Navigating Your Career in BPO: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction
As the digital era manifests its full potential, the BPO sector is set to benefit from robust technologies. Due to technological advancements, call centre services are becoming more insightful and transparent, enabling businesses to get all the benefits of outsourcing. The BPO sector in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2022 to 2030. 
Adopting IoT and AI technologies has a significant positive impact on the market. Supported by the Indian government, the BPO sector enables you to put your core competencies to good use. This blog offers a detailed guide on starting your career in BPO if you are looking for an industry with low entry barriers. 
 
Explore BPO as a Career
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry allows businesses to contract third-party service providers to manage business processes or operations like customer support, data entry, accounting, human resources, and other back-end operations. Companies can use BPO services to access a highly skilled workforce at reduced overhead costs. It improves business competitiveness and efficiency. 
A BPO career is suitable for individuals interested in working in multiple industries. If you want to start a career early,  a BPO job is right for you. Building the right skills and gaining experience will help you secure a rewarding career in the BPO industry. 
 
Advantages of a Career in BPO
The top skills required for individuals seeking BPO as a career are good communication skills and English fluency. BPO jobs in India are popular mainly because they require minimal academic qualifications. Many call centres employ individuals with 12th-pass certifications. It is one of the industries that employs a major chunk of the youth population in India. Career growth in BPO is promising for many reasons. Some of them are:

BPO jobs have excellent pay structures, including individuals with a basic undergraduate degree. The average salary for a fresher in the BPO industry is Rs. 1,80,000 in India. This is much higher than professions that require individuals to pursue specialised certifications before applying for a job. 

The educational qualification requirements are minimal, so the BPO jobs have a low entry barrier. Many BPO companies employ individuals with an undergraduate degree. Some companies also use those who just finished their 12th standard as long as they have excellent communication skills. By gaining experience, you can enjoy career growth in the BPO industry.

BPO jobs allow you to work in corporate workplaces where there will be no running around. Many large BPO companies offer convenient bus services from multiple pick-up locations within the city. BPO jobs are highly desk-based, and you will spend most of your time talking to customers. The companies also offer snacks and drinks for employees as part of the office perks. 

As BPO jobs are primarily customer support jobs, the BPO centres offer exclusive and intensive training for new hires. So, even if you have no idea what to do as a call centre service person, you need not worry, as the companies offer on-the-job training. Generally, this training goes on for a few weeks, after which you will be supervised for a few weeks while you talk to customers. 

Individuals who learn on the job and gain experience are in high demand in the BPO industry. Within a few years, you can become a senior call centre professional and demand a higher salary. 

Opportunity to Work Overseas

Many Indian call centres have overseas offices, depending on the company’s client base. These companies will send employees overseas every few years to offer better customer support and services. These opportunities will expand your horizons and allow you to increase your earnings quickly. 

Work from Home Flexibility 

BPO firms are now open to offering work-from-home options to their employees. Depending on your company, you can work from home a few days a week. However, this flexibility is highly dependent on the employer and workplace ethics. 
 
Disadvantages of BPO Career
Working in any industry has pros and cons; the BPO sector is no exception. Here are some of the disadvantages of working in the BPO industry:
 

The BPO call centres work for customers in different time zones. So, the BPO professionals are expected to provide call centre services in different time zones. For example, if you work for a US-based BPO company, your work hours will match the office hours of the USA. Generally, BPO workers have to work primarily in night shifts. So, odd working hours are common in the BPO sector. 
 

The odd working hours of the BPO sector invariably affect the work-life balance. Working night shifts could make you miss out on socialisation activities. You may miss out on spending quality time with your spouse, children, and friends. It can be lonely and frustrating if you don’t learn how to achieve this delicate balance. 
 

BPO jobs demand that you work against your body’s natural circadian rhythm. When you work at night and sleep during daytimes, it can result in sleep disorders. Highly stressful BPO jobs can also result in heart disease, eyesight problems, depression, and other health issues due to the nature of your job. 
 

A call centre professional has to deal with customers and clients from another country. Adapting and understanding their culture to offer the best support is highly demanding. Sometimes, the clients can be angry and unhappy because they don’t like talking to call centre professionals. 
 

While India is one of the most popular destinations for BPO jobs, many other countries offer cheap labour. Businesses that look for cost-effective outsourcing could easily take away the job security of BPO professionals. Currency exchange rates also influence salary and career growth in the BPO sector. 
 
Career Growth in BPO – Is it Right For You?
The Indian BPO market is rapidly expanding, and this trend will likely continue. Excellent BPO career growth opportunities exist for the right individuals who are unafraid of learning the latest technologies and tools. Graduates can gain experience in the industry and develop their skills using company-sponsored training programs. Many freelance workers with digital expertise can connect with like-minded people to expand their knowledge and improve career growth opportunities. To choose the right BPO job, understand the industry you are interested in, explore the different types of BPO companies, and find the right fit. 
 
Conclusion
The key requirement for a career in BPO is being passionate about learning. With plenty of growth opportunities in different industry verticals, individuals with excellent interpersonal skills can advance their careers quickly. To meet the global outsourcing demands, many BPO companies are competing, offering excellent job opportunities for professionals with the right learning mindset. 
Explore Mindler blogs to get access to various resources that can help you uncover the underrated jobs for freshers in India. Get expert assistance to kickstart your career in BPO.