The business process outsourcing (BPO) is one of the market’s fastest-growing industries. This is in part due to the continuous business growth in the age of digitalization, allowing for the increasing demand for customer service professionals to keep pace.
If you’re a job seeker looking to forge a career in BPO, what should you take note of? And how do you position yourself toward professional success? Before we go any further, let’s first consider the outlook of careers in BPO.
Careers in BPO Industry
Many people believe that the Philippines’ BPO industry is only made up of call centers, but this is not the case. Call centers are an important part of the industry, but offshoring companies offer a wide range of other job opportunities, nearly all of which being technical in nature. Not only can English-speaking professionals work in call centers; those with technical skills can also expect to work on development projects pursued by the country’s offshoring firms.
Benefits of a BPO Career Path
You might have seen yourself as a professional from an industry other than the outsourcing sector. You probably never even imagined working in the field. So why the demand? Simply put, if you want to work in a fast-growing business with a focus on engagement, training, and retention, you should work at a call center.
Here are more reasons people choose a career in BPO:
Competitive Salary
When it comes to salary, BPO companies are known to be generous. Aside from the monthly compensation, working in this industry gives you the opportunity to enjoy multiple benefits such as health insurance, extra pay for night-shift work, performance-based bonuses, and quota or total attendance bonuses.
Training and Growth Opportunities
With a growing market, the industry is seeing huge potential, which gives room for advancement. You could begin by working in one department and then advance to positions of leadership. Also, there are BPO companies that offer employee upskilling and reskilling training. Professionals can learn new skills both in their field and in outsourced positions.
Rewards and Recognition
Depending on your position, call centers provide incentives for accomplishing targets, rewards for behavior, and staff appreciation days. This recognition of diligent work fosters a culture of goal setting and success celebration.
Work-Life Balance
BPO companies, like other industries, give their staff days off each week. They also provide enough vacation and sick leaves each year so that their employees can rest and recuperate, and come to work recharged. There are also many BPO jobs that let their workers to work from home.
Multicultural Environment
Many BPO companies conduct business with clients from all over the world. This means that you will be in contact with folks from anywhere in the world. You’ll also be able to practice and improve your second or third languages, as well as develop your communication skills. This multicultural environment can boost your creativity while also teaching you to be adaptable and open to diverse cultures.
BPO Career Opportunities in the Philippines
Here are different careers in the BPO industry in the Philippines:
- IT Solutions: IT technician, support specialist, web developer, quality assurance tester, IT security specialist, computer programmer, system analyst, and software engineer
- Call Center: Customer care specialist, customer service representative, call center supervisor, customer success manager, and call center representative
- Digital and Content Marketing: SEO specialist, telemarketer, copywriter, marketing manager, graphic designer, social media strategist, and content manager
- Data Entry: Data entry clerk, medical scribe, transcriptionist, coding specialist, and data collector
- Accounting: Accounts payable clerk, bookkeeper, accounts receivable clerk, credit specialist, and finance agent
- Human Resources: Payroll clerk, recruitment esource, human resource specialist, benefit specialist, compliance consultant
How to Know If a BPO Career is for You
When looking for work, there are several career paths to explore. The BPO industry provides all the competitive benefits for individuals who choose this path. They are fantastic stepping stones if you are a fresh graduate looking for entry-level positions. In addition, as noted above, BPO companies offer specialized training in a range of industries for their employees.
Working in the BPO industry is also ideal if you want to gain confidence rapidly and lead a team. A BPO career would undoubtedly instill leadership and management qualities worthy of management. People working at BPOs develop problem-solving abilities that could be useful to other organizations.
Therefore, a BPO career is a great opportunity for young people just starting out in their professions, older persons with just temporary jobs, or those seeking a career change.
Ways to Plan Your Career Path in the BPO Industry
Embarking on your career as a BPO professional is an excellent chance to hone your soft skills as a fresher. Want to find a wonderful job at a BPO firm where you may thrive in the coming years? Here are some ways to plan a BPO career path:
1. Be willing to learn more.
More opportunities become available when you’re willing to learn new things. You can advance your career horizontally as well as vertically.
2. Leverage what you’ve learned in school.
You can pursue a job in BPO even if your educational background is not directly related to communication. Nursing graduates, for example, can find work in outsourced medical billing. Likewise, accounting graduates can find work with businesses that need outsourced accountants and bookkeepers. On the other hand, those who have completed courses like multimedia arts may qualify for photo editing jobs.
3. Stay adaptable.
This industry is dynamic and always evolving. If you want to succeed, you must be adaptable. To mention a few, these include being paired with different customers, working with different teams and colleagues, changing shifts, and adopting new processes. When you work for a rapidly expanding firm, you must be prepared to expand as well.
4. Choose a company that cares about your growth.
BPO companies, like other industries, are not without flaws. You’ve probably heard that toxic culture and office politics are common problems at BPO companies. If you want to enjoy your BPO career, you must choose a company that will encourage and support your professional development.
Growth Potential of BPO Industry in the Philippines
Outsourced virtual assistants are in high demand, as more firms strive to improve their workflow management. Companies hire Filipino virtual assistants to handle challenging administrative and support tasks, allowing them to focus on core business activities and increase profits.
The COVID-19 pandemic generated immense new opportunities for the Philippine BPO industry, and those developments will have a substantial influence on the sector as a whole. Traditional outsourced roles, such as data processing, transcription, and a substantial chunk of call center work, will be replaced by as automation or low-cost freelancers.
The BPO industry in the Philippines has the potential to be at the forefront of the global BPO race if it works on a few aspects such as developing strict legal frameworks for the BPO industry, producing more IT aspirants, developing the country’s human resource pool, and building infrastructures.
Jumpstart Your BPO Career at FilWeb Asia, Inc.
Working for a company that allows you to thrive can be a game changer. If you’re on the lookout for a career in BPO and want to work in such an environment, FilWeb Asia is the place to be!
FilWeb Asia is dedicated to delivering high-value, customized business and knowledge process outsourcing solutions to companies worldwide. Therefore, we constantly provide our employees with the knowledge and skill set they need for personal and professional development, while also integrating them in the company’s success. We also promote work-life balance and professional development.
Look into our BPO career options and join our community today. Check our website for more details.
