigned as support representatives.

i came to write about this topic because i got a little pissed by people who shoved to my face that working in a call center is such a pity situation for an IT student. they ask, “what? in a call center? what will you do there? ” at isa pa, “kung mangarap na man lang gani, dako dako-a pud(if you’ll dream, dream bigger)..” and what’s worse than someone who’ll doubt if you need those IT books you have for your OJT?

i am not saying that IT grads should never take a call center job nor should they look down on those positions. what i’m trying to point out here is that, one should not be judged by the difference of his/her educational attainment and the job he/she ends up with or wants to take in the future.

the reality:

– it’s global recession

– we are in a third world country

– there is inflation, unemployment, and job mismatch

– outsourcing is in; and

– people have different tastes [malay mo feel jud niya mag call center]

these are based on my own observations and listed as my own opinions. your opinions are also very much welcome. this is a free country ‘ayt? 🙂

mao to. bow.

– darksphere

plans.. ojt.. summer vacation..

okay. i’m having a hard time thinking about what would be a good title. i’m too lazy to think of anything striking. this post will just contain updates anyway.

our house is a home again. well not really. since we will never be complete again. but almost. okay. almost. the only thing that i always look forward to during summer breaks – my father’s arrival. i realized that almost half of my life he’s not with me. we only get to spend time with each other once a year, when he goes on vacation for a month. so many things have happened when he was away. well everything has a reason. i want to tell him everything that i learned, everything that happened during his absence but time is so short [and also, i have a failing memory. lol] and hours fly faster when you’re with someone you really want to catch your lives up with. if i’m to decide, i’d really want him to stop working away from us. i’ve always dreamed of waking up and seeing him drinking his coffee on our balcony and telling me to hurry as i step out of my room so i won’t be late for school. if only life is a bit easier. he made a lot of sacrifices and it hurts a lot whenever i think of how undeserving i am. anyway, enough of the drama. i’m really happy that he’s back. i really hope that everyday will always be like this.  but as i said, time is so short.. and i’ll only be with him in a much shorter time than my sisters because of my OJT. it sucks. maybe this is why i am not that excited for my month-long OJT.

i’ll be leaving this Sunday for my OJT. ah murag asa padung. haha. i’ll have my internship in Cagayan de Oro City. just a two-hour ride from my place but it would be expensive and tiring to go home everyday so i’ll be staying there. i’m still thinking if i should bring my laptop. it would also be good if i don’t so i’ll have a break from my internet addictions. bye-bye suju? haha. but i know i can count on my sister to update me and download perfs for me. hahaha. anyway i still haven’t decided if i would bring it or not. so i might be away from the blogging world.. or not.. haha. and as if my presence is felt by my very occasional posts.  niwei, back to the OJT thingy, this was not what i really planned. i thought i would be in Cebu for that 250-hour training but things didn’t go the way i first planned it.. i got accepted in a Call Center in CDO and i had INC for a subject so i had to stay closest to the school because i thought we could still defend the project on the first week of April but that didn’t happen. as i’m writing, i realized that all the things i planned were just an abandoned blue print now! i even had to ask the HR manager to start on the 3rd week of April so that i’ll have a chance to complete my grade. but everything’s not where they’re supposed to be.  my plan’s messed up. but i don’t really feel bad about it. i always plan and plan but different things happen. haha! talk about immunity. i don’t feel bad because i also enjoyed the last two weeks with my family.

my dad asked me this morning if i’m excited to work. but i answered, “i’m excited to live by my own in another city.” yeahp. independence. adventure. i am actually excited to find out how will my life go outside my hometown, outside our house. although i wished it would be farther, okay na ang CDO.  i still haven’t packed my bags yet. i still don’t know what things to bring. you may say, “such a pity. it’s already OJT and she still wants to cram packing her things.”  hahaha. but this is really how i am when travelling. i only pack my things an evening before the trip and so far, i can’t remember forgetting my wallet or cellphone or towel.  do i sound defensive? 😉

speaking of trips and travelling, this will be my family’s first summer vacation in Davao without me. it’s so sad that i can’t go with them. i miss Davao so much and my relatives. they can’t move the trip because there are also other appointments that they might need to re-schedule if they’ll do that. so sad. but i hope to have an out-of-town trip after my OJT. i still haven’t planned the itinerary since i’m still depending on how much money i can save this summer. i really hope this will push through. please God.. help me. hehe

hmmm.. so what else? i really miss a lot of people. i am happy that i have already accepted that some of the people we treasure change although i am still adjusting to it. i hope this trip/vacation/adventure/OJT will help me become a better IT student and a better person.

-darksphere