India with its vast pool of intelligent

Information Technology, the greatest change agent of the twentieth century, is changing the way we live, work, communicate, shop and study - practically everything we do. Information Technology is also changing the way we do business. Not only does it remove the barriers of distance and geography, but it also dramatically alters 'how' business is done. It is here that India with its vast pool of intelligent, English speaking, IT-savvy workforce, has made a mark for itself - in the sphere of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS). As the name suggests, Information Technology encompasses all those activities that are made possible by using information technology. These include inbound and outbound, voice and web-based call centres (handling customer support, technical support, transaction processing), medical and legal transcription, animation and multimedia, content creation, back-end operations like revenue accounting, insurance claims and payroll processing, debt recovery, loan approval, e-learning and creating legal, medical and other databases. Some of the new opportunity areas that have emerged at the higher end of the BPO business are engineering design and research outsourcing - biotech research, bio-informatics, customer analytics, market research, equity research, etc.

The work

Instead of working in a bank, credit card company or telecom company where you get to interact face-to-face with the customer, in a call centre you solve problems and provide information over the phone or internet from a remote location. As in the Information Technology industry, call-centres work round-the-clock and are air-conditioned and ergonomically designed (the better ones even have their own gyms and coffee shops to help you unwind). The atmosphere is informal yet professional. You work in shifts and meals plus pick-up and drop services are offered to every staff member. On the flip side you must realise that while all this may sound very hi-tech and the money may be fairly decent, the work can become somewhat routine and monotonous. The stress of working long hours, night shifts, irregular eating habits and the demanding pace can be a big challenge. The job is surely not just about having fun. It requires a lot of grey cells and hard work.

Employment opportunities

International Data Corporation (IDC) has predicted that the global ITeS market will touch revenues of US $1.2 trillion by 2006. According to the Nasscom-McKinsey study, the Indian ITeS sector grew by a stratospheric 54 per cent to hit $3.6 billion in 2003-04, with ITeS accounting for 88 per cent of India's IT exports! This booming industry has emerged as a boon for the hundreds of thousands of job-hunting Indian youth and aims to grow into Rs 100,000 crore industry generating over 1.1 million jobs by 2008. With an annual growth rate pegged at 11 per cent, the ITeS/BPO segment is going to be one of the most significant business opportunities for the Indian software and services industry.

What it takes?

Handling tricky complaints and persuading clients to stick to repayment schedules calls for diplomacy, presence of mind, excellent communication skills and absolute familiarity with the product line and the company policy. Call centres look for confidence and the ability to speak well in unfamiliar situations, basic computer skills and of course excellent spoken English with a decent voice quality. You need to speak good grammatical English (no slang), with a clear diction and neutral accent (i.e. one that is easy for most people - in particular foreigners, to understand). Increasingly, knowledge of an additional foreign language is becoming an asset. This will help you converse with the customers in their mother tongue. Because call-centre executives must frequently wrap up one conversation even as a new call comes in, multitasking is another important behind-the-scenes skill.

But ITeS is not only for under-skilled undergraduates looking at earning some pocket money before they can move on to something more stable and "rewarding". Other than the customer contact services segment, the other value-added back-end operations (HR, Financial services, transaction processing, content development, animation, GIS, etc.) require domain expertise (MBAs, CAs, Lawyers, Graphic designers, Information Technology specialists) that are stable and well paying. What you'll make? A call centre executive typically earns between Rs 8,000-12,000 per month (Rs 6,000 at start in local centres) at the entry level. Within one to two years, as you go on to become a team leader, you could make anywhere between Rs 12,000-16,000 per month (plus incentives). Within two or three years you could earn up to Rs.20,000-25,000 per month as a Customer Service Supervisor. It usually takes about three to four years to become a Shift Manager earning Rs.25,000 -30,000 per month and four to five years to become a Manager with a monthly salary of Rs.40,000-50,000. The good news for undergraduates is that their entry-level salary is on par with those graduates joining with them!

Where to study?

Call centre training typically covers many or all of the following: communication skills, voice and accent training, grammar, fluency, articulation, choice of words, customer service, culture sensitisation and basic industry knowledge. However, most call centres conduct their own training programmes for selected candidates. If you are very unsure of getting in you could look at courses offered by reputed training schools like those run by NIIT and Hero Mindmine. Here are some of the leading call centres which you could contact directly. American Express Global Service Centre, A-37, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Estate, Mathura Road, New Delhi