When it comes to exciting and popular career options for youngsters in India, one of the commonly discussed options is the BPO/KPO sector. Over the years, this sector has provided employment to thousands of professionals, giving them the experience of working for international brands and interacting with people from other nationalities, while affording them good salaries.
The BPO industry is characterized by companies that hire employees on their payroll and get them to work on assignments from their empaneled clients across the world. The work could include any business process that can be outsourced; hence, the name BPO.
So how does one enter this sector?
One of the biggest pluses of this sector is its flexibility. There is no one strict qualification level demanded, and you could join the BPO industry straight out of school, college, or even after a postgraduation.
- If you are good with communication skills, you could work in customer service.
- If you have good technical qualifications, you could work as tech support professional.
What needs to be kept in mind is:
- Work is done in shifts
- The job requires high pace and professionalism
This sounds like a very attractive career option!
It certainly is, and there are a number of points in its favor:
- A fast-growing sector: The sector is expected to grow well for at least a decade, if not more, driven by the force of globalization of businesses across the world. A number of companies are ever ready to outsource certain processes to BPO providers, which also offer flexible work options.
- High demand and supply: Across sectors, international companies look to the BPO industry to handle non-core processes. Publication firms, for instance, need people to do data entry, shipment, and web and graphic design, and thus will always need candidates holding multimedia diplomas. Even those without proper degrees can work their way up from basic processes. For KPO, however, the bar is slightly higher, due to the more technical or advanced nature of work; this also means a smaller supply of eligible candidates.
- Job options: From freshers to experienced executives, there are numerous options in the BPO/KPO field. Freshers could work as process executives, while those with experience could look to content or operations management, research and analytics, legal services, and others. If you hold a BPO certification, you will have more options.
- Attractive pay packages: Salaries can start low, depending on the complexity and shift timings of the job, among other factors. Typically, though, if one performs well, career growth is quick, and it is possible to rise to a Team Lead or Team Manager position from that of a fresher. The difference with KPO is that there is the added chance of foreign travel, due to opportunities to work or train off-site.
What are the things to consider?
When it comes to the BPO/KPO industry, there are a number of pluses and minuses to consider, as explained below:
- Positives:
- Wide array of job options
- Huge industry growth
- Earning opportunities for people from lower economic backgrounds
- Negatives
- High work pressure due to stress and odd timings
- Pay packages that sometimes feel low compared to work volume
- Unstable career due to frequent hiring and firing
Candidates need to prepare themselves for a career in BPO/KPO.
There are a number of things candidates can do to improve their chances of a good career in the BPO industry. Some useful tips are as below:
- Be open to late or early shifts, and to long work hours
- With time, shift focus from Team Lead roles to Operations Management, to open up better opportunities in the future
- Be willing to start at a slightly low package, and work upwards from there
- Good communicators typically get higher salaries
- Choose a good BPO certification from a recognized institution. This proves your seriousness about a career in the field as well as your competence with the latest practices and technologies.