You tried for a job at a call centre, but didn't get it because your real interest lies in accounts. Must you abandon all hope? No, says BPO training expert Nasha Fitter, who took time out to chat with Get Ahead readers on December 15. Nasha says there are many BPOs doing accounting work for clients in the US and UK. She also tackled all kinds of questions related to the industry.

• Tips to crack call centre interviews

Nasha Fitter is the CEO of Fitter Solutions, a communication and training company. She is an expert in vocational and communication skills management for BPO and service-based organisations and conducts private classes for individuals.

She is also deeply involved with the upliftment and development of rural youth through basic education, vocational training and entrepreneurship, and writes for a variety of publications. She has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.

For those of you who missed the chat, here is the transcript:

Part I: 'BPO has definite growth prospects'
Part II: 'BPOs are a stepping stone to greater things'

onlinealways: Hey BPO, I am into IT for 3 years, but somehow BPO charms me.I want to shift to a high level managment , framing projects for clients and getting them executed.Doe this kind of work is available in BPO?

Nasha Fitter: Onlinealways: Yes, if you are able to move into a vice president role, that's exactly what you'd be doing. It's the same if you start your own BPO.

mukeshn: I HAVE TRIED IN CALL CENTER JOBS BUT DUE TO LACK OF CONFIDENCE I DID'T GET CLEAR. MY INTEREST IS IN ACCOUNTS SO CAN YOU TELL ME THAT IS THEIR ANY SCOPE IN ACCOUNTS

Nasha Fitter: Mukesh: Yes, there are many BPOs doing accounting work for clients in the US and UK.

Sachin8550: Hi Nasha, a very good evening to you. I am a software professional with with one among the top 5 BPO's in india as a software engineer, though we have some good projects but when we are looking for a change and tries to switch back to a software company, there's not a good impression of us comming from a BPO why it is so???

Nasha Fitter: Sachin: Well, one reason may be that in a BPO, you may not be doing technical work. Thus, an employer may feel that you won't be as rigorous in your work. You need to prove them wrong.

padala_allada@yahoo.co.in: madam asha heremadam another thingi wont like night shiftsany bpo is their to work in day time.

Nasha Fitter: Padala: If you want to work in the day, domestic BPOs are the way to go.

karthik_214: hi my name is karthik and i have attended many BPO interviews but always got eliminated in the HR round could u give me any tips

Nasha Fitter: Karthik: HR is really concerned about attrition, about people leaving. So, during this round, it is important to send a signal that you care and know a lot about the individual company and are interested in the specific kind of work that you'd be doing. Also, as a tip, for call centre work, if you seem too ambitious, you may not pass the around; they interpret ambition as a sign that you will earn a bit of money and then leave.

sheela: U are saying 390 million ppl live on less that 50 bucks a day ...are you saying these guys have chance to work with a BPO...Mam did I get that right...

Nasha Fitter: Sheela: Not at all! But good question. What I am saying is that BPOs help the economy by creating about 1 million new professionals that wouldn't have been paid as much before. When those professionals spend their money, they slowly bring the rest of the economy with them, as the farmers, labourers and shopkeepers of India serve these new money professionals. Also, the demand for quality talent from India is already surpassing supply. American and other companies are waiting to hire those 390 million if India makes them ready.

veeraputri: very good evening, madam.I am ram, I am working for a stock broking company currently as Technical Analyst. I am a post graduate in Business Administration with specilization in Finance. I have 2 years of experience in stock broking field as a Dealer i have worked. how far is good to join into a BPO firm.

Nasha Fitter: Veeraputri: Since you have financial skills that you're earned on the job and in college, you may want to target a KPO servicing investment banks abroad.

sheela: Can Please give us an example of teh village that u have been working to train ppl..and also please give us an example of one of your student who has made it to mnc earning 3000 buck a month..stop kidding us ...u know what it all sham ...

Nasha Fitter: Baramati in MH, Radanpur in Gujarat. One of my favorite students, whose name begins with the initial N, now works at Kotak, making Rs 40,000 as a manager. She began dirt poor in a Gujarat village. She taught herself English, got a job in a domestic call centre and then, still not satisfied, managed to impress someone and get the current job. Anything is possible, I have found. I hope you agree!

bholu: M"AM WHAT IS KPO

Nasha Fitter: KPO is like BPO, except that what is outsourced is higher-end work. It is not repetitive and routine; but instead technical and requiring creativity, good people skills and deep domain knowledge. For example, what is kept secret in the West is that Indians are designing aircraft cockpits and backup navigation systems -- a far cry from answering phones!

Nasha Fitter: GOODBYE ALL! GOOD LUCK AND REMEMBER THAT HARD WORK NEVER GOES UNREWARDED. DARE TO DREAM.

Part I: 'BPO has definite growth prospects'
Part II: 'BPOs are a stepping stone to greater things'

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