BPO University: How do you lay the groundwork for a career in outsourcing?

Scrap the notion that working for a BPO (business process outsourcing) or a KPO (knowledge process outsourcing) company is engaging in a dead end job. Often this misconception is “backed” by that cheeky retort that’s supposed to put an end to all arguments, “There isn’t even a course in college that supports it!”

Which brings to mind a question posed by Jowee Alviar, the creative director and one-half of Team Manila, a top of the line Philippine graphic design outfit, that what if a kid almost out of high school wants to land a job in a BPO company, what course should he take up in college? I was actually stumped but then recovered enough to say that although BS- Commerce readily comes to mind, almost any course of great interest to an individual will serve him well in a BPO/KPO setting for as long as the proficiencies he does acquire are strongly backed by English communication skills. It is because BPO and KPO jobs are as diverse as the courses offered in the universities out there.

You see, outsourcing companies are no longer just providers of front (call centers) and back office (data services) solutions. If you are a BS- Biology graduate, there are KPO spots to be earned by way of medical transcription and even outsourced clinical research. If one is a business degree holder, the major banks of the world like Citibank and HSBC outsource the accounting, processing and management of mortgages and credit card accounts to BPO/KPO destination countries such as the Philippines and India.

If you have exquisite organizational skills, being a VPA (virtual personal assistant) will hone them, not to mention develop your negotiation skills: you get to haggle at 1pm for box seat tickets for Broadway’s 42nd Street matinee, this just after securing tickets for your client for a redeye from New York to Singapore. Or if you prefer straitlaced strategizing, Accenture will be happy to open their doors to you.

Are you “techy”? Kodak and their clients want your knowhow on apertures and shutter speed adjustment. Languages major? We’d love to hear from you and we’re prepared to pay a high premium for your prowess in Japanese and Spanish, not to mention French and Mandarin. How about artists, you ask? The Philippines boasts of graphic design studios offering design and animation services such as illustration of story books and interior/exterior architecture renderings for clients abroad. (Yes, the starving artist is a thing of the past.)

And what of the ones looking to work long term in BPO? There are trainings that companies offer so that well-deserving individuals rise up the ranks and do their new post justice. And surprise, surprise! There are universities with offerings that should help these individuals acquire BPO-specific leadership and management skills. De La Salle University, for instance, launched a supervisory skills program for team leads and a course in strategic BPO management for potential and current managers. Both courses are slated to start next month.

As for the supposed “stigma” attached to working for outsourcing companies, here’s a little story to put your misgivings to rest. My first job was in the circulation department of the Mega Publishing Group, that bastion of high style responsible for magazines like Mega, Lifestyle Asia and Bluprint. The first question at the interview with the circulation director was, “Do you have call center experience?” I did not and I still got the job, but the point evidently was that they would’ve preferred that I came with a call center background because of the people and communication skills BPO employees famously acquire on the job. So you see, it can be your launching pad or a major stop, and as with everything else, you can go as far as you wish. Curiously enough, I used my stint at Mega to land myself a KPO job.