A typical BPO work schedule in the Philippines follows U.S. business daytime hours, which is a 13-hour difference from here. We have to adjust our…
My five years working in the BPO industry helped me to find the importance of balancing my work and personal life.
A typical BPO work schedule in the Philippines follows U.S. business daytime hours, which is a 13-hour difference from here. We have to adjust our body clocks, our days off do not always fall on the weekends, and we follow US holiday schedules versus those in the Philippines holidays. All of this equates to an adjusted social and personal life from the norm. However, there are things that I was able to realize in order to more fully balance my lifestyle.
First would be time management and setting up priorities. Planning ahead of time what I will do during my free time before or after shifts, plotting my vacation time to be able to attend important family gatherings, or running my errands. In my case I spend most of my time with my children and save a little time to unwind with my friends. I learned that I have to have a break for myself too. Second in importance is communication. Given that physical presence is hard to maintain, we can use our mobile devices and gadgets to leave SMS messages for our friends and loved ones. We now have Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and WeChator too. Open communication will help us avoid misunderstandings, improve relationships and stay connected to people. And lastly, dedication to my job has been crucial in maintaining a work life balance. Whatever degree you earned in college, or whether you are a degree holder or not, whatever field of profession you might want to pursue, one should always be dedicated to their work.
Working in the call center industry does not mean changing your standard way of living life, we just have to know how to juggle our time and priorities. It is important to always communicate and be in touch with day-to-day reality, and to incorporate ‘Me Time’ while enjoying the work we do.
Author:
Kim Balleser
Training and Quality Supervisor
Premier BPO LLC Philippines.
