We asked GA readers to send in their experiences of working in a BPO -- whether they liked working there, if the night shift was stressful and any advice they could share for someone looking for a job in the sector.

We received an overwhelming response. Surprisingly, most BPO employees are very positive about their jobs and consider the night shift just a small part of it. Raghuveer Rai Agarwal, a 22-year-old senior technical support associate in Hyderabad, had this to say about working at a BPO concern:

Working in a BPO has been a great learning curve for me. I am still quite young to work (22), but the BPO industry provides me with many opportunities to make a bright career. It has also taught me how to accept things that come my way.

It's been only 15 months since I began working, but the late night shifts have become routine for me, something I can't do without. This job keeps me occupied and drives me to be better than the best in the business.

My job gives me a sense of ownership. We interact with clients on a regular basis for better and more effective management, to meet the service levels and make processes seamless. The practice of job rotation, prevents monotony, and keeps our spirits alive.

Apart from the fringe benefits, we also get great take-home salary, which helps support the family while having enough left over for a matinee show, hanging out with friends and maintain social ties.                 

The GDP of our nation is on a high (2^nd to be more precise, after China), mainly because of the ITES sector and thousands of young guns who work late nights for foreign customers.

For people looking to get into this sector, my sincere advice would be: If your head and heart are headed in the right direction, you will never have to worry about your feet.

Sreevenkatesh Iragavarapu tells us about the growth opportunity and work ethics in the BPO sector.

Working in a BPO company is a way of life these days. The vice president in my company is 26 years old. At this rate, he's well on his way to becoming CEO at 36 or even earlier.

The work ethics are very good too. Obviously, concerns like this require committed people and young blood who aren't scared of hard work. BPO jobs require extra hours, but employees are well compensated.

The crazy part is normal graduates are facing tough competition from engineers who are willing to work in BPOs firms.

On the whole, once you're at the office, you don't realise you've worked for nine hours; you don't know whether it is raining outside or sunny. BPO is magic and luckily it clicked in India. Lage raho India!

Twenty-seven-year-old senior process associate Vijay Kumar Panzilliyonis (Bangalore) lists some of the pros and cons of a BPO job.

I have been working in the BPO sector for a while now; my timings are 7 pm to 5 am. Even though the timings are odd, I am happy with my office and timings.

A job in this sector has a number of benefits. First, this field has good scope. Many youngsters who just finish college or school join this field and irrespective of the educational background are trained to handle the job and the pressure related to it.

Many people like the odd timings, which gives them time for studies, family and other matters; and after having a considerable amount of rest they come for work.

People are paid well, the career growth is also good (but may be a bit slow in some cases). But as the saying goes, 'There is no substitute to hardwork', which applies here just like it does in any field.

The work environment and workstation utilities are good and most companies ensure that employees are provided with the best facilities to increase the productivity. There are two-day weekly offs, employees are provided the chance to learn more and are exposed to more and more avenues related to the field.

Most people have the following issues with BPO jobs:
~ The job is monotonous
~ Working in night shifts leads to health problems
~ There is no growth in these companies

Regarding the first issue, if we consider any job the bottom line is the same -- if you do the same job every day it is bound to be monotonous. If you take an interest in your job and responsibilities no matter what the industry, monotony is not an issue.

About the second, people usually have some minor health problems in the beginning. But if you have a good diet and avoid smoking, you can adjust to the night shift within a month.

As for the third, as I mentioned: there is no substitute to hardwork. The sky is the limit if you put your best foot forward.

Good luck to all the people who want a career/ job in the BPO industry!

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What is it like working in a call centre? Are the night shifts daunting? Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation as a result of late night job timings? What would you like to tell other young people who are considering a career in a BPO? Share your stories with us, and get them published right here -- mail your entries to us at iworkinaBPO@rediffmail.com, along with your full name, age, designation, organisation, and contact details today!