Of all the things you might be tempted to do to land a role as a call center agent, there’s one thing you ought to do the most: apply, apply, apply.
Many job seekers wait to find the perfect position or get bogged down trying to craft the perfect portfolio, but the truth is, nothing beats throwing your hat in the ring—especially if you’re a beginner looking for a call center job for the first time.
You need to take action.
The Only Thing That Matters
There’s a lot of advice floating around the internet about how to land that perfect call center position. That means you could easily spend hours and hours going down rabbit holes about online courses that’ll teach you new skills, how to show off your expertise on your resume, or how to decide which type of call center is best suited for your personality—and none of these approaches will get your name in front of a hiring manager.
Instead, you need to start applying right now. Yes, even if you don’t have a completed resume yet.
The truth is, action breeds both motivation and opportunity. By applying to as many call center jobs as you can right out the gate, you put yourself in the position to start having conversations in that space immediately––and maybe even land a job with your current skill set. If you want to be successful, you don’t need to worry about being the best candidate in the world. You just need to get some skin in the game and show your eagerness to get started.
After all, becoming a call center agent has a relatively low barrier to entry, which is why you’re doing yourself a favor by applying right away. In fact, you can start right now by registering on some job boards.
Places to look for call center jobs:
- Indeed
- Snagajob
- Wellfound
- FlexJobs
- Dice
Once you’ve created an account, you’ll want to build a basic profile. Again, don’t worry about perfection here, the key is to start searching for call center jobs that might be a fit and start blasting out applications. Don’t stress out about finding the perfect job right now, as you’re just getting the lay of the land—and it won’t hurt you to apply for a few things you’re not quite sure you’re the right fit for. Either way, it’ll be a learning experience.
Search for keywords related to call centers, such as “call center job,” “entry-level call center position,” and “call center customer service role.” Remember, you may have to put in a couple of variations on these terms to find the kinds of postings you want.
You can also start looking for trends, especially when it comes to important qualities and skills that seem to come up again and again on job postings. Make notes that you can come back to as you start crafting your application. The more you’re able to “speak the language” of the job postings, the more your application will stand out.
What to Do Next?
Step 1: List Skills First, Get Skills Next
This may sound unconventional, but don’t be afraid to put skills on your resume or profile that you’re currently developing or are certain that you will learn in the immediate future. Of course, it’s not a good idea to make stuff up, but if you’re already in the process of learning how to do something, chances are you’ll have finished that learning process before you get a job.
Common call center agent skills and attributes to focus on:
- Working knowledge of customer service best practices
- How to deal with difficult customers
- Familiarity with call center technology
- Upselling and cross-selling
- Communication skills
- Phone etiquette
- Building a call center career
Keep in mind that you may see some others come up over and over again across various job listings, so you may want to incorporate those as well.
If you’re interested in doing training sessions or taking courses on any of those skills, a simple Google search can lead you to various options for any level of experience. Some in particular you may want to check out include Google Certifications, Coursera, Udemy, and Skillshare.
Each of these platforms has multiple courses related to call center agent skills, and you can sign up quickly and easily with your email. Most courses are available for watching or listening online, and you can often download them to study offline as well.
Step 2: Now Prepare Your Resume
After you’ve started getting some early applications out there and signed up to acquire any new skills you may need in your call center job, you should then move on to designing the perfect resume.
Hiring managers and recruiters can take weeks, or even months to respond to applications, so you can use this lag time to your advantage.
Seven tips for the perfect resume:
- Keep it short—a maximum of one page, if possible. Managers and recruiters receive thousands of applications, and won’t want to read a long one.
- Only include information that’s directly relevant to this job. In this particular context, nobody is interested in your hobbies, so you can save that for the interview stage.
- Include a professional email address.
- Use a skimmable format—you need to make it incredibly easy to understand your skills, past experience, and desired job right off the bat. If someone has to work to get at your information, they won’t.
- Use keywords. During the application process, you should have seen many required skills for call center agent positions. Make sure to use those same words on your resume so people can quickly spot that you’re a fit.
- List the certifications and training you already have, as well as the ones you’re currently in the process of getting.
- Highlight your past achievements by concisely describing the situation, what you did, and the concrete results you created.
- Proofread many, many times. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a sloppy or outdated resume, so if there’s any stank on yours, do yourself a favor by cleaning and freshening it up.
Step 3: Apply, Apply, Apply
Once you’ve bolstered your resume, you can essentially go back to the beginning and continue sending out applications. New call center agent positions can pop up every day, so don’t be afraid to apply to as many as possible. If you have the time, you should consider the process of applying to these jobs as your full-time job until you land one.
Keep in mind that the market is competitive, so try not to get hung up on getting rejection notices. There’s always another job to apply to, and even if a company has passed on your previous application, you can always apply to a new role with your updated resume. Just be sure to highlight your new additions and the courses you’re enrolled in. This will demonstrate your growth and persistence.
So, You Landed an Interview
Congratulations! Here’s what to do next.
Ask for Help
Interviewing well is a skill, and it takes time and support to really develop it. You should talk to current or former call center employees and get their advice about how to be a good candidate in a call center interview. If you have any mentors, you can pick their brains as well.
There are also many online resources for interview prep, so it’s worth checking out courses on how to give a good interview, as well as forums on interviewing and working in a call center specifically.
Preparing for the Interview
Once you know when your interview will be, you should start researching the call center. Find out all the information you can about the companies that this particular call center supports. This way, you can come prepared to ask knowledgeable questions during the interview.
Similarly, you may want to check out the LinkedIn profiles of the call center’s management as well. If you have a bit of background on these people, it can help you feel more comfortable during the interview since you’ll be able to put a face with the name of the person you’re talking to.
Five ways to ace an interview:
- Research the company and familiarize yourself with the job description.
- Dress appropriately, and maintain an engaging level of eye contact.
- Practice common interview questions so you can feel prepared for the interview. You may want to use the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method to structure your answers.
- Ask questions about the company, the role, and the culture you’ll be working in.
- Follow up with a thank you email after the interview whether you get the job or not.
- Try not to be too nervous. There’s always another job to apply to, and this is just a conversation. The more you practice, the more at ease you’ll be for future interviews.
Don’t Chase the Money
It can be tempting to focus solely on money when you’re looking for a call center agent position. While a salary and benefits are important, they’re not the only things you should care about.
Make sure you also keep an eye out for other things that make a call center a good fit for you, like work flexibility, opportunities for growth, and a good working environment.
Consider the things that are really important to you in life, and what you need to be happy at work. Look specifically for a call center that offers these things.
For example, you may want to consider the call center’s work-from-home policy, as well as its policies on sick days and vacation time. You should also be aware of any company functions like team events, so ask current employees or your hiring manager about the work environment.
If you see a company that seems to have a lot of churn, you may want to look elsewhere.
Finally, you should prioritize opportunities for growth. Ask your hiring manager if it would be possible for you to move up in the hierarchy or get transferred to a higher-level department of your choice, and what the process to get there would entail.
Getting the Call Center Agent Job is Just the Beginning
Once you’ve got the job, you’ve got a whole new challenge in front of you. The research skills and persistence that you’ve shown in getting the job will serve you well as you learn how to be a good call center agent.
Nevertheless, the keys to success here are pretty much the same––learn all you can, keep taking action, and build relationships.
As you get started, make sure you read all the call center policies right away. Many people just skim these, but the better you know your company policies, the better you’ll be at your job.
Remember to ask your manager for clear goals and expectations. You can’t succeed if you don’t know what success looks like!
Also, work to improve your skills by listening to highly rated calls—and taking any optional product training that’s offered. You can’t help callers if you don’t know what’s going on, so it’s important to soak up as much information as you can.
Finally, try to make connections with the top performers in the company so you can get to know their secrets for success. This isn’t about stealing anything from them, but rather building a mentorship connection that benefits both of you.