Call Centre Jobs in Canada

Call Centre Jobs Overview

Common roles found in call centres include call centre managers, team leaders, and call agents. Call agents typically work at least 40 hours a week although there are some part-time positions. When it comes to call centre jobs, managers and team leaders have more responsibilities than call agents and often work more than 40 hours a week. The highest position is that of a senior call centre manager.

Call centre workers work mostly in office or cubicle-like settings in outbound, inbound, automated, multichannel, in-house, and offshore call centres. However, it's not uncommon for call centre staff to work remotely. To succeed in a call centre job, you'll need enhanced communication and interpersonal capabilities, including conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and teamwork skills.

Common call centre jobs include:

• Call centre representative: Performs basic calling tasks, such as taking calls from customers and making calls for vendors.
• Customer service manager: Leads and motivates teams of call agents that provide customer service.
• Human resource planning manager: Maximizes resources to achieve higher levels of productivity by collecting and analyzing caller, agent, manager, and supervisor data.
• Operations analyst: Analyzes data reports to enhance the quality of services the call centre provides.
• Operations manager: Oversees the call centre agents who answer customers' calls, advising them to ensure they meet objectives like customer satisfaction and efficiency.
• Corporate trainer: Trains call centre agents to advance to leadership roles, such as call centre manager or supervisor.
• Customer relationship manager: Analyzes workers' performance to improve the customer support that the call centre provides.

Salaries for Call Centre Jobs

Call centre workers' salaries vary greatly from one position to the next. Call centre agents working in customer service make anywhere from $14 CAD to $30.50 CAD per hour, with a median salary of $19.23 per hour.

Customer service representatives in the financial industry earn an hourly rate of $16 CAD to $26.99 CAD, with the median hourly rate being $20 CAD. Call centre operators earn $16.50 CAD to $40.06 CAD, with a median hourly rate of $25.30 CAD.

Geography can also affect salary in some cases. The salary for a call centre manager in Ontario ranges from $37,782 CAD to $81,859 CAD annually, but in Quebec, the range is $38,897 CAD to $76,837 CAD. Use Monster's salary calculator to learn more about salaries for call centre jobs.

How to Find the Call Centre Job That Fits You

Finding a job that suits your lifestyle, ethics, and values is essential for job satisfaction. Use the tips outlined below to find call centre jobs that suit you best.

Define Your Career Goals and Interests

Consider your personal goals and interests and make sure they align with the career of a call centre worker. People working in this industry must have excellent communication abilities and know how to resolve conflicts quickly.

Call centre agents work in all industries. Ask yourself what industry you want to work in. What topics interest you most? For example, do you like cars? Consider becoming a call centre worker for a company that ships auto parts.

Review the Job Description

Always read call centre job descriptions carefully. Take special note of key skills and qualifications, like multichannel experience, technical proficiency, multitasking, bilingualism, or being process-oriented. Think about whether you have the necessary qualifications, and take action in areas where you need improvement.

Research the Company and Its Culture

Review the company's culture by visiting its website and social media profiles. Ask yourself whether your values and ethics align with the company's overall culture and mission.

Look for Opportunities to Grow

Does the job description mention anything about potential promotion or advancement? Ask yourself whether you desire to advance in your call centre career. If you do, make sure to apply to positions that come with growth opportunities. Many call centre agents advance into management and supervisory roles.

How to Apply to Call Centre Jobs

A well-thought-out job search strategy, including a standout resume and cover letter, is essential for success when applying for call centre jobs. After you’ve narrowed down your list of job openings, follow the advice below to send your application.

Prepare for the Application Process

Your application for a call centre job begins with the following:

• Read each job ad carefully, highlighting any special guidelines you notice, such as requesting proof of qualifications or needing to submit your application in a certain way.
• Assess whether you have the required skills, such as flexibility in scheduling, conflict resolution, aptitude with data, or the ability to speak a particular second language. Apply only to the positions for which you qualify.

Create an Effective Resume

Put your achievements and experience in the best possible light by writing a resume that will capture a hiring manager’s attention.

• To get your application past applicant tracking software (ATS), include call centre keywords in your cover letter and resume. Examples include customer service, inbound and outbound calls, technical, scheduling, accuracy, high volume, and troubleshooting.
• Follow a professional resume format (chronological, functional, or combination) for your call centre resume.

Want help creating a resume for call centre jobs? Try out Monster's Professional Resume Writing Services. You'll receive customized content that includes the strategic use of call centre job keywords, helping it pass the screening algorithms used by applicant tracking software.

Write a Compelling Cover Letter

A strong cover letter speaks directly to the employer about why you want the position. Here is a general outline:

• Explain your background in call centres and the types of positions you’ve held.
• Mention all your relevant call centre skills, like conflict resolution, inbound and outbound call management, call tracking, call scheduling, and high-volume call management.
• Discuss why you're a good fit for the role.
• Explain how you will add value to the brand.
• End with encouragement in the form of a call to action that asks the hiring manager to reach out to you if he or she has any questions.
• Check out these tips for learning how to create an effective cover letter.

Submit the Application

Show potential employers your call centre resume by joining Monster and uploading your resume. Simply create a profile, hit the Submit button, and your resume will go live. Set your resume status to Visible to make sure prospective employers can see your qualifications and skills.

When you find call centre jobs on Monster that interest you, simply click the Submit Application button to let the hiring manager review your profile, resume, and cover letter. Remember to run your resume and cover letter content through a grammar and spell checker before you hit the Submit Application button.

How to Follow Up With an Employer

Follow up with potential employers after you send an application. Wait one to two weeks so that the hiring manager has time to review your application, resume, and cover letter.

After Submitting the Application

Write a follow-up via email and conduct an in-person follow-up for upper-level job roles. In-person follow-ups are especially important if you travelled far to get to the interview.

If you don't have a professional follow-up message idea in mind, use one of these examples for inspiration:

• "Thank you for reviewing my application and considering me for the call centre management position. I look forward to hearing from you soon and wanted to encourage you to reach out to me with any questions you have regarding my experience in call centre management. Have a great day, and thanks again."
• "Thanks so much for taking the time to review my application for the call centre position at your company. I wanted to once again express my interest in the position by reaching back out. If you have any questions about my call centre management certification, please feel free to contact me by email or phone. I look forward to hearing from you soon."

After Your Interview

Send a thank-you note the day after an interview. It's typically easiest to send a thank-you via email.

Who to Follow Up With

When following up with an employer, always ask for the hiring manager. If the hiring manager is unavailable, you can follow up with the interviewer.

Check the job application you used to apply for the position to find the interviewer's or hiring manager's contact information. If you can't find it, reach out to the company's HR department for contact information.

Interviewing Tips for Call Centre Jobs

Preparing for an interview is essential if you want to make a good impression on prospective employers. Make sure you make a positive impression during your next interview by using these tips.

Preparing for the Interview

Before agreeing to an interview, do your homework on the company to make sure its culture and reputation are a suitable fit for you. You can learn more about a firm by looking at its online profiles and website and reading customer reviews. Make sure you read the company's goal statement and ideals on the About page of their website as part of your research.

Lower your anxiety and improve your chances of landing the job by preparing for the interview. To guarantee that you are well-prepared for the call centre interview, consider the following:

• Have you carefully read the job description?
• Have you researched the interviewer?
• Did you practice with a friend for the interview?
• What did you find during your salary research?
• What are your selling points?
• Can you clearly explain the role you're applying for?
• Do you have a story ready to showcase your biggest strengths?
• What questions do you want to ask the interviewer?
• Have you verified the time and location of the interview?
• Prepare with these tips for answering tough interview questions.

Interview Process

When you're first contacted about the interview, ask whether it will be competency-based or behavioural-based. A behavioural-based interview reflects on your past experience and how you have previously handled certain circumstances. Competency-based interviews reflect more on your skills and qualifications.

Remember to ask to schedule the interview around your current work hours if you're currently employed. The first contact initiating the interview will likely take place over the phone or via email.

Interview Tips

• Review the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, to help you prepare for behavioural-based interviews.
• Be sure to dress appropriately for both in-person and video interviews.
• Read over any notes you have right before the interview.

Follow Up

Reaffirm your interest in the call centre job by sending a thank-you message after every interview within 24 hours. If you don't hear back from the company within three days, reach out again to inquire about your status.

What to Do When You Get an Offer

When you receive a job offer, take a moment to congratulate yourself before carefully reading it. Underline any confusing language you notice as well as any discrepancies you find between the offer and what you discussed during the interview.

Write down any questions you have regarding the offer, and perform salary research before negotiating your salary. Respond to the job offer within 24 to 48 hours.

Call Centre Career Paths

You can take your call centre career in a variety of directions. Always consider your interests, skills, talents, values, qualifications, and long-term career goals when choosing a career path.

Technical Support Specialist

If you enjoy helping people over the phone with technical difficulties, you might want to explore becoming an IT support manager. These individuals typically need an IT degree, as their duty is to help customers and employees with technical troubleshooting.

Customer Service Representative

Many call centre workers gain entry-level access to the customer service industry as customer service representatives. These call centre jobs exist in numerous fields, including finance, technology, healthcare, retail, and more.

Chat- or Video-Based Customer Service Agent

More and more customers want to ask questions via chat and video tools. If you want to work in a call centre as a customer service representative but don't want to handle phone calls, you can look into becoming a chat- or video-based customer service agent.

Customer Service Manager

With experience as a customer service representative, you can work your way up to a customer service manager, which is considered a mid- to senior-level call centre job. Customer service managers coach and train lower-level employees.

Bilingual Call Associate

Becoming a foreign language interpreter is another common career path for call centre workers. A bachelor's degree is usually the minimum requirement for a career as an interpreter or translator. You'll also need fluency in at least two languages and the ability to calmly handle stressful situations as you translate words, phrases, and sentences that are difficult for callers to understand.

AI Support Technician

As call centres become more advanced, they’ve started to use artificial intelligence (AI) to resolve customer inquiries without the need for human interaction. If you have an interest in AI, consider becoming an AI support technician.

Call Centre Jobs: Similar Occupations

• virtual assistant
• communications operator
• data entry clerk
• telecommunications technician