Call Centre Jobs -- Are these the easiest to get?

JSP

Are Call Centre Jobs the easiest to get?
What if I don't have another EU Language, is there still opportunity?

sallywin

Yep, loads of call centre jobs to be got, with or without a foreign language. Definitely not worth learning a foreign language especially for though! But if you already have say some decent French then be brushing up on it. There are loads of call centre jobs for French speakers. Friend of mine working in call centre for Nissan and another is through to second interview for call centre job in Apple, Cork, who are hiring right now! Those jobs are for French speakers. But there are loads of jobs for english speakers too- HP were hiring a while back for example, not sure if still are.

JSP

Is the salary usually sufficient to support oneself, i.e. net €350/week?

2. is a Call Centre role similar to a Help Desk job, troubleshooting user problems over the telephone?

Liinniejj

call centre jobs are usually troubleshooting, helpdesk or selling stuff on the phone just depends on what company/add you reply on

Delancey

I can't agree with the notion that Call Centre jobs are ' easy ' to get . Certainly in the past I applied to dozens that did not require a second language and frankly was pleased to even get an acknowledgement - vast majority never replied.

evilberry

I totally agree with Delancey. Getting a call center position is a royal pain. I'm an IT student and I've been sending CVs for donkeys years to get a position as a helpdesk, call centre or even telesales person. But no recruiter seemed to be interested although I have 2 years experience in retail and sales PLUS I'm studying IT PLUS I speak another language fluently. I can't deny how frustrated I am right now - if they don't even want me at any helpdesk why am I studying? In the future I won't get a better job anyways.

rainbowdrop

Maybe call centre jobs were easy to get 6 or 7 years ago, but not now. I don't think you'll even get an interview unless you have previous call centre/sales/customer service experience. I do not have a second language.

I applied for call centre jobs about a year ago and didn't even get a sniff of an interview cos I'd no experience. I had worked in factories for 10years, got made redundant and did a 2year Business and Secretarial studies course. I thought this would give me a foot in the door for admin/secretarial jobs but no experience meant no one was willing to take a chance and give me a job.

I then went and did a Microsoft Office Specialist course, and as part of this I did 1 months work experience for 02 in their Limerick call centre (for free).

When that was finished, I applied for call centre jobs around Limerick and am now working for a company that has a contract with Vodafone. I was told afterwards that the reason I got the job was the fact that I had done the work experience with O2.

So, yeah, in conclusion, call centre work is not 'easy' to get, and it's a tough place to work. I work 3 times as hard, do more hours and for less money than I ever got working in factories. Such is the economy now, I'm just glad to have a job.

evilberry

Well, I think a nationality (or fluency in an adequate language) matters the most. My native language is not very common in call centres environment although there are loads of people from my country here. But it has to be a matter of poverty in general - when people don't have money to afford a particular product they don't need to have a customer support nor a helpdesk.
The Germans are pretty lucky though. Their economy soars up high. My German friend has come to Ireland around 3 years ago and got a tech support job straight away, without any experience nor college for they only required a fluent German speaker. And now, he's been through Google and other major companies. If there's something he doesn't like about his job, he basically quits and gets a new one straight away.
Well, good my boyfriend is German too, so maybe one day, after 10 years from my IT graduation, having 8 years of experience in customer service and retail, speaking fluent German they will tell me "we might consider your application"

Delancey

It has been previously discussed on this forum that many jobs advertised are fake and don't exist ( seems particularly the case with jobs.ie ). Quite why this practice goes on is a matter of conjecture but I think that a lot of call centre 'jobs' advertised fall into this category.
Would certainly explain why even getting an acknowledgement is a victory !