Dear Callboi,
Good day!
Please call me Robin.
I'm pretty new to your blog but already I am addicted to it. I must congratulate you on your writing.
You seem to have managed to convert a lot of people who normally don't read blogs into dedicated readers.
Okay, enough with the ass-kissing. Let me get to my point.
I've been here in PeopleSupport for more than five years.
As you may know, employees of PS will be receiving their 13th month pay this December 8.
Though I am thrilled to the bones that I will, once again, be able to go splurging on shoes, clothes, and books, I am also immensely saddened.
You see, I vowed that this year, once I receive the 13th month pay, I will tender my resignation the next day effective immediately.
And I will be pushing through with it, believe me.
Callboi, I know you feel this in your heart as well, I am tired of working in a call center.
To be honest, after five years, as Madonna sang in one of her Evita songs, "Where do we go from here?"
I am afraid of what will happen to me after I resign. But I'm also excited as hell at the prospect that the future is finally in my control once more.
PeopleSupport has been good to me, and yes, admittedly, there were times when some company policies made me feel like going on a shooting spree. However, I will always consider my time in PS to be some of the best years of my life.
But like I said, I am tired.
My question is: Are you tired as well?
Yours,
Robin
Dear Robin,
Before I answer your question, let me tell you how I came to be working in PeopleSupport.
About seven years ago, I first heard about call centers from a college friend of mine.
"Tol, yun na siguro ang pinakamadaling work! You just have to tell the callers the address of a particular location in the U.S., and sooobra pa ang high ng salary!" ang may pagka-coñong sabi sa akin ni friend.
Ako namang si inosenteng probinsiyano, naniwala agad. It wasn't hard not to be tempted back then, I mean, I spoke English fairly well. I could fake an American accent. I watched a lot of American television series. If it were not for my uncommonly ugly nose, and dark hair and skin, I could easily be mistaken for an American! Opo, alam kong ilusyunada po ako, thank you.
So I checked the Classified Ads sa Inquirer and the first thing I noticed was the extremely bright and peppy job ad of PeopleSupport. Hitik na hitik sa smiley faces! I applied on a Tuesday and was hired the following Thursday.
Before I continue, can I just mention na I grew up in Batangas and to be accepted in a company whose office was right smack in the middle of Ayala (sa Philamlife pa kami noon sa may Paseo) was just simply mind-blowing for probinsiyano old me? Gusto ko nga magpa-misa at maghanda ng fiesta nung matanggap ako eh.
Feeling ko career woman na ako noon. Feeling Carmi Martin talaga ako. Probinsiyano meets Makati ang drama ko noon.
Before I was interviewed, I threw up twice sa CR dahil sa kaba. I ended up talking about books and movies with my interviewer. It was fairly easy, to be honest.
My first year in PS was, well, it may sound cliche and plastic, but it's the truth, my first year in PS was great. My batch was amazing. My trainers and supervisors were amazing. The view and pool table in the 12th floor pantry were amazing. Obviously, I can't think of another adjective besides "amazing". Pero ganun talaga eh. I mean, I have to be honest right? Maganda at masaya ang first year ko sa PeopleSupport.
This coming January, officially seven years na akong nasa PS.
Seven years... and you asked me, am I tired?
Oo. Let's be honest. Sino ba naman ang hindi magsasabing pagod siya sa trabaho di ba?
However, let me add to my statement. I am tired, but I'm still fairly happy with PeopleSupport.
Sure, things have changed. A lot. Pero let's get realistic. Saang company ba di nagkaroon ng mga pagbabago?
The only real complaint I have is our medical plan. Wish ko talaga ibalik nila ang eligibility natin for Makati Med.
Dati kasi, confident akong lumabas ng apartment ko sa Guadalupe kahit lampas alas-dose na ng gabi. Sa isip ko, kung may manghoholdap sa akin, dadaganan ko at gugulungan yung holdaper. Lalaban talaga ako. Feeling ko naman di aabot yung balisong nila sa laman-loob ko dahil sa kapal ng taba sa tiyan ko eh. At kung saka-sakaling masaksak ako, I'd just take a cab and head straight to Makati Med. Dati kasi our medical plan covered everything there, wala ka talagang babayaran. Pero ngayon di na tayo covered fully.
Kaya di na rin ako lalaban sa holdaper. Isusuko ko na lang ang puri ko.
According to a close friend of mine from HR (let's call him Divasaurus), the turnover rate in our company increases significantly not in the month of December, but from January to February.
However, Divasaurus also says, "Pero girl, na-ba-balance out din yan kasi dumadami ang new hire ramps sa mga following months."
You also asked, "Where do we go from here?"
Yun nga eh. If I resign, where would I go? I live alone. I'd need a fairly large salary in order to sustain the lifestyle that I've been used to. At aminin nating lahat na mas malaki talaga ang sweldo natin kumpara sa mga ibang trabaho. Ang only dream job ko naman talaga is to work in a food magazine or own my own bookstore/cafe which I would call "Buquish". Cute name devah? 
However, ibang usapan if mas malaki ba ang sweldo natin kumpara sa ibang call centers. I think that's a separate blog entry in itself.
Tinanong ko mga teammates ko, "Kung mas malaki ang sweldo natin kumpara sa iba, bakit di tayo yumayaman?"
Sabi nila, kasi daw, pag mas mataas ang sweldo, mas maraming expenses. Anlabo.
Feeling ko kasi mahirap talaga magtipid kapag alam mong relatively mas mataas ang salary mo.
I ask myself again, am I tired with PeopleSupport?
Ask me again in a year.
Right now, the probinsiyano in me is still having fun.
Life, lust, and lechon,
callboi♥
[email protected]
