Just wondering whether there are career opportunities when your stuck in a call centre.
I've recently finished my degree (commerce major in business info systems) and was looking to head into a business analyst path, but from answers in some forums the feeling I get is that it's hard to move.
So instead of a call centre would either a level 1 IT position or grad programs be better opportunity wise.
Cheers.
why would someone with a business degree want a job in a contact centre?
Tough job market
why would someone with a business degree want a job in a contact centre?
Your attitude is the reason so many grads don't have jobs.
Business degrees are very common so it doesn't really make a holder of that degree much better than anyone else.
Everyone has to start somewhere and if the Call Centre is where OP can get their foot in the door, then why not? Any experience that can set the OP apart from all other degree holders is good experience. No-one is going to be the CEO from day one.
It's better to get started than sitting around doing nothing.
It's quite common for people to work themselves up from a call centre role. Keep in mind the following differences between a call centre role and a grad role
career path
at the end of a grad program, you are likely to get a permanent role (unless you stuff up extensively).
in a call centre role, you are less likely to get a guaranteed role. You'll have to work harder to network. However once you are in an organisation, it is much easier to find places to work. Alternatively you have the NAB name on your resume which will boost your job search. I would only stay in a call centre for max a 2 years. If you do not move up, time to move else where where an organisation appreciates your talents.
pay
most call centre salary packages will be lower than grad salaries especially in financial services. It's unlikely you will be able to negotiate your salary in either roles because there is a set budget. However the reason for the call centre role being lower is because this position does not require a person to hold a degree (or even have finished high school) to work in this role.
strategy
Would exhaust your efforts in a grad job before accepting any call centre roles. don't sell yourself short.
do you have customer service background?
You need to make it really obvious you like people and love helping customers 38 hours a week. It will become quite transparent in the interview process if you are not a people person. Don't get offended if you don't land a call centre role.
Thanks for the advice, should of clarified that I have a job offer from NAB already (which I've said yes to but haven't signed anything) it's around 50k.
You can always take the job and keep looking for something else in the mean time.
Yeah right.. You've been offered a job. Take it, see what happens. You can always keep looking/apply to grad schemes.
A job is a job.
If I do that I'm just worried about setting Interviews etc while still basically so fresh in a new role (usually get an interview or two every fortnight).
Well a key issue is whether you will disclose your new role to an interviewer.
If you do disclose they will ask why you want to leave after such a short time. Be prepared to answer this in a tactful way. You dont want to come across as someone who jumps ship too often.
NAB is a huge company and there's many opportunities in there - both internal job opportunities and opportunities to network. Make use of their internal careers page where they advertise roles.
Remember to be social too - don't just the person who shows up to work and disappears on the dot. Talk to people in the corridor, kitchen, fri drinks. You'll be surprised who you meet and who you might end up bumping into.
contact centre work is soul destroying
Being an internal candidate you already have an advantage over external candidates for NAB roles. Use that. Also, small jumps or side jumps may be the path you might need to take to eventually get to where you want to be.
if you go the contact centre route you'll need to network extensively and be in it for the long haul to find a way into a BA role.
good luck