Job Security is Dead

Your life cycle in a call center usually starts as an agent.

That is your stepping stone for higher position.

Consider yourself loyal if you have been on the same call center for fucking three years!

Dapat yung isang bay dun sa floor niyo ipangalan na sa’yo!

In 1989 Tim Berners–Lee invented the internet. When he invented the internet, people all over the world began to be connected virtually. That started the so called Information Age. Prior to 1989, we are on the Industrial Age. Industrial Age is when steam engine was invented which give rise to machinery and when machinery was invented, businessmen created jobs for the people who will work for them. This is the age when those who are academically gifted was put on a pedestal for their profession. This is also an age where people stick to one job for the rest of their life.

We are at the Information Age now.

In the information age, we become digital. Even “karma” becomes “digital”!!! Can you believe that?

This is an age where people hop for jobs. This is an age where even before you graduate from college, your skill is already obsolete! Everything is dynamic! Everything is fast–changing! As the saying goes, “The only permanent thing on earth is, CHANGE” thus it’s normal to change jobs nowadays!!

In the Industrial Age, companies has the moral obligation to take care of the “future” of their employees. Employees will stick to their job since after all when they retire, they will get their separation pay. In the Industrial Age, labor unions are legal. In the information age, social networking becomes the norm.

In the Information Age, companies has the moral obligation to make sure that their employees are paid on time. Seldom nowadays that there are companies who provide salary delayed. If they did so, expect your workforce to be gone the next day!! Since separation pay is no longer the trend nowadays, it make sense that you ask for a higher salary. The money is already upfront because they don’t have to invest in your “future.”

There are those call center who offer retirement benefit after five years of service. But that retirement benefit will commence on the start of your sixth year and there are those BPO’s wherein their trick is this, hahalukayin nila lahat ng pagkakamali at the beginning of your employment up to your fourth year or so, that way, they have a reason to terminate you. You should be cautious of those phony type of promise. If you will analyze it, for four years, that means that they were able to fully utilize all the skills that you have and the amount of money they provided on your salary was already compounded with interest and to capitalize on your future further, sino ka? That is the million dollar question!! Napiga na nila lahat sa’yo, basura ka na! Alalahanin niyo, ang mga Filipino, sanay sa crab mentality! Kakantahan na lang kita ng kanta ng Linkin Park which goes like, “I tried so hard and got so far but in the end it doesn’t even matter….”

There are those also who wanted to grow with the company but the opportunity doesn’t permit them to do so. Say for example, gusto mo mag–apply maging Team Lead. You know that you have the character to lead a team but you have a corrective action on file. That corrective action on file could be a wrong procedure you have done or a customer complaint na deadlock situation na kahit na Operations Manager eh walang magagawa. That corrective action on file will be wiped out after six months then after six months nagkaroon ka nanaman ng corrective action on file which will last for the another six months eh di one year ka na sa pagiging agent. If you have the ambition to climb the ladder, technically, napagiwanan ka na. And if that is the case mas mabuti pang lumipat ka na lang sa ibang call center where you will start fresh and at the same time you will experience a different account.

Given this scenario, it is very apparent that JOB SECURITY IS DEAD.

If you are in this profession, you just need to know how to shield yourself from the drastic changes in your workplace to secure your future.

First, make sure that you learn to invest your money. And when investing something, that means that that is something that appreciates in value. Kung bibili ka ng iphone o laptap, after two years can you sell it 30% higher when you bought it? Definitely not so therefore hindi investment yan. Remember also that the obligation of your company is to make sure that you are receiving your salary on time. They are not obligated to make you rich. Tandaan niyo rin ‘to, “walang yumayaman sa pagiging empleyado.” Kung gusto mo yumaman, mag–business ka or become an investor! Kasehodang Operations Manager ka o Vice President ka ng call center na kumikita ng 100k a month, empleyado ka pa rin na puwede sipain anytime the company wanted to. If investments such as T–Bonds, Stock Market, Real Estate or Blue Chip paper doesn’t ring a bell to you, good luck on your future! Kung three times a week, naka–Starbucks ka, i–calculate mo sa isang buwan kung magkano lahat yon whereas kung nilagay mo sa Stock Market and have it compounded for interest baka sa interest lang nung shares of stock mo eh kahit araw–araw kang mag–Starbucks di pa mauubos yung pera mo.

Second, make sure that you check your SSS and PhilHealth contribution. Yan na lang ang galansiya na mahihita mo sa pinagputahan mo sa trabaho mo!! Para naman pag naging Senior Citizen ka eh may pension ka kahit papaano. As for your PhilHealth, make sure that it has contribution as well. If you are a type of person who smoke five times a day and who finds Quaker Oats disgusting to eat, isa ka sa dapat na naninigurado na may contribution ka sa PhilHealth. San ka pupulutin kapag na–stroke o embalido ka na?

Third, manage your life and your lifestyle. It’s not just the financial, social or professional life that matters on this earth but also your spiritual life. In this industry, maraming aso, maraming maangas, maraming ahas, maraming inggitero. Never be influenced with the social values of traitors. They smile at you but they are doing something else behind your back. If they did that to you, be the better person. After all, karma is already digital!

Fourth, if you will be transferring to another call center, it doesn’t make sense to tell the truth why you leave your previous job. “People prefer to hear lies.” If you tell them the truth especially if it is awful, chances are, they will not give you the job. One of the beauty of group interview is you tend to hear the story of other applicant and merit your answer on your succeeding interviews. Remember also, that when you sign a contract, you are bonded to the company for a specific period of time, some even has a “training bond” but that contract becomes null and void when you fail on your metrics or when you didn’t pass the training.

In the Information age, your only hope is yourself. “You” is the best investment. You need to take care of yourself. You need to be smart professionally but you need to be street smart as well. Gone are the days with the saying “Graduate ako ng ganitong school kaya dapat mas malaki sweldo ko.” In fact, if you sit side by side with another person without asking what school they graduated, you could no longer distinguish who are graduates of prestigious schools. We are all on the same level now.