Interview Tips for Call Center agents wannabes

For me, the most anticipated part of a job hunt is the interview part. I can still remember the time when I was looking for a job, I always look forward to being interviewed since it is the best time for me to sell my self to the person interviewing me. I would say that out of the 5 jobs that I applied for staring when I was in college, the success rate is at a 100%.

My current job now requires me to interview applicants seeking for an opportunity to work in the ever changing call center world. I find it frustrating though that oftentimes, people that I talk to end up not being hired, either they are so messed up because they are a nervous wreck and couldn't think straight, and their comms skills are below of what is expected of a call center applicant. So with that, I came up with 4 simple tips on attending a job interview for call centers.

1. Show up early - when they mention the interview time, make sure that you are there at least 30 mins before the actual time, that way you would still have enough time to compose yourself and get ready for the actual job interview. Relaxing your mind definitely helps you in making sure that you don't blab nonsense when being asked by the interviewer. If ever that you are late just apologize for being late and DO NOT ever ever give any excuse as to why you were late.

2. Dress up accordingly - this should be a no-brainer. It's like when you are giving a birthday gift, you wrap it and present it properly. when applying for a job, always present yourself in an appropriate manner. remember that the first impression always and oftentimes sticks to the person that you will be talking to.

3. Sell your self - this is very common for all applicants attending job interviews, mention your accomplishments if being asked to talk more about your self. However, take note that 80% of the time, questions that are going to be asked by the interviewer are based on what you said and have presented. So make sure that you do not start imagining and mentioning things that you did not really achieve as this will eventually show up and will be identified by the interviewer.

4. Speak clearly - need I say more? never mumble and eat your words, enunciate words properly, but do not over enunciate as you will sound too tight. Never use high-falluting words, since this will eventually lead to your downfall. As much as possible use simple straight english words thus less room for mistakes. Remember, you are applying for a call center position so make sure that this is where you should be the strongest. Remember that you are applying for a call center position and the interviewer would likely want to hear you talk. So better speak up or forever hold your peace. Oh by the way I almost forgot, make sure that you brush your teeth before anything else. :)

Hopefully with these tips, it will help you achieve that call center job that you have long desired.

I want to be a billionaire!

I want to be a billionaire so freaking bad! Travie McCoy's song resonates in my head like a lullabye being sang by mothers to their babies...over and over again. I guess it has something to do with me unconsciously wanting to have enough money... I can do a lot already with a billion even more so with a million. I can pay for my kids tuition, buy a house (which I currently don't have) heck i can even open up a small business to get me started. So I am wondering what does it feel like for Henry Sy, Lucio Tan, John Gokongwei Jr. Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. Manny Villar, Manny Pangilinan and all of those millionaires to spend all the money that they earn? I assume that other than spending it for their own personal needs, charities would be on their list as well. I have read articles of them engaging in charitable causes so Kudos to them. Though, hardwork is the key to having amass this fortune. Though I can say that I do work hard a lot, I just can't seem to get that break that I am looking for. It takes a lot of hard work and luck to put it all together. Hopefully luck will eventually play out and I can get the break to help me get started.

Or hopefully this article can crawl up to any of those names mentioned above and give me the break I deserve or perhaps, a million to get me started :)

Ophiuchus, the 13th Zodiac Sign

Are you an avid follower and believer of faith based on your zodiac signs? What if all of a sudden another zodiac comes up and was added to the current 12 signs that we all know for god knows how long now. What would you do?

It was recently reported that a recent change in the earths position caused alignment of the stars to be off by about a month. Now this may sound alien to most of us but some including astrologers this is a welcome sign, since the change paved the way for a thirteenth zodiac sign, Ophiuchus to emerge. Just to give you an idea about the added zodiac sign, below is a short description of Ohiuchus based from Wikipedia:

"Ophiuchus is a large constellation located around the celestial equator. Its name is from the Greek Ὀφιοῦχος "serpent-bearer", and it is commonly represented as a man grasping the snake that is represented by the constellation Serpens. Ophiuchus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It was formerly referred to as Serpentarius, a Latin word meaning the same as its current name."

While astrologers alike are happy to have this additional zodiac sign into the fold, this might cause some confusion to people who are so engrossed with fortune telling and people who believes in their horoscope, since they only know 12 zodiac signs and have been following the current list. Does this mean it changes everything? Is there a cause for panic? I don't think so, because according to astrologists from Tarot.com, there are actually two types of zodiacs: the tropical zodiac, which Western astrology adheres to and is fixed to seasons; and the sideral zodiac, which is fixed to constellations and is followed more in the east. The new zodiac, according to them, applies only to the sidereal zodiac. According to them as well that the change is irrelevant for the tropical zodiac, since this was codified for Western astrology by Ptolemy in the second century.

So there is really no need to panic and start updating your facebook or twitter profiles. You can go on and still follow the 12 Tropical Zodiac signs and still read the same old news paper that details your horoscope for the day :)

Badminton, a healthy option

When I was in college, I used to play badminton, though not the competition type but at least I get to play it every week with my college friends. Back then, little did I know that playing badminton would have some positive effects in one's health. Studies say that playing badminton for at least 30 minutes a day can help lower bad cholesterol and in turn increase good cholesterol (yep, it does exist guys!). It also raises one’s heart rate and keep metabolism at a healthy rate. You can also substitute your regular health club workouts (gold’s, slimmer’s etc) with a three-game badminton match which is equivalent of a total aerobic workout, since it exercises almost every muscle in our body. Playing badminton requires repetitive arms and leg movements similar to weightlifting, but instead of external weights it is our body’s momentum that creates its own weight lifting workout. So if you are not into gaining muscles or bulking up and would just simply like to tone your muscles, badminton is a sure game for you.

The good news with playing badminton is that it is not just for young enthusiasts but also for the young at hearts or those that are in their middle age already. A game of badminton for them would strengthen their heart muscles; lower their heart rate and blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Of course all extreme physical activities should have prior consultation and approval from their physician.

I say try playing badminton for those who have not yet played this game, but be sure to prepare properly before engaging in any badminton matches or games and make sure that you do the proper stretching and warm-ups as this would help prevent any injuries related to playing the sport of badminton.

Enjoy!

Tech Tips: Wet Cellphone? Might want to try this

We are now living in a world where cellular phone is now considered a part of everyday life. In the Philippines alone, 1 out 2 Filipinos own or uses a cellular phone, translate that into numbers and that is around 75 million users. I myself have been using a cellular phone for almost 10 years now and the comfort and usability that it brings me is a very welcome sight. Though I’ve had my own share of problems with my phone, like busted LCD screen, no signal, and the ever popular scratches, however, I can’t remember any instance wherein my phone got soaked in pail full of water or even dropped it in a toilet bowl. However, if you happen to experience such problem, you might want to do the following: remove the battery and SIM card. Turning on your phones might short out the circuits and damage it more. Blow or suck the water out but do not use a hair dryer, the heat can fry the inside parts of your phone. You can also submerge it in a bowl of rice grains and leave it overnight.

I suggest that you be careful of your phone by not brining it to the toilet and leaving it close to the kitchen sink to avoid going thru such hassle and inconvenience.

To read the complete article, visit the link below courtesy of Popular Mechanics.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047

Virtual Assistants, changing the way we work

Have you ever heard the word VIRTUAL ASSISTANT? I stumbled upon one website for people who wanted to have part time jobs right at the comfort of their own home and without having to go anywhere. Yap! You can try it out, just simply create an account and download the application that they use and voila! You can start using it already. Good thing about it is that you can also take certain tests related to the skills that you have like, English Proficiency, Telephone Etiquette, Customer Service skills test and a whole lot more. Taking these tests would eventually help increase your chances of being hired for a specific job.

So for those who wanted to know more about it and wanted to get a part time job, you can go visit the link at the end of this article. Who knows you might get a career being a Virtual Assistant.

Good Luck and Happy Job Hunting



http://www.odesk.com

Luxury or Necessity?

I happened to read an article saying that, 138 countries, including Rwanda, have faster broadband than PHL. Holy Kamote! I would imagine, other countries such as South Korea, US and China but Rwanda? Just imagine, Rwanda, a small African nation, with a population of just 9 million! 9 million compared to the Philippines 94 million! How on earth did that happen? I wonder if our government knows about this, or better yet if they care about this. Time is already changing and we are now living in a world where information technology is already influencing a nation's culture and society. I do not have anything against Rwanda but it just sucks to know that a country like the PHL is lagging behind in terms of Information Technology, internet connectivity is no longer a luxury but is a necessity. Our government should seriously look into this and help improve this condition or else we would continue to lag behind our neighboring countries and left to eat on their crumbs.

Below is the link for the article.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/210108/138-countries-including-rwanda-have-faster-broadband-than-phl

Yahoo Basketball Fantasy League 2010-2011

Its our annual fantasy league and a quarter of a season is already brewing. I am participating in 2 sets of leagues, one is the Head to Head matchup, wherein I will be playing against another team manager on a weekly basis and we are being matched up based on certain statistics that players gets. Currently I am on 4th place from an 8 team league and I think that I will be able to make it to the playoffs (barring any injuries). And then there is the next league that I am part of, the ROTO league wherein I am at 3rd place. I was at number 1 until the end of 2010 but unfortunately some of my players had injuries that caused for my team to slid down to the 3rd spot, but as the saying goes, there is a lot of basketball left to be played.

My team's current standings in both leagues, a lot of basketball left :)

We have been playing this for around 3 years already and it is fun especially if you like watching basketball and into statistics of the game. Every season I always end up short towards the end but hopefully I can still catch up with the rest of the guys and be the champ this year. :) If you want to learn more about what Fantasy Basketball is all about you can visit the quick links on the right part of my blog page.

Happy New Year!

How was everyone? I hope that all your fingers are still in tact :)

It was a great new year celebration with the family and I made sure that I got to spend it this year with my family since I was out last year and had work. We exchanged gifts and of course had a hearty new years eve meal. The kids had fun, while blowing their lungs out on their torotot, its their own way of celebrating new year.

I really do not much have to say so I hope and pray that everyone will be healthy and happy the whole year round. Hope you had a nice 2010. Looking forward to a better and brighter 2011. Have a blessed one everyone!

The entire family getting loony for 2011!