Apples in a Basket: What People Do Not Understand about Working in A Call Center

June 28, 2014

I was part of a generation of late teenagers who flocked to Colleges and Universities to take up Nursing with a promise of a better life with greener pastures abroad. 

But just like the rise and fall of trends, the demand for Nurses also fizzled and faded away. 

Even if there was a possibility to work abroad it would still require you to shell out money and I was not born with a silver spoon so that was something I didn’t I didn’t have. 

Being the eldest in the family and the instant bread winner since my father had passed and it was up to me to get a job ASAP. 

So while still studying for the board exams in Nursing I was already employed in my first Call Center in 2008, just one month after graduation. 

More than meets the eye. Local art from Eugene Madayang, creator of Kolsenter Komiks.
We did a feature on his work on the humors in the BPO Industry here. 🙂 


I’ve been in the BPO Industry for six years and in that time I’ve seen it all. 
I’ve seen, heard and experienced the prejudices that most people have against those of us who work in the BPO Industry. 

People think that work in the Call Center is easy and that it’s a no brainer and that anyone can do it. But the truth of the matter is that not anyone can work in a Call Center. 

There are physical and mental demands as well as emotional strains and challenges when one works in a call Center. It is no joke to interact with clients all day long but then there is also that prejudice that the only work in Call Centers are as agents. Well, there are actually more, from Trainers to Supervisors, Managers, Analysts, IT and just so much more, The possibility of growth is there for the right people and the right attitude, it’s all a matter of taking that opportunity. 

When you see groups of people in casual attire, some tattooed and pierced and smoking while taking a break from work at night or early in the morning – how different is that from those who are formally dressed in ironed polo shirts and ties when they are both earning an honest living and paying their taxes like any responsible citizen? And I can’t really say the same for those wearing our traditional barong and who work “for the people” in our government. 

Just to give you a picture, at the beginning of the year, it was reported in an article that BPO firms are set to generate 124,000 well paying jobs in 2014 and that the IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines sees the industry yielding up to $27 billion in revenues and employing 1.3 million Filipinos by 2016. 

With all of these people in this industry it could not be helped if there are a few who have made poor decisions at one point in there life (haven’t we all?) but that doesn’t mean that all Call Center employees are “hoppers” who “hop” from one to the next. There are those who have established a career in the BPO industry, climbing the corporate ladder and providing a comfortable life for themselves and their families. 



There are a lot of sacrifices that people who work in the BPO Industry make. The first of which are the hours, it’s no joke to throw your body clock out the window and live like a vampire while the rest of the world continues on waking in the morning and sleeping at night. 

When your family and friends are having a lunch out – you know an actual lunch at 12 noon and you are doing everything in your power just to stay awake.

I admire parents who also work in Call Centers can you imagine being away and working while your child sleeps and then needing to sleep yourself when your child is awake? 

People may think what they want of people who work in Call Centers but the truth is they are hardworking people who are just earning an honest living in order to provide for their families and loved ones. 

Can you imagine if there were no call centers where would all of these people (including myself) work? In case you didn’t know Call Centers have been opening in the provinces as well. I would know since I was assigned to Bacolod for five months. 

Not only do call centers give jobs to the employees themselves but they also provide income to the security and maintenance teams which helps keep a Call Center running and not to mention the concessionaires that provide the food as well as the businesses around these Centers which rely on the employees for their income. 

If you’re still reading this blog post up to this point then I’m hoping that I’ve somehow convinced you, oh dear reader that all those preconceived notions about people working in Call Centers are just that – preconceived notions. 

We are people, not apples in a basket where one rotten one will spoil the rest. We are just like everyone else – trying to get by and just live life one day at a time – just like every one else. 

Are you familiar with the saying “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes” ? – well you might be interested to try out working in a Call Center yourself and the great thing about it is that you don’t have to spend time or money since you can get on with the eRecruitment process online through Skyke’s eRecruitment site!  

Just click on this link and start your journey who knows you just might find a career with Sykes (which by the way is part of the 36 Mega BPO firms included in the article earlier) 🙂 

Homepage of the Sykes eRecruitment site.