Job Discussion Forums

[Eloise]

I've just applied for a job as a "language specialist" in a call centre in Bangalore. I've always wanted to go to India but I'm worried working in a call centre will be soul destroying. Does anyone know what it's like working in one?

I'm also worried about fitting in and making friends. The language schools i've worked in in the past have made it very easy for me to meet people. I'm worried a call centre will be very impersonal!

Hope someone can help me!
Eloise

[Beast]

I curently workin one in Chennai.
Expect your equipment to not work. Expect your classroooms to have bad Air Conditioning.
If you arer working for who I think y ou are in Bangalore, you are getting about 40% less than we are in Chennai because they pay you from an office in India.
The students are realy good people. However, people of this age in this work suffer from Depression, high blood pressure and a host of other illnesses that people of this age shouldn't have.
They willb e abused by your standardes but not by Indian standards. Everything is metracized down to the hundredth. It's bothersome at best. Educationally, nothing is done that woudl foster good academic performance.
But, you will meet a lot of really nice people. There will be an invisable wall between you and Indians. Friendship only goes so far. You need to be able to entertain yourself if need be. Yo make more money than they do and if you dn't mind spend all your money to take them out and be "Friends" then you might do well.

[rockyp44]

I have been working in a CC in Chennai for a year. How did you survive your gigs and what have you done since then?

[JumpingGirl]

Hi Eloise,
I won't give too much info about working in bangalore as a language specialist, because I just might work for the company you are considering applying at.
but i would encourage you to find out everything you can before making the move. You work very long hours for very little pay in India...and that goes for the language specialist position also. And from what I've seen and experienced, there are a lot of attitudes here towards women that are hard to deal with, especially if you are coming from a western culture. If you are seen talking with a man too much at work, people will gossip and you could possibly lose your job. If you ever take a man home to your apartment, your landlord could kick you out of the building. And you can be fired here at the drop of a hat, with no say or reasoning. Basically, employee rights do not exist in India. If your boss doesn't like the way you dress, as in, if you arn't "indian" enough or "conservative" enough, then they will speak to you about it. The company that hires you and your landlord have access to your living quarters any time they like, your neighbors will be peaking in your windows as much as they can...you basically have no privacy (in the western sense) in India. All the little hassles like that add up...so think twice and think long.
If you are working a US or UK shift, then you might work late nights. The problem with that is everything shuts down in Bangalore at about 10pm.
You will also have very little time to travel and see India while you are here.
Having said all that...it is India, and India is an interesting place. Bangalore is an interesting place, if you can manage to get up during the daytime and see it after working long night shifts. It's cool to experience life as a working person here instead of being a tourist.
Send me a private message if you want the low-down on any specific outsourcing companies or major companies in Bangalore. And remember...get EVERYTHING up front from an outsourcing company before agreeing to anything or signing a contract. Especially get details on how much you will get paid, and EXACTLY the amount of taxes that will get taken from you. Many companies like to skirt those issues, until you've already arrived in India. Get EVERY tiny detail from an outsourcing company before you agree to anything. Ask them excatly how many hours a week you will be expected to work, ask them about your housing...every little detail you can think of.