Where Should You Work? BPO or Traditional Company? Tips From 10 Years of Experience

Hey just because I have 10 years of experience doesn't mean I'm old. I started working quite young. Blame it on old people who made bad investments. But nevertheless, there's no reason I shouldn't put this to good use.

I've worked in a traditional company and I've worked in a BPO company (business process outsourcing). They are very different industries with very different cultures. Where will you fit in? Here are some tips

• If you want to move up the corporate ladder quickly, try a BPO company - they are usually more open to that. Why? That's because turn-over is slightly higher in a BPO company - dog eat dog world. That's not to say that turn-over is any less in traditional companies, but you'll probably find a lot more older people (people who have been in the business longer) in traditional companies rather than BPO companies, making it rather difficult to move up the corporate ladder
• If you want higher pay/ salary right now - you'd probably be better off in a BPO company rather than a traditional company. Why again? That's because BPO companies are used to paying in dollars (and most likely receive their revenue in dollars) so compared to what they make, your salary equals peanuts. Traditional companies are more conservative when it comes to salaries
• If you want just to work days, then you should stick with a traditional company. The very nature with BPO is the fact that their clientele is outside the country (more often than not the time zone probably differs), so this will require some work hours that are rather uncommon (or unholy, however you want to put it)
• Depending on the how you would like to dress - a traditional corporation will require you to dress up, while a BPO company is not likely to care
• Also depending on how good your English speaking skills are, a traditional company will be more forgiving of your twang or your local accent, a BPO company on the other hand will be stricter with regards to your communication skills. If your English is deficient then you probably won't get very high in the corporate ladder in a BPO company
  
• If you're interested in stability, these days they say that a traditional company would be the way to go. I think it's not much different. Given the economic situation now. Everybody is having some difficulty - BPO and traditional companies.

One thing I've learned though is that if you work hard and go the extra mile, whatever the pay range... whatever the industry, whatever the company... someone will take notice and all that hard work will pay off.

Top Three Things Your Should Expect To Feel When You're With Your New Job, Your New Office, Your New Boss

I'm in a new office. I have a new job. I have a new boss. I haven't been anywhere new in Lord knows how long. I'm not the kind who can just open up to anybody. I'm quite the introvert really and often people think I'm a snob. I've even been called arrogant and snotty. But that's just the way I am. I'm very transparent towards people who know me, but for people that I've just met, I would be considered rather aloof. I don't really warm up easily.

You could only imagine how I felt when I moved from my old job to my new job. But as I confided in friends and family, I realized most of what I felt were quite normal. So here they are for the benefit of those who might be in the same boat I'm in:

1. Uncomfortable. You'll come from a place where you practically knew everybody and (well in my case) almost everything there was needed to know about your job. Naturally when you've stayed in a place long enough, you inculcate all that you need to know about the job - if you didn't you'd probably quit. So the transition is going to be uncomfortable. Having to start again in a new place with new tasks surrounded by new people. Unless you're more like some of my friends who can just as easily converse with new acquaintances, you'll feel that very awkward feeling of being out of the loop. It'll get better though as you get to know people and just absorb the company's culture.


2. Humbling. As I've mentioned I came from a place where I practically knew everything there was needed to know about my job. And so moving to a new office where I'm required to have the same skill set, the same knowledge base and expertise as my previous position is quite humbling because starting out in a different industry means that I had to go back to square one as novice. Had to accept that practically everyone around me knew just a little bit more than I did and that I had to accept correction from people above and below. Personally, I don't mind being corrected and criticized that I can take. It's the "not knowing" part that really bothers me - maybe because I'm management, I feel like I should know these things and I feel rather irresponsible if I don't


3. Insecure. This is probably just me because I feel I have so much at stake, having a child and all. But insecurity doesn't just mean I don't have security of tenure, it's an overall feeling of not really being sure. Half the time I don't know what I'm supposed to do so I tag along with more experienced members of the team. Where I work now, people don't take it easy on you because you're new and there is no such thing as a learning curve allowance. Here, it's swim or sink. I just try to do the best I can in hopes that my work meets their standards. But the fact that I'm new makes it very difficult to even be aware of these standards. That's where the insecurity comes to play.
   

Well those are my top three. But I have to admit things are getting better. The good thing about a new office is also that you have the opportunity to meet new friends. And that is a blessing by itself. I have been very fortunate to have met a lot of professional and talented people. I feel like I'm the presence of experts all the time. It makes me feel tiny sometimes but more often than not, lucky -- very lucky.

Top 3 Reasons Why People Change Jobs

I recently just changed jobs. I was paid ridiculously high and was quite comfortable where I was but I realized that though I was not unhappy, it felt like something was missing. And so I made the jump. It got me thinking, why do people switch jobs? Here's my top 3

1. People switch jobs for more money! Of course that is the obvious choice. We want more money and we need more money with the inflation and living conditions being what they are. That is a given
2. People switch jobs for better career positioning. Everyone wants to move up in life. If another position is open that offers advancement from the status quo then why not right?
3. People switch jobs because they are dissatisfied. This is my reason because I was definitely paid more by my previous employer - double in fact than what I'm getting now for the same position. My parents just shake their heads at the thought of not being able to enjoy that kind of money anymore. But it's the better choice I think.
   

I was dissatisfied because I felt I could learn more. I was dissatisfied because I felt I could do more if I were directed and mentored in the way that I realized could never be done by my current employer. And that is why I left.

But just so we have a moral to this story: although we think that we should be paid a premium for the amount and quality of work that we do, we should still look out for our own personal satisfaction. I couldn't imagine going to work everyday and being so miserable.