I, The Graduating Engineering Student Turned Incidental Writer ( Seventh Stride)Man Within
Foreword.
This series of articles, on the travails and torments of required writing for school term papers, thesis or dissertation, are purposely taken in the point of view of the student in the graduating or senior years. Hopefully, they reveal how much anguish and agony he goes through in every phase of the activity he is obliged to present, even to defend in front of a panel of peers, prior to receiving his much toiled-for diploma.
Previously.
The graduating student, whose subject proposal is now accepted by the English professor he used to secretly call Darth Vader, has interviewed an expatriate who had rose from the ranks in a call-center. His extensive experience gives us deeper understanding what it was like working in one.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As it oftentimes happen in open-ended assignments, where the undertaker himself sets the goal or aim, pursuit of a logical end or answer usually lead to many paths. The discretion on which way to proceed is part of the response skills that education teaches the learner.
I quickly recognized the unusual opportunity presented by my acquaintance with this man from another country (I would not have to travel overseas!). Here he is, favorably disposed to share with me his entire life experience (I actually only want those related to his stint in a call center). He is also utterly willing to speak of his knowledge in many other fields (I really have to be cautious not to stray far away from my original purpose to acquire first-hand understanding of the Business Process Outsourcing industry).
He is quite a character, coming from an impoverished family in a third world country, working his way through college, graduating from an engineering course in a reputable university, rising to responsible positions in the companies he worked for, then able to work in the Middle East for a number of years. Unforeseen circumstances left him a bachelor albeit with two offspring he readily acknowledge from different relationships. He was in fact almost in his senior years when accepted in a call canter, blending in adequately with young people practically half his age and double his independent spirit.
Without me asking him, on his own volition he told me how he was able to do it. Besides being conversational in English, he is familiar with things American. A wide reader of popular digests and magazines, scientific journals, self-improvement books, and news reviews, he is up to date with everything going on especially in technological advances. His favorite entertainment pastimes include blockbuster Hollywood movies and situation comedies, and thus thoroughly familiar with clichs and idioms and colloquial expressions.
I courteously beg off the interview with my friend the call-center agent. I already feel more than enough knowledgeable on this singular aspect of the industry and losing the overview I desire for my project. Nevertheless, in spite of our age difference and cultural upbringing, a bridge of harmonious bond has developed between us. We still occasionally discuss many other subjects, often over six-packs of beer.
Next: the eight stride hidden blessings
This series of articles, on the travails and torments of required writing for school term papers, thesis or dissertation, are purposely taken in the point of view of the student in the graduating or senior years. Hopefully, they reveal how much anguish and agony he goes through in every phase of the activity he is obliged to present, even to defend in front of a panel of peers, prior to receiving his much toiled-for diploma.
Previously.
The graduating student, whose subject proposal is now accepted by the English professor he used to secretly call Darth Vader, has interviewed an expatriate who had rose from the ranks in a call-center. His extensive experience gives us deeper understanding what it was like working in one.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
As it oftentimes happen in open-ended assignments, where the undertaker himself sets the goal or aim, pursuit of a logical end or answer usually lead to many paths. The discretion on which way to proceed is part of the response skills that education teaches the learner.
I quickly recognized the unusual opportunity presented by my acquaintance with this man from another country (I would not have to travel overseas!). Here he is, favorably disposed to share with me his entire life experience (I actually only want those related to his stint in a call center). He is also utterly willing to speak of his knowledge in many other fields (I really have to be cautious not to stray far away from my original purpose to acquire first-hand understanding of the Business Process Outsourcing industry).
He is quite a character, coming from an impoverished family in a third world country, working his way through college, graduating from an engineering course in a reputable university, rising to responsible positions in the companies he worked for, then able to work in the Middle East for a number of years. Unforeseen circumstances left him a bachelor albeit with two offspring he readily acknowledge from different relationships. He was in fact almost in his senior years when accepted in a call canter, blending in adequately with young people practically half his age and double his independent spirit.
Without me asking him, on his own volition he told me how he was able to do it. Besides being conversational in English, he is familiar with things American. A wide reader of popular digests and magazines, scientific journals, self-improvement books, and news reviews, he is up to date with everything going on especially in technological advances. His favorite entertainment pastimes include blockbuster Hollywood movies and situation comedies, and thus thoroughly familiar with clichs and idioms and colloquial expressions.
I courteously beg off the interview with my friend the call-center agent. I already feel more than enough knowledgeable on this singular aspect of the industry and losing the overview I desire for my project. Nevertheless, in spite of our age difference and cultural upbringing, a bridge of harmonious bond has developed between us. We still occasionally discuss many other subjects, often over six-packs of beer.
Next: the eight stride hidden blessings
Source...