How to Get a Job in a Call Center

In the modern job market, call centers are a significant employer. The work often does not
require specific prior experience or education, but there are some basic people skills that are
necessary, or at least helpful, if you want to be a successful call center agent. You’ll get a call
center job more easily if you practice being calm and patient, learn the phonetic alphabet to aid
communication, and get really good at multi-tasking. To help secure the job, you can write a
great cover letter highlighting your best attributes, practice for the interview and learn about the
company. You’ll still have to search the job boards and send applications, but you can get
yourself ready to look like a great candidate in the meantime.

Polishing Your Skills

Practice patience. One of the stressful aspects of call center work is that people you
talk with often do not want to be on the phone with you. If they are calling because they
have a problem, they want it resolved quickly. If you called them, they may feel intruded
upon. So to prepare for call center work, you must learn to be exceptionally patient even
with the most difficult people. If you are prone to hurrying people along or interrupting,
you will need to reduce these tendencies quickly.[1]
 In your daily conversations, make a specific effort to never interrupt people. Always let
them completely finish what they are saying, even if they take way too long.
 When you are having a misunderstanding with someone and you start to get agitated,
take deep breaths and remind yourself to stay calm.

2
Learn the phonetic alphabet. This is the ABC’s code designed by NATO, also known
as Alpha Bravo Charlie code, and it designates a word for each of the 26 letters of the
alphabet. When taking calls you will often be speaking to people with varied accents.
You’ll also have some calls where the connection has static which makes it hard to
hear. Using the phonetic alphabet will help ensure that anytime you are unsure of what
you heard you can double check.[2]
 Since memorization skills are so helpful anyway, this is a good place to start.
 There is a fairly standard phonetic alphabet, but there are variations, so learn both if
possible. An internet search for “phonetic alphabet” will return a simple graph listing all
of the code letters.
 For example, if someone is speaking and spells their name to you “B-e-t-t-y,” you may
be unclear if they said B or P, since they have similar sounds. So you can ask, “Is that B
as in Bravo?” which helps clear things up.
 3
Be proficient at multi-tasking. Call center jobs usually involve speaking to the caller
while also working on the computer. Besides physically doing more than one thing, your
mind needs to be sharp at thinking through multiple processes at once. As the person
tells you their problem or asks for information, you need to be figuring out what to tell
them and finding the information on your computer. [3]
 Start building your capacity of doing and thinking more than one thing at a time. Try
listening to someone talk, perhaps through headphones listening to a podcast, while
also searching the internet for something completely different. You must be taking in the
information through both listening and reading your screen.

4
Be available. Call centers tend to operate on a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365
days a year basis, so that means you may be asked to work nights, weekends, and
even holidays depending on the company. Because of this, your non-work schedule
needs to be flexible enough to account for the hours you may have to work. When
applying and interviewing, you don’t want to lie about the schedule you can manage, but
you want to be as flexible as possible about when you are willing to work. [4]
 Someone who says they are only willing to work a regular 9-5 shift may be less likely to
be hired than someone who is willing to work nights. Make an honest assessment of
your willingness and ability to work the types of hours you may be asked to work. If you
know you can’t be awake during night time, don’t say you are able to.