Category: Welcome to The Real World

Life Lessons I Learnt Being the Youngest Person in the Office

It’s become clearer to me to that not everyone had the same “office education” that I did which is interesting. I mentioned once before that people have a really low opinion of the call center which is why I thought it was interesting that I picked up so life education there. Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned:

1. Work Ethic

I was lucky that from my very first day, I was paired up with people who were excellent at their jobs. So I strove for that same level of excellence. When I realised that not every workplace operates like that, it was a culture shock. Why would you not want to perform at your best???

2. Punctuality is Non-Negotiable

In a call center, being late wasn’t an option. Logging in on time wasn’t just about personal discipline—it directly impacted performance metrics and team workflows. I quickly learned that punctuality wasn’t just about avoiding a late mark; it was about reliability and respect for my team.

3. Professionalism Starts with the Basics

One of the first things I learned was how to write a proper email. Clear, concise and professional communication set the tone for how colleagues and clients perceived me. Whether it was crafting a well-structured email, knowing when to CC someone or simply using the right greeting, these small details mattered.

4. How to Handle Different Perspective

This is a skill I’ve noticed not too many people have. Callers have different personalities, mood and expectations but beyond that so do your colleagues. A good call center (sorry, but not all call centers have this) has a mix of people and this mix respects each other. Different backgrounds, cultures, races, personalities all working together to achieve a team goal.

5. Financial Responsibility

One of the most unexpected but valuable lessons I learned was the importance of financial security. Conversations with colleagues made me realize I needed an emergency fund and a retirement savings plan- things I might not have considered so early in my career.

6. Resilience

You do not know resilience until you’ve worked a customer-facing job. There were days when the calls felt endless, the customers were frustrated, and the workload was overwhelming. But I learned how to handle stress, reset after a tough interaction, and keep going. The resilience I built in the call center has helped me handle challenges in every job I’ve had since.

7. Advocate for Yourself

I was lucky to work with a team that taught me to advocate for myself even when it seemed difficult. Whether it was asking for opportunities, voicing concerns or negotiating for a better workload, I learnt to speak up for myself.

Working in a call center was more than just a job-it was a masterclass in professionalism, resilience, and financial literacy. Not everyone had the same experience I did, but for me, it shaped how I approach work and life. The skills I developed there still serve me today, and I wouldn’t trade those lessons for anything.

7 Signs Your Job Might Be in Danger

When your job is in danger, you’ll know it. You’ll see (and feel) it long before the official dismissal. But how do you know if it’s all in your head or something you need to be concerned about?

Here are 7 signs that your job might be in danger:

1. You’re given fewer projects or you’re given dead-end projects

This is an early warning sign that the company is preparing to get rid of you. If your workload starts looker smaller, be wary. Of course if the company is rebranding or restructuring, workloads might be smaller while they try to figure out their way forward. Look at your colleagues. If they still have normal workloads while you don’t, you might be on the chopping block.

2. You’re not invited to meetings that concern your work

This is a very minor sign that could mean your job is in danger or just that you were overlooked. Sometimes meetings are held without those who need to be in the meetings. It can be human error so just weigh this one with the other things on this list.

3. Management seems to have disappeared

This happened to me when I was about to be laid off and it was hilarious to me. I worked remotely and my manager- who was often not available- was somehow even LESS available during the period when I knew that I was going to be laid off at some point. Managers sometimes feel awkward about this so they’d try to avoid you.

4. You’re asked to train someone on what you do

Be very very wary of this. If you’re training someone and management hasn’t discussed you taking on a senior role, they might be trying to pass off your responsibilities to someone else.

5. You’re handing off your work to someone else

This is different from the above because in this case, you will be asked to draw up a specific handover document or a document detailing everything you do. This is to help the person who takes your duties.

6. You’re doing less work

During a round of layoffs at my friend’s company, her workload got so small that we were able to meet for lunch weekly. Since we hadn’t seen each other in years, we made the most of the opportunity but this was a glaring sign that a layoff was looming for her.

7. Your performance reviews are increasingly negative

This could be a sign that 1) you’re doing really badly at your job (in which case there should be a performance plan put in place to help you improve) or 2) you’re just not meeting the expectations that the business has for you. Sometimes businesses and employees just don’t match. It’s no one’s fault. But if you’re getting increasingly negative performance reviews along with a few other items on this list, you might be headed for a dismissal.

While it can be scary to think about losing your job, spotting these signs early ensures that you’re able to make a back-up plan whether this is adjusting your expenses or looking for another job.

The Interview That Saved My Mental Health

When the layoff happened I had no intention of looking for another job. I was tired and mentally drained and knew I would not be able to perform at my best. I knew logically that I wasn’t to blame and I certainly wasn’t going to fight to work in an organisation that sent out 14 word subject lines in their emails, didn’t segment their email list or even know how to fill out documentation for a layoff properly (please take a minute to empathise with my frustrations).

But it didn’t change that I felt awful about the whole thing. I had left a stable job in a career that I loved- all for a title that I held for 6 months before being “promoted” (with no salary increase btw).

So when I saw the job posting on my LinkedIn, I thought what the heck? Let’s go for it. I had seen the job before and it was one of those jobs where you submitted your CV AND a ton of documents. At the time I didn’t want to fill out the form so I didn’t bother applying. This time I applied just so I could say that I applied. And then I got called in for an interview. I was NOT expecting that. I went into the interview not expecting much.

Imagine my surprise when I fell in love with the role. Sure it wasn’t something that I was used to but it seemed like such a fun challenge. I loved the brand. I loved Digital Marketing. It seemed like a good fit.

More than that, I loved getting to discuss Marketing with other people in the field. I feel like that doesn’t happen often enough for me. It was definitely something I never had in my old job. I went home feeling happy and empowered. It was just a nice way to connect with others in the field and served as a reminder that I wasn’t “bad”. I was just in the wrong place.

Walking out of that interview, I realised that sometimes what we need is a change in environment. Whether I got the job or not, the interview reminded me of what I loved about Marketing in the first place- t was the right space, with the right people, where I could actually see my potential. Sometimes the worst experiences lead us to the best opportunities, and I’m excited to see where this new chapter takes me

What I Learnt From an Almost Layoff

“So at some point during the next few months we’re going to have to let you go. We thought it was important to be transparent with you.”

I blinked. Once. Twice. I wasn’t sure what they wanted from me as a reaction. Was I supposed to be sad? Cry? For a Marketing job that didn’t even seem real.

When I took the job at ABC company, I was excited to “make a difference”. That was how the job was pitched to me. But after about 3 months, I realised there were a few issues. Like the fact that the projects never actually got executed. They planned (and planned poorly) but never actually reached the finishing line. The workload was much smaller than what I was used to and yet the team was always trying to look for shortcuts. It was like they didn’t even want to be a company. It was like they were playing a weird game of pretend.

But this isn’t about ABC and their inability to run a company. This is about the lessons that I learnt after my “almost-layoff”.

Always Have an Emergency Fund

I left a really stable job to join ABC. But from the second I exited, I made sure to prioritise my savings. I felt very strongly that the business would not be able to continue and I did not want to risk not having money when that happened. After a year at ABC, I had enough for a 6 month emergency fund.

Do Not Put a Company First

In order to not offend anyone at ABC, I had stopped posting on LinkedIn and blogging. Nothing was said to me directly but it was clear that they thought by doing these things that I was looking for another job. I was actually trying to build my personal brand and I halted those efforts because of ABC. Which now left ME in the lurch because of their actions.

The Importance of Building a Network

Shortly after being informed by ABC about this, I reached out to a few friends and they were able to secure me a freelance role. It wouldn’t replace my income immediately but it would provide some sort of income.

You’re Not Your Job

This one was tough for me because I have always been a writer. But I haven’t always been a writer for ABC and I had to remind myself of that. Whether I wrote for ABC or myself, I was always going to be a writer- whether it was my dayjob or not.

The redundancy took months to happen and even the process thereafter for paperwork was painful. But the time from the announcement to the actual lay-off was a period where I learnt much about myself, my style of workplace and the company that I had chosen to work for.

5 Symptoms of Burnout (and How to Combat Them)

Not every day at work is going to be perfect. Trust me- I love my job but there are days where I just wish I had stayed in bed. That being said, if you’re having more bad days than good, you might be suffering from burnout. Here are a few symptoms that I use personally to tell when I am burning out and tips on combating them. Note that this is to fix symptoms. Fixing burnout itself takes time and effort. This is basically my band-aid solution until you are able to take time off for yourself to heal.

1. You’re irritable or impatient.

You might be incredibly cynical or critical at work. This is one of my personal triggers and the second I start losing patience with colleagues, I start to question if it’s just a bad day or if I am on the way to burnout.

The Fix: Notice when you keep getting more annoyed than usual and track your triggers. I do this by keeping a journal. When I know it’s burnout season, I try to be kinder both to myself and others.

2.You lose interest in your job.

You feel like going to work is a huge effort and so is doing your job itself. Again, everyone has bad days but if this is happening more often than not, you might be experiencing burnout.

The Fix: Make a list of all the things you like about your job. You wouldn’t still be at your job if there wasn’t something positive about it. This is also a great time to start gratitude journaling. I remember one coworker who was having a tough time at work and her gratitude list started off with “Sushi”. (TBH the work environment was super-stressful but I loved that she could find a positive aspect).

3. You’re struggling to sleep

This one is probably the most tricky to fix. Maybe you’re having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Maybe you’ve been using your bedtime as a form of revenge procrastination, pushing it further and further until it’s 2AM and you realise you have work in a few hours. Whatever it is, sleep is vital for your performance as a functioning human.

The Fix: Try to keep similar sleeping and waking times. Keep your bedroom dark and cool. Come up with an unwinding routine that brings you joy. I absolutely love tea followed by 30 mins of reading.

4. You’ve developed unhealthy coping mechanisms like food, alcohol or shopping

This is another one of my trigger items and honestly all I can say is keep an eye for it. This is another tricky one but helps if you have a partner to hold you accountable.

The Fix: Try to get a buddy to monitor when these get out of control. I work virtually but my friends and I have the habit of checking on each other when it comes to lunch because we’re guilty of skipping meals when things get busy.

5. You have physical symptoms such as headaches, stomach aches or body pain

Physical symptoms can either result from you working too hard or in an uncomfortable position. Or it can be a result of the stress.

The Fix: Again, track what your triggers are. Are you taking regular breaks away from your desk? Are you sitting in one position for too long? Does your chair need an upgrade?

The best way to combat burnout is to analyse what is going on, what is causing your symptoms and fix the root of the issue. But if you can’t or you’re not willing to put in the time (talking to myself there but the year end is right around the corner), treating the symptoms will help…up to a point.

The faster you treat burnout, the faster you’re able to be you again.

5 Signs Your Job Might Be A Bad Fit

Not every job is for every person. And that’s okay. You’re going to spend a huge chunk of your life at your job so it’s important that your job fits you and vice versa. Here are a few signs that your job may not be a fit for you:

1. You Feel Disconnected From the Job

Early in my career I came across someone who “didn’t value their job” (I’m quoting management here). At the time I couldn’t explain what the issue was but basically they did the bare minimum. They didn’t even open their email. Since this was someone I knew for a few years, I asked her about it. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the job. She just didn’t feel like it was for her. This made perfect sense to me. I knew at the time that not every job was for every person (I had left one call center during the training stage just to go work for another call center based on “it just feels right”). I ran into this person a few years ago and she’s working in HR and loving it. Being disconnected from your job isn’t a bad thing. It just means there might be something else out there for you.

2. Everything Feels Overwhelming

When opening an email- or even just replying to a message- feels like too much, this might be a sign that your job is a bad fit for you. Back when I worked in Customer Care, there were so many emails that I eventually stopped opening them all. Only to then be faced with “I sent you an email. Did you get it?” (Yes but which one of the 100 is you?)

3. You Dread Waking Up and Going to Work

I used to wake up and my first feeling was dread. I used to actually think “Oh dear God, why me?” It’s okay to not look forward to a day at work or even a few days (long-term stressful projects do take their toll on you) but if this is your primary state, it might be worth looking for a new role.

4. You’re Living for the Weekend

If the only thing getting you through the week is the thought of the weekend then your job is definitely not the one for you. Yes, weekends are amazing but if that is the only thing pushing you through. this is a major red flag.

5. You Lack Passion for the Job Itself

It’s okay to not be passionate about your job. Lots of people are able to work jobs they’re not passionate about. But lots of people are also unable to work jobs they’re not passionate about. If you feel like you lack passion combined with the other signs listed above, it might be time to update your resume and start looking for a new job.

Things We Don’t Talk About

I found this really old post that I wrote waay back when and never published. I had just started working with a really toxic team leader and well…let’s just say that I didn’t know how to handle it:

So I’m typing this from work.

Work at 5:19PM where I should not be. Where I have already told my parents that I am not coming home. Honestly I do not remember my exact words. I just remember being consumed with anger and hate and so I wrote something to the effect of I will not be going home.

So I’m typing this from work in the hopes that eventually I am going to look back at this and laugh.

“Hey, Shanice. Remember when you had a crappy day at work and you decided not to go home because your parents wouldn’t let you quit your job.”

In the back of my mind, the rational responsible part of me is realising that I am probably creating a issue where they shouldn’t be. I cannot find it in me to care.

I have had the worst possible week in my life. We got a new manager at work. She is incompetent at best and at worst, she is hell personified. She expects ten million spreadsheets and she expects the impossible. She knows very little about the job- something that wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t for the fact that she is very fond of acting like she knows everything.

I keep saying how I can’t deal with stupid but this is another level. This is a woman who is controlling, demanding, unrealistic and rude. This is a woman that is slowly but surely driving me crazy.

So when she spoke down to me yesterday I begged my parents to let me leave. They refused.

Today I spent most of the day in meetings. One meeting with my ex-manager (who is now in a supervisory role for our team) where she clearly asked me what was going on with me. I denied her accusations that something had changed in me and that my work ethic was slowly but surely being eroded away.

The other meetings were with my new manager. One for her to go over the rules with us (gosh, years in this company and we don’t know the rules. Someone is obviously filled with her own self-importance). The other was for her to painstakingly go over every aspect of my job.

I discovered that I was missing parts of my work. That I didn’t update the system I used to(something I did because my new manager gave me spreadsheets to track the work). However after asking me if the spreadsheets were too much, she went ahead and gave me two additional ones (I swear that woman has something wrong with her).

So at half 4 as I was rounding off my work I realised I was the only one in the office. So I asked if I could go home since everyone else already did. Her reply was that I could go once the work was done.

“The work” was 30 callouts. 30 callouts that would have been done if not for her and her spreadsheets. When she asked me if I thought I “deserved to go home”, I snapped.

I went to the bathroom, crying and sent whatever message to my parents. I don’t even remember what. I just remember feeling the vindictive pleasure because yes, I will stay and do callouts. ALL 30 OF THEM. Lets see how the parents like not having a child at home.

I felt even better when I realised my parents had no way to contact my manager (both old and new). So I sat at my desk ready to prepare to work when my senior manager approached me with a phone. The look on her face told me everything. That phonecall was for me.

“Who?” I choked out, desperate not to start crying enough.

“Your delivery guy.” (This was an inside joke since I was always shopping online. I received deliveries so often that I was on a first name basis with most of the courier drivers).

I took the phone tentatively. “Hello?”

“Hi.”

The voice was of my friend, a co-worker who was off on maternity leave. With a sickeningly jolt, I remembered that my mother had her details. Damn me and my closeness with my mother.

“Hi,” I managed to spit out.

It felt like my throat was closing.

“Where are you?”

“At work.”

“What time are you leaving?”

“When I’m done,” a sob slipped out.

“I spoke to your mother.”

“I figured,” I said, struggling to swallow. In the back of my mind I thought of a coworker who, a few weeks earlier, had a very public panic attack and had to be hospitalised.

“What is going on?”

“Nothing.”

“She said you’re not going home.”

“I’m not.”

Now the tears came faster, accompanied by gasps of breath as I fought to control myself. My manager was two seats down.

What followed was possibly the worst ten minutes of my life. I struggled to speak through the tears while my manager watched from the corner of her seat. My friend, not knowing where she was, complained about her freely.

“I told you she’s a bitch. Don’t let her affect you. You need to go home. Promise me you’ll go home. You know its dangerous.”

I remained silent.

“Shanice, I mean it.”

“Fine.”

“Say you’re going home.”

“Alright fine.”

I stood in the corner hiccuping in silence, waiting to calm down. Once I was sure I had control of myself I handed the cellphone back to my senior manager before resuming my work. I had 30 callouts to do.

Typing that story only makes me sadder. I still do not feel like I should go home but honestly where else can I go?

I don’t remember too much of that day. I know it was October 5th. I know the senior manager managed to talk me into going home. But that day changed my perspective on my job and the company itself. When I returned to work the next week, I no longer cared about my job. Instead I focused on getting out of the department. I would go on to leave the business while my toxic manager ended up a department head. I cried when I heard that news. Among the staff it was no secret that she was awful. But since she was close to her manager, he was able to promote her when the opportunity arose.

I chalk alot of that horrible period in my life to a lack of working experience. I thought that because she was a bad manager, it would even come out and management would think of the staff first. I was wrong. But working with her was a catalyst for me deciding that was it and I would not tolerate such behaviour. The second a position opened up in a new team, I took it. And that changed my career for the better…for a while. Then I got another toxic manager and the pattern repeated itself. But it was okay- NOW I knew how to handle it!

Debunking Myths about Working in a Call Center

“You work in the call center, right?”

I looked at the random aunty in surprise. This was during the period that I was hiding my new job from others and I was tired of lying. But at the same time I couldn’t face people if they found out I had left the call center and their reaction was relief.

“Um yeah, sorta. The company has a call center but I work in a different department.”

Ha! There. That wasn’t a lie. I actually wasn’t sure if my new job had a call center but they had a Customer Care team. That’s almost the same thing.

But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I was tired of people looking down at the call center. Sure, no one dreams of being a call center agent. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s perks.

Below, I’m debunking some myths about working in a call center:

Myth #1: Working in a call center is a Low Status Job

Okay, I feel like I have to address this one immediately. Personally I have encountered this in my community so I don’t know if everyone feels this way or if I am just surrounded by really small-minded people. NO job is a low status job. Not wanting to work because you think a job is “beneath you” is actually quite embarrassing…for you!

No one is above or below anyone else. (Except beetroot. Beetroot is beneath me because it is awful and idc how awful my iron issues are. I will NOT go back to that life. Just let me faint).

Myth #2: Working in a call center is a low-paying job

My next favourite myth. Firstly I have seen some incredibly high salaries come out of the call center. Secondly if you’re thinking the Sales Agents go home with no idea of how they’re going to pay their bills, you’re wrong. Several agents take home over R20k or R30k. I have seen people leave Customer Care (with it’s stable fixed income) to go back to the Sales floor because it offers better earning opportunities. And no to mention the amazing incentives like paid holidays, tickets for events and even appliances. (Can you tell I’m jealous? I shouldn’t be punished just because I have no skills as a Salesperson).

Myth #3: It’s a dead-end job with no opportunities for career growth

Career opportunities for a call center range from your typical upward growth such as team leader, manager or supervisor. But there’s also other departments that you can move into depending on the size of the organisation.

I know agents who started in Sales and moved to Training, Human Resources and even Marketing (this was a win I took personally. Go, girl! Internal promotions make me so happy). What’s more many call centers are big on offering training to develop their staff.

Myth #4: Customers are always shouting at Agents

Okay this isn’t completely untrue. But like any job, you deal with a range of people. Some are angry and always shouting, Some are actually really nice. Call can be complaints, general queries or just someone who wants to know what products are available. The great thing about being an agent is any call- whether bad or good- has to end at some point. You just keep going on. The call center is an excellent place to learn perseverance.

Myth #5: Call center work is easy, and anyone can do it

I mean technically yes. But in actual fact, not everyone can do it. And not everyone can do it well. Calling people to sell them a product seems easy. But you need sales skills which not everyone has. Trainers are fond of saying “it’s just a skill. You’ll learn it.” In my experience, it is a skill that not everyone has. Besides that you need patience if you’re going to be dealing with any angry customers and it is a huge help to be able to multi-task.

Myth #6: All you do is phone people

Call centers have a multitude of roles. From Customer Care to Recruitment, Business Development and Client Services. There are tons of different departments with different responsibilities. Typically this is the part where people’s eyes glaze over as I try to explain how a call center works but just trust me on this, tons of departments (which then means tons of opportunity).

What are your thoughts on call centers? I’d love to know below!

The Practice Interview

One of my favourite interviews was for a job I didn’t even want.

I knew Company A from my childhood- they were a BPO that my mother worked at when I was a kid. I used to visit their offices every Saturday and my aunt- who also worked there- would leave snacks for me. My mother warned me against interviewing- being a former employee she was very aware of what their workloads were like- but I was curious about the role since it combined two Marketing roles (Red flag).

From the second I walked in, I knew I had no intention of taking the job but it made me so happy to be back in a BPO discussing the industry. I FELT SEEN!

About half an hour into the interview, we realised that the job wasn’t a fit but we still spent another half an hour chatting. I had forgotten how familiar and comfortable the BPO environment was to me. I may not have had snacks or a desk to myself (though they did offer me tea, coffee or something stronger) but it made me happy.

Ironically, I had left a BPO about 6 months prior because I wanted to experience another industry but being back in that environment was strangely comforting.

Leaving that interview, I couldn’t help but smile. While the job wasn’t a fit, the experience reminded me of how much I value environments where I feel seen and connected. Sometimes, revisiting old chapters of our lives can offer clarity about what truly matters to us.

Though I left the BPO world for a reason, this encounter reignited my appreciation for the industry and the sense of belonging it once gave me. It’s funny how life works—sometimes, the moments that don’t lead to a “yes” are the ones that remind us of who we are and where we’ve been.

Here’s to staying curious and open to the unexpected paths that shape our journeys.

I Accidentally Went into A Toxic Workplace

I had worked in Customer Care for a little over 3 years. It was not the best of environments but- I was going to quickly learn this- it wasn’t the worst either.

I was burnt out in my first Marketing role so when I was contacted by another company for a possible role, I took the interview.

But in my haste for change it appeared that I ignored several red flags.

  1. I was warned that there wasn’t any real processes in place in the environment. I had no idea to what extent they meant it. Any attempt to put in a process was ignored and so we always went back to scratch- no process. Fast forward a year later and it was still the same.
  2. The hiring manager was not an HR manager- it was the person hiring for the role. I thought he was picky and looking for someone who could do his role. Turns out the company never had an HR department. I had heard that they outsourced their HR function but whenever I needed HR there was never anyone there. When my role was made redundant I was provided with little to no support- and even my last salary seemed suspiciously low. I also didn’t get severance pay- something I had to follow up about for weeks before they finally paid me. Apparently they weren’t sure if severance pay applied to me- an issue that could have been easily resolved if they had an HR department to begin with.
  3. The hiring manager disappeared for days on end. This was something that followed me into the job. The manager would disappear and then come up with a list of instructions or a list of reasons why the work I did was incorrect (even though there were never any proper instructions or marketing briefs to begin with).
  4. I asked for a sample payslip but they were unable to provide one. Turns out that the company didn’t give regular payslips. I only learnt this two months in because everytime I asked for one, I got the run-around instead.
  5. The contract said that staff weren’t allowed to refuse overtime work on weekends on public holidays. I raised this and they said they didn’t work on public holidays or weekends but that was just their standard contract. Holding them in good faith, I signed anyway…only to later learn that other things on the contract was incorrect such as the date we get paid and the tasks I was responsible for.

Unfortunately all of this happened during a horrible job market. So no matter how hard I tried (and I started trying six months into the job), it was difficult for me to get a new job. Eventually I was made redundant and I cannot explain to you how happy it made me. Yeah, I may not have had a source of income but I had my mental health. And that is infinitely more valuable.

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