It's Not What You Think...

In an article in Recruiter magazine, they tell us that call centers in the UK are hiring again. They cite 750 new jobs in the north of England as examples. In a sidebar to the article, an HR manager for a company which has call centers says: "We find that people believe the stereotype that you can't have a career in a contact center and that it is more suited to students or temporary workers, when this is not the case... This is can affect us when we are looking for the ideal candidate as they don't apply because of pre-conceived ideas".

For 5 years after college I held temporary jobs - I've worked for most the of the large employers in the town where I grew up and I've done a wide variety of jobs. One of the things I learnt was that I never knew what I'd love and what I'd hate. I loved my job at Procter and Gamble, even though I lived in numbers and spreadsheets, because 6 of 8 of the managers were non-UK nationals and finding out about them, and helping them with living in the UK was fascinating. I loved the job I did at a brewery (there was no free beer), working with two people who loved Excel so much, they even wrote memos on it, because when it was quiet they patiently taught me about macros. I loved the job I had at UPS, photocopying paperwork for parcels, because it was fascinating to see what was in the parcels, and I loved the end of the night, when the pile of assorted paperwork was turned into neat, organized stacks.

Whenever someone says to me, "shall I apply for this job" or "shall I go to this interview", as long as they are qualified, I say yes. It's the only way you properly find out about the job, meet the people and see the offices. You might walk in and think, I'm not sure I like it here, but you might find out about a planned project which is in your area of specialisation but not mentioned on the job specification, or meet a manager who you instantly know you would walk over hot coals for (yes, both of those things have happened to me too). Open your mind and explore the options and don't let your pre-conceived ideas stop you getting the job of your dreams.

PS. The other lesson from that quote - lots of the people applying are unsuitable. That gives you a better chance than you think if it's right for you. Apply!