Contrary to popular belief, the three letters BPO (business process outsourcing) does not start and end with the ubiquitous call centres. This is one among many myths that is currently surrounding this multi-million dollar industry that provides fabulous avenues for earning and skill development. This is our attempt to bust a few myths...

Myth: BPO is another dotcom phenomena and all the euphoria is going to be short-lived, with the current boom ending in a bust.

Reality: BPO is a well-established industry built on solid infrastructure of people, processes and technology than the marketing hype that drove the dotcom boom. Today the world recognizes India -- as the ideal BPO destination in terms of people infrastructure, quality of service and costs.

Myth: There are limited career opportunities within the call centre/BPO industry; roles are limited to customer service agents and team leaders.

Reality: The BPO industry offers a huge range of job roles in varied functions like quality, human resource, finance, IT, project management, training, facilities management, etc.

Myth: Working in an IT enabled services environment results in various health-related ailments associated with long hours on computers or talking for long periods on the phone.

Reality: Almost all jobs today involve working on computers or talking for long hours on the phone. In fact, BPOs tend to be more careful about proper ergonomics, acoustics and overall workplace environment than most other companies.

Myth: Most BPOs in India tend to exploit their workforce, forcing them into monotonous jobs with few facilities or benefits.

Reality: BPOs in India are today attracting the best talent from various industries, including hospitality, financial services, retail, travel, etc. This is largely because of better packages and benefits being offered by BPOs. Examples: home pick-up and drops, medical insurance, recreational facilities, range of rewards and recognition schemes.

Myth: Working in BPOs tends to restrict future job prospects. There are limited opportunities to pursue a career outside the industry.

Reality: BPOs provide their people with invaluable international exposure of working for leading global companies. Also, the skills developed while working at BPO’s such as communication abilities, process-orientation, domain knowledge. All these skill sets are highly desirable, cutting across industries in India and overseas.

Myth: India is losing its competitive advantage and countries like China and Russia will snatch most of the future growth in BPO.

Reality: While it is true that salaries in the BPO industry in India are rising rapidly, the industry is currently confined to the main metros. As second tier cities emerge, India has enough manpower to retain competitiveness for many years to come. Also, countries like China and Russia have a long way to go in English proficiency.