Posit.

Me: So kailan ka last nagpacheck?


I ask Mother Wendy (MW) after she told me that once of my ex office mate have AIDS. It was a usual Sunday and we are having halo halo for lunch.


MW: Bakit? May ginawa ka ba na dapat mong ipagpacheck?


There was silence. As I reflect on all the things I did, it never occur to me to get myself tested for HIV. Maybe because I am not really that active in terms of sex. I cannot even remember the last time I did it, hahaha.


MW: Beks, kasi kilala ko ang sarli ko, alam ko ang mga ginagawa ko, at mga hindi ko dapat gawin.


I am not sure if the argument was valid.


ME: Ako din naman, to be honest, makulit lang ako, mukhang makati, pero kapag andiyan na, tumitiklop din. 


Well, ex office mate is different. He is the type who has Grindr, who gives the look every where, and now, he is using this as an excuse for his bad attendance record.


MW: Shock nga ako kasi bakit parang kinukwento pa niya sa iba. Alam mo yun parang okay lang na malaman ng iba na may ganoon siya. 


ME: Baka naman press release lang. Alam mo yun, sympathy card. Para huwag siyang tanggalin. 


MW: Pero beks, lagi siyang tulog. Minsan nga, habang nag eemail siya, bigla nalang siya pipikit tapos hirap niyang gisingin.


Then, I realize that I have limited knowledge about the disease. Though, I know how to be careful not to have it, still, there are still things I am not familiar with. I do not know if sleepiness is an indication of it. All I remember is that I am not sure how will I feel. It is hard reading stories about it, but it is harder having someone you know have it. But it made me realize how real it can get, and I need to be extra careful. Well, we all need to be.

So, You Want to Work in a Call Center?

Another housemate is having trouble getting into the Call Center industry. Isn't it ironic that my housemate cannot even get in the industry hence there are a lot of opening posted every where? He doesn't have any call center experience. Well, anyone who works in the industry started from having no experience at all, right?

When I first apply in a call center, I was on my last year in college. That time, I never imagined myself working in a fast food, so when my classmate informed me that she was in the industry. Immediately, I want it.

The road was never easy, though. Eunice, my college friend, and I were rejected by almost all of the centers in Ortigas. Rejection was heartbreaking. But, knowing the thing that you have to endure in order to get hired, that was hell.

Coming from a State University, Eunice and I will always find our ways to save our money for a particular day. We walked from One San Miguel Building to Robinsons Galleria just to be stopped by the reception lady saying that students were not qualified for that company. We ate burger steak in order to have something in our tummy that day. We have to wear uncomfortable smart casual clothes. And lastly, we have to speak in English.

Realizing that this is the only thing I can and want to do, I never gave up. The rejections I received in Ortigas became an advantage because the next time I applied in Makati, I knew what to expect.

I practiced my answers in questions that I was sure that will be asked. I watched a lot of English shows in order to get familiarize with how English words sounds. I have to read books and newspapers in order to have my grammar check. I prepared a lot.

The thing that I concentrated on was my confidence. I noticed on my interviews in Ortigas, every time I get nervous, I tend to talk fast, and then I stutter, and then another rejection. So when I applied again, I force myself to relax, I make sure that I will grasp all the things that my interviewer will ask and just answer them as fluid as possible. And, that was the part I got hired. I never got rejected by the industry again, and I even got promoted.

People might think that Call Centers will look for human beings who can really speak good English, who are fluent enough to express themselves using the foreign language. Well, they will look for that if they know that you already worked in another call centers. But if they knew that it is your first time, they will be gentle. What they will look for is someone they can work on. Someone who have the guts to express himself though he's accent is hard as metal. They will train you to improve that. They will search for your confidence. Because if you will not believe in yourself, how can you make someone believe in what you are talking about over the phone, right?

Well, I am no expert. I already left the industry three years ago and I guess things have change. So to my readers who work in industry now, if there is a newbie that wants to be part of the industry, what will be the best advise that you will give?

Comment on!

Versant Test

To quote Wiki, the Versant suite of tests is a computerized test of spoken language available from Pearson. Versant tests were the first fully automated tests of spoken language to use advanced speech processing technology (including speech recognition) to assess the spoken language skills of non-native speakers.

Versant Test is a common exam if you are aiming to have a career in the Call Center Industry.

I just took one this morning. It was for a company that kept on calling me regarding my pending application before. Though I really have no plans of resigning, I was sure that they will not stop until I just show up on their office.

So I just decided to go to their office and just fail the exam, that way, they will stop calling me again.

The Versant Test was done over the phone, and it was divided into several parts. First, you have to read a sentence on a sheet of paper. Next, you have to repeat what will the voice said. Third, a simple question and answer kind of exam where a voice will ask you something and all you just need to do answer it. Then you will be given jumbled phrases that you need to construct into a complete sentence. Story telling comes after; you will be given 30 seconds to summarize a story. Last will be the open questions part, you just have to answer a question in 40 seconds. It was like a final question in the Ms. Universe. Haha.

It sounds easy at first but honestly, it was challenging. You may think that all you have to do is just to listen to the voices and follow the instruction, but it was really more than that. For beginners in the industry, the exam may seem overwhelming because they have American speakers doing most of the talking. It will be tough if you are not familiar with how Americans say their language. If you have an experience being in a call center, you may find the exam easy but it is not always a guarantee.

Until now, I can’t believe I even passed it.

The key to passing the exam is really to listen well. Know the instructions religiously and make sure you are ready before even dialing the telephone. Grammar is also important, especially on the jumbled phrases part. What I did was just to follow the pattern that we all learned during our English class, subject followed by the verb, then followed by the predicate. I think that helped. For the story telling part, concentrate on the story and what it was all about, details were also important so just make sure that you focus more on the important details. When answering the open questions, do not rush. Remember that you are being graded for every word that you will say how you will say it, and whether you will say it correctly. Compost your sentence very well and make sure that the tenses are correct.

It was a fun exam. Challenging at some parts, but fulfilling when you pass. :p