Question about contracts and my desire to shift in the call center industry

[barefutcontessa]

Hi guys and gals!! i'm currently working as a graphic artist for 4 years now and i'm planning to shift in the call center industry...one reason is that graphic artists don't have any single benefits, most companies hire graphic artists as freelancers/per-project-basis and i'm planning to start a family na. True, the pay is good but having no benefits like health insurance, sss,pagibig and bonuses makes me want to shift careers

Here's my situation, my contract will end on may pa and i wanna apply na sana. is it possible ba na i could start and apply na while finishing my contract till may 25...since day job naman yung graphic design ko and nightshift naman yung call center or bawal yung ganun? sub-contractor lang naman yung contract ko sa graphic design work ko e.

[yums]

HI,

I have been to three call centers for the past 4years now(not to proud of it hehe). All of these off course had a lot of benefits that they offer. SSS, pagibig and philhealth, HMO. Now all of these are paid 50/50 by you and your employer thru salary deduction, but all of these can also be availed as private contributions, meaning you can be able to get these benefits even without your employers contributions (I believe you will only pay your part). What you cannot get individually though ( if I am not mistaken) is an HMO.

Most BPO companies, once an employment offer is already given, will allow you time to notify your previous employer. And since most companies require you to give them a months notice (others as short as a week even) that is the amount of time that they will allow you to accomplish everything before your employment starts with them. Some companies though will need you to start ASAP, this is not an issue since you can advise them that you are currently employed and that you can only start after your specified date. They will either schedule you for the next batch, or will find another account for you that will not pose any problems from your previous employer. Once you have accomplished an application form from them, you will find that they will ask you on how soon you may be able to start.

I suggest that you start applying now if you really want to become a call center agent, I don’t believe that it is “bawal”, unless off course your contract from your current employer specifically states that you cannot scout for any other employment whilst you are still with them. It should not pose any issues as long as it will not affect your current job responsibilities- like skipping work for an interview. ( no need to tell them juts incase). Most call centers have a one day hiring process so expect to stay there for the whole day (depending on the number of applicants). Others will require you to come back at another day ( mostly the next day some within the week a few others longer), either for final interviews or job offer. Feel free to talk to the HR recruiter, most of them are very accommodating, don’t hesitate to tell them your availability from your work. They will give you all the help to make your application with them as convenient and as easy as possible.

I hope that I was able to give you some useful information. I understand that you have already done some research to make sure that joining the call center industry is the next best move for you. Start browsing Jobstreet and other recruitment sites, look for the best call center job (I think I saw some BPO accounts that had some graphic designing? dunno .. but it could be a plus) and company for you, and try to do a little background check from this forum before actually applying. You can also try to visit Jobstreet Select (8th Floor Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City) or ExcelAsia or other BPO headhunting firms. They will interview you and will give you options on which call centers and accounts that is going to be the best for you based on your qualifications ( some will give you free training if needed). Feel free to post other questions for others to answer or PM me if you will need more information.
Regards and BEST OF LUCK!

[barefutcontessa]

Thank you for the reply yums. it really did enlighten me a bit....but what if my contract gets renewed like , let's just say till august, are there any call centers that would accept me as parttime/fulltime since i'm just a subcontractor sa current company ko?

[yums]

There are call centers that offer part time positions .. Try Convergys. Call centers, if you will be working full time for them would most often have rotating shifting schedules. Depending on the account, there are day shifts ( more so during training ). I really suggest now that you visit the recruiting firms I mentioned; Jobstreet Select and ExcelAsia. They might have clients that will best suit your schedule. Regards!