German Dean Jr., 25 years old, shares the tale of his bittersweet journey as a BPO professional. He joined Transcom in November 2015 as a Customer Sales Representative. His passion and dedication led him to being promoted to Quality Assurance Specialist in July this year. Words by German Dean Jr.
When I started working in Transcom, fear and doubt were two things that plagued my mind. I was afraid to disappoint the people who believed in me and I had a few doubts such as "Am I in the right place?" and "Do I have what it takes to survive?"
The first time I wore my headset was truly an unforgettable experience. Being an industry newbie, I was so excited to take calls, but when my first day at work finally came, I stuttered as I took calls. After that day, part of me wanted to quit because I didn’t know if I still had the courage to show up, but I told myself, “No one was able to walk on the day they were born.” So the next day, I picked myself up and said, “Fight!”
That was the bittersweet story of how my Transcom journey started. My life here keeps reminding me of the song “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor:
This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name
Ten percent luck
I woke up one day and decided to venture into the BPO industry. I printed out 30 copies of my curriculum vitae and sent online applications. In the two succeeding days, all I received were negative news, until I got a call saying that I was one of the shortlisted candidates for a call center post. During the interview, I was scared of the possibility that I might not get hired because I did not have any BPO experience and I was an undergraduate. Well, as of the moment, here I am writing this article. If that was luck then yes, I am lucky. I was truly lucky enough to be hired and assigned to Transcom.
Twenty percent skill
Since I have a technical background, I have a wide understanding of how to handle customers over the phone before suggesting to check their gadgets. It is usual for me to answer calls, probe, and eventually resolve an issue. The English-speaking requirement was also covered because my brother and I would usually speak the same language at home whenever we wanted to keep our conversation between us two. So technically, when it comes to skills, mine aren’t that perfect, but I have one silver bullet in my arsenal, and that is my ability to adapt to change.
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
When I focus my energy into something, I make sure that I will dedicate myself to it, learn all the secrets, master the trade, live with it, and breathe with it. I believe one does not need to become the best but, he needs to be consistent on development and performance.
Five percent pleasure
I feel good each time my superior commends me for a job well done and for every extra mile that I offer to help the team. I like the feeling when people see me as I bleed, weep, and sweat as I run towards my goal. There is nothing like the feeling of being appreciated for simple things.
Fifty percent pain
I’m clever enough to know that not everyone will agree with me. Some people even find it funny when they hear my goals. Negative energy exists everywhere, and if only I let those get to me, I would have felt demotivated all this time. Instead, I take criticisms in stride and use them as my motivation to keep getting better at what I do.
My goal: to wake up stronger than my fears, and I did it! I am grateful to my team and to Transcom in general, as the company was instrumental in transforming me from being weak and driven by my fears, to being strong and motivated by my goals. I also owe just as much to the people who gave me a chance to prove myself and the opportunity to step up on a short period of time.
Everything only used to be a dream, but now, the continuous development of my professional and personal life alike has turned into reality through Transcom.