Engineering — One of the Top Jobs in the Booming BPO Industry in the Philippines
Who doesn’t know about Facebook? I hear it every where I go. Mark Zuckerberg, its founder, is believed to be the world’s youngest billionaire at 25 with a $4 billion net worth. Before that, who was believed to be the richest man in the world? Bill Gates. Both identities are from the tech industry.
In a recent news article, it was cited that “engineering and software and IT support” are among the top jobs in the non-voice services of our thriving BPO industry, which has been registering double-digit growths for years now. Industry players expect revenues to grow to around $9 billion this year, a 25% growth from 2009 when revenues reached $7.2 billion. Last year, the industry’s growth was 19%, slower than the 24% uptick in 2008.
Ain’t that great?
You know I agree that “IT could be a powerful catalyst in the transformation of a nation.” I guess that’s why I’m in this industry, that’s why I took up Management Information Systems, and that’s why I’m working for an IT company.
In the various DevCon and ECC roadshows, we’ve come to learn that there still remains a BIG interest in IT from the young generation. The majority wanted to be in the IT field particularly because technology piqued their interest. Some of them — their parents told them to pursue IT. Might be because of money? Or should I say the financial turnover? Or might it be because IT is more “edgy” or that which gives real “return of education”? The voice services industry provides high caliber salaries too.
But if you were a call center agent and you earn a lot, that doesn’t give you the prestige similar to Zuckerberg. You wouldn’t probably be characterized as “innovative” or “creative” … instead you’re just classified as a run-of-the-mill call center agent. A rat worker or something to that effect. But that’s just disappointing, right? Nobody deserves to be judged like that…
What I hope to see in the future is a BPO economy where voice (or voice services) isn’t the dominant player. It’s the same sentiment by Gillian Joyce Virata, executive director for information and research for the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP). Well — almost. Please don’t take this at heart. Virata wants to see BPO to become as popular as nursing. I want to see IT — engineering, software services, you name it — to become as popular as nursing, as frisbee, as running 
Don’t you want to be in the industry that propels the next breed of innovators — who could become the next Zuckerberg?
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