Individuals who want to enter business process outsourcing (BPO) as an agent should first familiarize themselves with the different tasks involved. Applicants should ensure that their skills are suitable for their desired positions; someone who wants to become a BPO agent handling customer relations management, for example, should ideally have excellent speaking and people skills. Although prior training is usually unnecessary — many BPO companies offer comprehensive training programs for new employees —, it increases an individual's odds of getting hired. BPO systems are generally high in demand in the business sector, making it easy for applicants to find job openings both offline and online.
In order to become a BPO agent, an individual should determine which of the many possible positions best matches his skill set. Business processes commonly being outsourced include customer relations management, audio transcription, and file organization. Other possible jobs include sales calling and providing technical support. In most cases, applicants should at least be familiar with common office computer programs such as word processors and spreadsheet creators.
Someone who wants to become a BPO agent specializing in audio transcription, for example, should have excellent typing speed and accuracy, as well as the ability to recognize technical terms when spoken. Prior experience in a particular field can significantly improve performance; a graduate of a college biology course, for example, will have an easier time transcribing medical records than someone without the same educational level. In the same manner, an individual who wants to become a BPO agent in sales calling will perform better if he has knowledge of sales principles, as well as possesses good interpersonal communication skills. An agent engaged in technical support should ideally have extensive knowledge of the company's products.
Numerous BPO agencies, however, require no more than a high school diploma for application. These providers often offer a brief BPO training period for new employees, making the hiring process extremely quick. Applicants should note, however, that the cost of training might be deducted from the first few months' salaries.
Locating opportunities to become a BPO agent is relatively easy, given the high and increasing demand for quality BPO providers. Due to the cost-cutting nature of BPO strategies, however, individuals from less-developed countries have a higher chance of finding open positions than those from better-developed areas; many companies hold their BPO systems in third-world countries to capitalize on the lower operational and labor costs. An individual from a better-developed country can still find opportunities to become a BPO agent by applying for online positions. These jobs are usually posted on forums and online classifieds, and tend to be in extremely high demand.