Prove "us" Wrong...

The qualms of a call center agent:

• Not getting the break (promotion) they deserve.
• Not being treated equally.
• Not being allowed to go on leave.
• Being bypassed.
  

That kind of attitude is common all across the board. When we, your management, were still in your shoes, we felt exactly the same way; but what set us apart was an attitude most of us have done and – I won’t be surprised if most of us – are still doing.

Never think that we or they are unfair or that we overlooked you. It’s something so plain and simple. You are just not noticeable enough. Maybe, you are noticeable but because of the stats you are producing.

Sure, you are at the top of your game. You hit all metrices with minimal effort. You easily adjust to whatever situation is given to you. You had a good run until that lone disappointment that pulled your ego down and dwindle in your depression for a few weeks, thus affecting your performance the weeks that followed. Then when another opportunity comes, your current numbers disqualify you and pull you down into your comfortable room of self-pity all the more. Who is to blame? The manager who didn’t endorse you? The Team Lead who failed to give you your monthly pep talk? Sure, they didn’t push you enough and sure, they breathe down your neck every second humanly possible.

Maybe they don’t give you additional tasks but would rather give it to your newbie seatmate who already has 10 non-JD related tasks and was more than happy to receive their 11th. What’s wrong in this picture? What can I do to make sure this is corrected?

There is nothing to be corrected. It’s life. The other people get that chance because they take that chance. They make us [management] know that they want it. Take note, people. Simply saying that you want it does not quite qualify as letting-us-know-that-you-want-it. You will have to show us.

Your direct supervisors may see it but if you really want upper management to take notice, you will have to stand out. Not standing out and sitting beside the manong guard or the lady guard but making your presence felt.

When I was younger, errr… eons ago, my last year in high school didn’t go off to a good start. 1st to 3rd year high, I was doing well with my grades. On the beginning of the 4th year, in the school were I came from (Shekinah Christian Training Center, Wiki it. Ü), the punishment for a grave offense would be paddling. (Yes, folks. Paddling… you know? The wooden paddle slamming against your soft tushy.) Now, imagine getting caught for the gravest offense twice in a quarter and they call in your dad to “paddle” you. That’s not the worst part. Imagine if you dad was the Tiger Woods of his time. To make the long story short I was given two whacks each with his left (presumed the “weaker” arm… boy, was I dead wrong) arm.

Then after that, the teachers would be looking after me twice as much as the next student. Every I walk around campus, someone would always ask what I was doing until graduation. (I graduated, of course)

At the lowest point of my life, I felt that I had no one to turn to. Until my mom told me something so simple yet so mind daunting. “Son, I know what you’re capable of. I know you’re a failure. (ouch!) Having that said and if you are better than we think you are, it’s your job to prove us wrong.”

Quite a long story for such a short point but the bottom line is, if you want to make the cut, don’t expect us to give it to you; you will have to earn it. If we think you are something you are not, prove us wrong; make your presence felt.
Don’t expect us to give you everything that you need. We worked hard getting to where we are right now and to tell you frankly, the stress, the headache, and sometimes the tears, is all worth it.

Wanna be where we are right now? Wanna be our colleague? Prove us wrong…

Vanity Sucks

To a certain degree, all the women I know are pretty. They are just not convinced that they are. Why? How? It shows in the way they pose for the camera. They feel that they only have one angle and that that is the only good angle that they have.

A few weeks back, I was fortunate to go to Boracay with a bunch of my college friends. Boy did we have a blast. Sure, we got home at 6PM (read it clearly folks, PM not AM) but I can say I've had so much fun.

Anyway, I brought along my Canon IXUS 900Ti digital camera boosted with a 4GB SD card. (1300++ High Res. pictures, baybee). Of course, I told my friends that I would be the only one with the camera so that we all can have one set of pictures. Which means they will be the ones holding the camera more than I do; which is fine.

When we got home, I was happy to see over 500 shots. "This will be a memorable trip", I thought. Upon inspection, I saw around 3/4 of the pictures were all of one friend. That was fine only that she just had one pose and one angle. The angled smile showing off the right side of her face. I noticed that it was beginning to become a pattern when even if the camera was on the left side, she would exert an effort to make that right angled pose. Even if it would make her look odd which did.

I then started looking at my friendster profile and noticed that ALL girls had a signature angle and would post it all over. They would brag that they went to different places but if it weren't of rht edifferent clothes they were wearing, I could have sworn they took many shots at the same time.

Yeesh...