Only call-center jobs in Phoenix? (insurance, credit card, employment) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

Ragazza2011 · 10-04-2012, 07:25 AM

Would you please shed some light on an argument I'm having with a friend? She has only visited Phoenix and it was 10 years ago. She never felt it was someplace of interest. She also basis her employment knowledge of the Phoenix area from phone conversations with customer service agents, (when calling her credit card companies. Many seem to answer in the Phoenix area and say it's the only work they can find.)

She's trying to discourage me from heading out that way - saying the only job I will find is a call-center position, which she knows is below my skill set. (My background is business professional - office manager, project manager, exec assistant.) Is she correct? Is that the primary industry in Phoenix? Would I find it difficult to find a position with a salary of at the very least $36,000+?

Thank you for any insight and advice.

liz451 · 10-04-2012, 07:41 AM

Ok, can't help but laugh at your friend who has made such a broad, silly statement. There are plenty of jobs other than call center jobs here. In fact, I don't personally know anyone who has ever had a call center job.

I can't guarantee a salary, but if you have a few years of professional experience and a college degree you should have no problem making $36,000 at a minimum. I'm not sure where you live right now but if you're coming from NY, Boston, etc. salaries will be much lower here due to lower cost of living however. Of course, do take a look at job listings in Phoenix in your specific field to get a better idea of what is out there.

LocoAZnative · 10-04-2012, 07:51 AM

Nothing wrong with call center work . I work in a call center cubieworld for a big bank and make over 40k a year. It isn't entery level customer service work. You will see a lot of call centers here for because we are a right to work state.

Ragazza2011 · 10-04-2012, 07:51 AM

That's what I felt too. She really doesn't want me to move, but I love the desert. Thank you for shedding some light on this subject.

Ragazza2011 · 10-04-2012, 07:54 AM

LocoAZnative - thank you for that info. I made the broad assumption that call center work was all customer service entry level. Did you need to start at entry level (customer service) and work your way up? How long did you have to work there to earn that salary?

Zippyman · 10-04-2012, 07:58 AM

Call-center jobs are low-hanging fruit here. Having worked in call-centers back east, the pay and benefits here are generally abysmal- and though call-center work doesn't *have to* be a hellish grind, modern call-center technology allows your employer to track, record & micro-manage every second of your day on a scale that (IMHO) makes them a modern-day sweatshop.

Back east, I worked in a very well-run call center that paid well, took great care of their employees & did their darnedest to retain as many as possible, as long as possible. Even with that, we turned over, on average, 100% of our crew every three years. Most call-centers out here pay about half what I made out east a decade ago, many have no benefits, and they turn *everyone* on their crews every six months. So you *can* get a job there, but the average rep has a very short career.

The Phoenix metro has about five million people, and most of them don't work in call centers, that said - good jobs are hard to find, and nearly impossible to find with an out-of-state address. If you've got a unique skill, you can probably line up a great job without a problem. If your skill-set is common, you might have a very difficult time finding and keeping a job in this economy, and Arizona isn't a good state to be poor in. Single adults don't get welfare, the unemployment office writes the smallest checks in the nation and delights in denying benefits, even in cases of wrongful termination.

If you move here without a job, you need a bank account with plenty of money in it, and a survivalist, "take any job" mentality. If you can't pay your rent, you'll be homeless in about 15 days if you don't have family or friends here. There is opportunity here, but there is also risk.

Not to be a wet blanket, but I disagree wholeheartedly with Liz, based on the experiences of myself, my friends & my own family. Making $40k isn't "easy" in Phoenix. Many of the people making $40k now were making $80k a few years ago- so your competition for jobs is likely to be against those with more experience & with degrees. With a bachelor's degree and a decade of experience in his field my own brother just landed a (contract) job that pays $36k, after a multi-year chain of short-term (unbenefitted) contract jobs.

Afterburn · 10-04-2012, 09:16 AM

Discovercard, AAA and American Express have large bases here, and they do have large call centers. But we also have Honeywell, Intel, Bechtel, Petsmart and several other large corporations that use administrative office-type workers. Downtown is loaded with office buildings, and in the outlying industrial areas, office people work in those as well. We have many large hospitals, colleges and insurance companies here, and they use administrative workers.

$36K may be stretching it a bit as far as salaries go though for executive/administrative assistant type of work - that about $17.30/hour, and many are in the $11 to $14/hour range. My daughter had a 3rd interview with a major hospital here as an executive assistant to a department head. When they finally put their best offer on the table, it was $12.43 per hour. Not salaried, but hourly. And one thing that many companies are now doing is giving you like 34 hours per week, which at many firms is not enough to qualify you for their insurance benefits. She also interviewed with Bechtel, and although their pay was salaried, it was $24K annual. I would say look at Craigslist for an accurate indication of wages for positions you qualify for.

Also, more and more office positions are requiring degrees here now. And many of the positions are hourly, not salaried, and benefits are often hard to get too. Ridiculous I know, but there you have it. It is way different than it used to be. And one other thing - if you are on the young(ish) side, I don't think you will have a problem finding a job. But if you are, say, late 30's, early 40's (and up) you will have a more difficult time. It's not right, it's not legal, but it is what it is.

westcoastbabe · 10-04-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afterburn

Discovercard, AAA and American Express have large bases here, and they do have large call centers. But we also have Honeywell, Intel, Bechtel, Petsmart and several other large corporations that use administrative office-type workers. Downtown is loaded with office buildings, and in the outlying industrial areas, office people work in those as well. We have many large hospitals, colleges and insurance companies here, and they use administrative workers.

$36K may be stretching it a bit as far as salaries go though for executive/administrative assistant type of work - that about $17.30/hour, and many are in the $11 to $14/hour range. My daughter had a 3rd interview with a major hospital here as an executive assistant to a department head. When they finally put their best offer on the table, it was $12.43 per hour. Not salaried, but hourly. And one thing that many companies are now doing is giving you like 34 hours per week, which at many firms is not enough to qualify you for their insurance benefits. She also interviewed with Bechtel, and although their pay was salaried, it was $24K annual. I would say look at Craigslist for an accurate indication of wages for positions you qualify for.

Also, more and more office positions are requiring degrees here now. And many of the positions are hourly, not salaried, and benefits are often hard to get too. Ridiculous I know, but there you have it. It is way different than it used to be. And one other thing - if you are on the young(ish) side, I don't think you will have a problem finding a job. But if you are, say, late 30's, early 40's (and up) you will have a more difficult time. It's not right, it's not legal, but it is what it is.

Wow..are you like serious. I currently work for one of the major banks in Charlotte, NC and I make $52,000 supporting a high-level executive. Cmon Phoenix,, I know you can do better than that. My god, people gotta live if else.

observer53 · 10-04-2012, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by westcoastbabe

Wow..are you like serious. I currently work for one of the major banks in Charlotte, NC and I make $52,000 supporting a high-level executive. Cmon Phoenix,, I know you can do better than that. My god, people gotta live if else.

You may (or may not) need to adjust your salary expectations if you move. I don't know how the cost of living compares, but plan accordingly.

westcoastbabe · 10-04-2012, 02:18 PM

Thats just so hard to believe though...And Phoenix is a bigger metropolitan area than Charlotte. You would think salaries would be just a 'smidgen" of a bit better than here. As a native Charlotte, I really dont see why salaries are higher here. I mean that really hard to believe. YOu gotta factor in rent, utilities, food, gas, etc... I mean if you are making that low, cost of living there better be dirt cheap.