TOP 10 CALL CENTER JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (Part I)

by Call Center Gal on March 21, 2008

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.

Please click on Call Center Job Interview Questions Part II and Call Center Job Interview Questions Part III to check the next set of top call center interview questions.

Till next post,

{ 193 comments… read them below or add one }

mikori yamato March 30, 2012 at 6:20 am

i wrote this on my notebook. =)

mikori yamato March 30, 2012 at 6:21 am

ohh i forgot to say tnx for info

Call Center Gal March 30, 2012 at 4:24 pm

Cool! Hope you do well on your interview! :)

Call Center Gal March 30, 2012 at 4:24 pm

You’re welcome Mikori! :)

Call Center Gal March 30, 2012 at 4:25 pm

You’re welcome Eric.

applicant March 31, 2012 at 4:19 am

I have an interview on Monday, April 2, 2012. I hope I’ll do good! Thanks for the info!

kurt balcita April 2, 2012 at 1:56 am

thanks for the tips. i hope my interview will be a successful one.

tiffany nicole lee April 2, 2012 at 3:16 am

i will write this on my notes too….
thank you for this helpful tips:))))))

april que April 4, 2012 at 8:05 am

thanks for some tips you shared, on the 3rd week of April i will be having interview for some call centers, i will not forget those tips :)

Call Center Gal April 6, 2012 at 11:03 am

Best of luck on your interview April. Thanks for dropping by. Keep us updated on the progress of your application okay? :)

Call Center Gal April 6, 2012 at 11:05 am

You’re welcome Tiffany! :)

Call Center Gal April 6, 2012 at 2:17 pm

How was the interview rosekath? Hope you did well. :)

Call Center Gal April 6, 2012 at 2:18 pm

You will Kurt. Break a leg! :)

Rhon-Rhon April 10, 2012 at 1:45 am

Thank you :)

Obaid April 10, 2012 at 5:43 am

Thanks for important tips you shared, its useful to me

chianne April 10, 2012 at 9:26 am

i will print this. ^.^

looking for a job April 11, 2012 at 1:49 pm

I have an interview this coming April 16, 2012,
I hope I’ll do good, and i can take this notes,
very helpful..

tan.awon lang April 12, 2012 at 3:38 pm

Hi ! thanks for this tips. These can be a big help for all call center applicants like me. hehe

princess castro April 13, 2012 at 3:12 am

i hope this tips could give some thought…

ben April 14, 2012 at 5:02 pm

hello…tnx a lot for the tips…

ranjan April 18, 2012 at 9:29 am

Very nice

catherine ramos April 19, 2012 at 1:51 am

thanks for the post. it helps a lot

nash April 21, 2012 at 1:50 pm

thanks for the tip

mark April 21, 2012 at 4:16 pm

this is nice..i got some insights reading these tips..

mark june April 22, 2012 at 3:20 am

thank you for the tip and i hope that i can make my it possible to pass the interview this week ^_^ more powers

gilbert April 25, 2012 at 2:11 am

thanks for those very good advise. great help for us

cee jei April 25, 2012 at 4:08 am

thank you. hope these tips may help me. i will study a lot and i will use all of these as my stepping stone. :)

lilibeth April 25, 2012 at 5:27 am

love it

lilibeth April 25, 2012 at 5:28 am

i really love this blog

mike p April 27, 2012 at 12:30 pm

now i know why i didnt make it to call center. thank you so much… i jotted these down on my notebook. i got 2 interview invites this coming monday. this will really be a pretty much help.. this will be my bible.

Call Center Gal April 27, 2012 at 10:22 pm

Hi Mike.

Glad to be of help. Prepare your call center resume, listen to the questions and answer these with confidence. Believe that you can do it. :)

Call Center Gal April 27, 2012 at 10:27 pm

Best of luck Mark June. :)

Call Center Gal April 27, 2012 at 10:32 pm

It also pays to have a practice buddy as you prepare for a call center interview. :) Best of luck to you Cee Jei. :)

Call Center Gal April 27, 2012 at 10:37 pm

How did the interview go? :) Hope you get the job.

Call Center Gal April 27, 2012 at 10:38 pm

Thanks Chianne. :) I really appreciate that.

jhane May 6, 2012 at 2:45 am

Hey, I’m reviewing this now. It really helps! Thank you so much. :D

ryan cris arancel May 6, 2012 at 5:54 am

thx…

first job boy May 7, 2012 at 1:59 am

thank you very much this is
very informative

michelle May 7, 2012 at 9:59 am

hi i have an interview tomorrow. thanks for the info

diana May 7, 2012 at 11:25 am

thanks alot for the info

anjo May 9, 2012 at 1:02 am

It can help me a lot…
Thanks…

jellian certeza May 11, 2012 at 12:27 pm

thank u,,i wrote in my notebook..its my first looking for a job,it really help me alot..

Call Center Gal May 12, 2012 at 5:11 am

Thanks Jellian. Have you gone in any call center job interview these past few days?

Leave a Comment

Next post: