CALL CENTRE JOB WAKEFIELD

What is a call centre job?

Call centre jobs combine customer service and excellent teamwork. Although you don't need any formal qualifications to do the work, employers actively seek people who can offer confidence, effective communication and a great telephone manner. A reasonable standard of literacy and maths, plus IT know-how, will also stand you in good stead.

Call centre operators are required in a wide range of sectors and industries, from retail to finance. As a result, your duties may vary widely from place to place. However, it's generally expected that a call centre job will involve dealing with customer orders, credit and debit card payments, enquiries and complaints and advising about products and services. As part of this you will usually access and update customers' records on computer databases. The role may also involve telesales and market research.

With experience, it's likely that you'll move on to mentoring and training new staff, call monitoring and quality control.

Why work in Wakefield?

Wakefield is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, making it an attractive proposition to people looking to capitalise on the burgeoning employment opportunities and relatively cheap living.

It enjoys superb transport links by rail, with Kirkgate and Westgate stations offering regular services to Leeds (20mins), Doncaster (17mins) and London Kings Cross (just over two hours). For those with wheels, the M1 and M62 are conveniently located on your doorstep.

Meanwhile, Wakefield enjoys a reputation for cultural excellence, with marvellous examples of arts-led regeneration in recent years. Its new Hepworth art gallery, by Sir David Chipperfield, is a particularly popular attraction. Add to that the proximity of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth as former locals, a new market hall by renowned architect David Adjaye and a council with a long and proud history of buying and supporting local art and you've got a recipe for creative living outside of the office.

Why work in sales?

There are three good reasons why working in sales makes sound employment sense. First of all, future earnings potential is often higher than other, similar roles. If it's a respectably paid entry-level job you're after, with career progression opportunities to boot, you can do much worse than a call centre sales position than a similar sales role in retail. That's because employers appreciate that the work you may be doing, including calling prospective clients, can be hard. As you progress through the company, communications with customers generally get easier, but these roles also demand more experience.

Secondly, a job in sales will help foster valuable skills and experience. Engaging with so many different types of people on a day-to-day basis means that sales executives have more opportunities to develop effective communication strategies per hour than those in most other occupations have in a week. To many people, these 'people skills' come naturally. For those who are perhaps a little shyer, working in sales can bring out aspects of your personality you never knew you had.

Fortunately, it's not just a good telephone manner you'll be working on. These days sales roles are more complex and, as a result, rewarding. Because much of the dull, routine work of changing account details and passwords can be done by customers themselves online, when they do call sales operatives, it's usually for more complicated issues which require the agent's problem-solving skill set.

Finally, working in sales offers reliable career advancement. Although traditionally areas with a high turnover of staff, employees who thrive in this fast-paced environment can reap career benefits with promotions to lead agent and supervisory roles too.

How do I get a call centre job in Wakefield?

Securing a call centre job in Wakefield couldn't be easier. Scouring jobs sites is an obvious way to get a foot in the door, but don't forget university careers fairs too. Alternatively, figure out where you'd most like to work and approach the company directly, even if they're not advertising. If you're not sure exactly who your preferred employer should be, but you have your heart set on where geographically would most suit, spend some time wandering around that part of the city and speculatively drop your CV off. Finally, consider your friends. Are they in a call centre job themselves and having fun too? Word of mouth recommendations can often be a great introduction to potential employers, and your mates could even earn a bonus for putting you forward!