TOP 10 CALL CENTER JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (Part I)

What employers really wanted to know from aspiring call center applicants

You may have checked a lot of reference materials in acing a call center job interview. At some point you may have memorized some of the answers just to make it up to the contract signing portion (of the application process). But do you really understand what they wanted to know from you as a prospective call center agent? Take time to check these common call center job interview questions and verify if you are really prepared to provide appropriate answers.

1. Tell me something about yourself

Common mistake: Saying your name, age and physical address to serve as an introduction

Call center applicant: Well, as I said a while ago, my name is [your name], [your age] and I live at [physical address].

If your name is printed on the resume that they are holding, it will be better not to say your name. Call center recruitment officers will be wise enough to glance on your resume once in a while to write their comments. Besides, they will remember your name as soon as they are convinced that you are ready to proceed to the next step (of your application process).

Same thing for the age and physical address, unless there will be issues that need to be checked immediately, better keep those details on paper.

Call center gal tip: Call center recruitment officers need to know more of your interests and how you can relate those in your future job in the call center. So concentrate your answers on those details instead.

2. What do your classmates/colleagues say about you

Common mistake: Giving details that might ruin you and your character in the process.

Call center applicant: “Well, my classmates say that I am pretty, easy to get along with, understanding etc…”

Call center applicant: “My colleagues say that I am talkative, friendly, a team player…”

Notice how we sometimes unconsciously tell our call center recruitment officers that they should consider other candidates instead. Even though they wanted you to feel comfortable and sound natural in your answers, they need more details that build your character up. They need more of your positive characteristics as a person well suited for a call center job.

Call center gal tip: Be honest and yet be careful of the details you will tell them. I want to stress on the importance of giving them more of your positive traits. If they asked you to expound on your answers, then be ready to give related answers.

3. Why do you want to work in this organization

Call center applicant: “I heard your organization pays call center agents well.”

Call center applicant: “Because my friend told me that it is easy to get a promotion here.”

Call center applicant: “This is one of the call centers that I know of which has sleeping quarters and it’s important because I live far from here.”

Common mistake: Not doing a company research prior to the interview

There are a lot of call center companies in the Philippines and I understand how tempting it is to send resumes to every call center companies that they see. Observe how applicants go crazy over submitting their resumés in job fairs, only to be clueless about those companies when called for an interview.

Call center gal tip: Do your homework. Make a list of the companies you want to apply for a call center post. Use the internet to gather information. Most reputable call center companies have a website to provide you information that you can mention in the job interview. It’s better to tell that you got those information using credible sources instead. I am not saying that you can’t rely on what your friends tell you. Call center employers will appreciate it better if you checked on the resources that they made available like company websites and marketing collaterals.

4. What is your philosophy towards work?

Call center applicant: “Time is gold.”

Call center applicant: “My work philosophy is that you need to work hard for you to get a reward.”

Common mistake: Using a cliché as an answer

Clichés are overly familiar phrases. It may be tempting to use clichés in answering questions like this because it can easily fill in someone’s thoughts. But if this is your only answer and you cannot expound on this cliché then you might not land that call center job.

Call center gal tip: Frame your answers based on how you really work on something. If you really value time as part of your work philosophy, better be prepared with instances wherein you used time to your advantage. You can form better answers than by just using clichés as canned response.

This is just the first of the three-part series about top ten call center job interview questions. Feel free to send me your comments and suggestions by leaving a message here. Thank you for reading.