Could you please introduce yourself and share your educational background?
I am Jenny Nicole Bantang, and I'm currently taking a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. I had to stop my studies around 2019 due to family financial problems and started working, which turned out to be a blessing during the pandemic in 2020.
How has your degree influenced your career trajectory and helped you in your role at Alorica?
My degree helped me a lot, especially with my current role as a training coordinator, which involves data analysis. With my Agribusiness Management degree, we were trained with different analytical tools that align with the demands of my current role.
Would you recommend studying Agribusiness Management to students?
Yes, I would highly recommend it, especially with the declining interest in the agricultural sector despite the growing demand for agricultural products. It's almost like getting two specializations – business and agriculture – and another level of specialization in handling agricultural businesses.
What factors did you consider when choosing a job, and why did you choose to work in the BPO industry?
Back then, my choices were limited due to my educational background. I was grateful to the BPO industry for opening opportunities. I chose to work in this industry because they offered a competitive salary compared to other roles available to me, which was the priority for my situation back then. Additionally, I felt confident that I possessed the necessary skills to pass their application process.
Can you walk us through the application process at Alorica and share any advice for applicants?
The application process at Alorica that I went through involved an initial interview to assess my English communication skills, followed by computer-based tests on typing, familiarity with the client's location, and relevant technical abilities based on the client's demands. Candidates who passed proceeded to a mock call/chat where we role-played as agents before a final interview round. On the day I applied, there were hundreds of applicants just at that one site I visited. While I don't know the precise number, I estimate around 50% of those hundreds of applicants managed to successfully navigate all the phases to get hired.
My advice would be to practice communication skills, join Facebook groups for tips, read instructions thoroughly, and show commitment during the final interview.
What does your employer Alorica do, and what does your typical day look like?
Alorica invites clients internationally and nationally and provides services to assist their customers. My typical day involves generating data, translating it into comprehensive reports, providing feedback/insights, attending meetings with different departments, and managing inventory like headsets.
Could you provide insights into aspects like salary, work-life balance, office culture working at Alorica?
Regarding the salary for my current training coordinator role, while it could certainly be higher, the overall package of perks and benefits helps compensate for that at Alorica. The company offered me good work-life balance, allowing flexibility like work-from-home options when I needed it as a working student. The office culture is quite competitive, especially in the telco industry Alorica serves, but I can say the leaders provide support to help teams achieve our shared goals.
What are the fun activities that Alorica has for employees?
We have a lot of fun activities at Alorica. Different sites have different engagements every month, depending on the theme. For example, if it's February, the activities would be anything about love. We also have an employee appreciation day where the leaders and higher-ups give us food personally and visit different sites to engage and interact with us.
Additionally, we have "Alorica Salamat," where leaders post on social media to thank people. The leaders also have a trinket or reward system, wherein they give us trinkets like snacks, jackets, or clothing whenever we have a good performance. On top of that, we also receive monetary incentives, which is the greatest part.
What do you consider the best and most challenging aspects of your job?
The best aspect was providing assistance that benefited the team and supporting other departments, which was fulfilling. The most challenging part is the frequent and highly accurate data reports required hourly or daily that are crucial for leadership to make major decisions impacting the entire organization.
Can you explain what the career path at Alorica looks like?
My career path at Alorica began as an agent or customer service representative, taking calls and assisting customers. Then after just a few months, I was fortunately promoted to a trainer role where I onboarded and managed the performance of new hires during their training phases. After another 8 months, an opportunity for a training coordinator position opened at my site which I applied for and landed. I've now been serving in this training coordinator role for the past 3 years.
Reflecting on your journey so far, what has been your biggest learning?
My biggest learning is that anything can be possible with the right attitude and behavior. If you don't find a way, you create the way, and you cannot give yourself an excuse that you didn't have much choice.
What are your long-term career plans, and what aspects of your career path would you approach differently?
In the long run, I want to explore business analytics roles in different industries by pursuing a master's degree in business analytics. If I could approach my career differently, I would have been more proactive from the start in my current role as a training coordinator.
Any words of wisdom for new graduates starting their professional journey?