Who the heck fails in a Contract Signing?
Apparently, me.
I’ll get to that shortly.
The first call center company I went to was Convergys.
I studied in the middle of the Makati CBD and I kept seeing Convergys recruitment signs so when a friend who worked in a call center told me that Convergys was a call center and one that pays well, I went there immediately.
I needed a job and I needed money so it made sense for me to go as soon as possible.
A few days before I planned, I was at a drinking session, and two chicks in that session said that they were looking for work so I invited them to join me.
In that drinking session, people told me that Convergys was a difficult company to get in to.
That got me excited.
High pay and high difficulty made it important for me to begin with this company.
If I passed, I can slowly save up for my car, my condo and my education.
If I failed, I can reapply after a few months.
I grew up watching a lot of Japanese cartoons.
At the top of my head, I can recall Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, locally known as Ghost Fighter, Flame of Recca, Rurouni Kenshin or Samurai X, Grappler Baki and more.
One key part of the stories I mentioned is that there’s always some kind of tournament of power and that there’s a form of elimination where only the strongest survive.
There are multiple battles at different stages and not everybody makes it to the final fight.
That being said, I was mentally prepared to go in and get as far into the application stages as I possibly can.
After submitting my resume, we filled out an application form, waited in line and got called.
There were about sixteen people called into a room.
We were asked to introduce ourselves, read some sentences from a sheet of paper, and count up from eleven to thirty-five.
I don’t remember the exact number but that’s what we did.
Finally, we were asked a random question.
I don’t remember the answers but here were some of the examples that I remember.
“If you were stranded on a desert island, and you can bring one food with you, what food would you bring with you? “
My companion said something like, I’d bring water. She got eliminated.
“If you were a kind of car, what kind of car were you?”
I said something like “I’d be a BMW. I’m fast and comfortable”
Out of sixteen only five of us went to the next stage.
The remaining five of us took the exam and only three of us made it to the next stage and by now both of my companions got eliminated.
The next interview was situational.
Can you tell me about a situation where you had a conflict between home and school?
I had an answer but I don’t remember.
Can you tell me about a situation where had to meet a deadline?
I had an answer but I don’t remember.
Can you tell me a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person?
I had an answer but I don’t remember.
Next interview was the final, can I really do the work, what is my personal definition of customer service, what is my attitude.
Apparently, I passed the final interview.
The other chick got eliminated.
She told me later that she blacked out at one of the questions.
I don’t even remember the question.
But I’m really happy at that moment.
I’m being scheduled for a job offer.
The recruitment manager was printing my contract.
It was a long contract, and she started to talk to me again to break the silence.
“I noticed that you’re still studying. Are you currently enrolled?”
The interviewer asked me.
I said no.
I’m saving up for the tuition fee.
“Do you plan to work while studying?”
I said yes.
Bad answer.
“What do you plan to do if there’s a conflict with school and your work schedule?”
I hesitated.
Isn’t education the more important thing?
I asked myself in my mind.
Apparently, she saw my hesitation in my eyes.
I said I’ll go with my first but I’ll try to work while studying at the same time.
Bad answer.
I see it in her eyes too.
She said she’ll check if she can get me in another branch and will call me.
What about the contract?
I asked her.
The one I’m about to sign.
I asked in my mind.
She slowly covered the bundle of papers that she just printed.
She said, she’ll call me for a schedule.
She was lying.
When they say “we’ll call you” they won’t.
I didn’t know how to feel.
I was the last person standing in my first attempt.
I made it to the final interview.
I passed the final interview but I didn’t get the job.
I failed contract signing.
Thank you for reading this far and thanks for your attention.
I am praying for your success. God bless!
If you made it this far, you should introduce yourself.
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