Is being in technical support a really bad choice for women?
Asked by smartgal
I have got a job in technical support for a leading MNC. The profile involves talking to customers abroad and troubleshooting and solving their computer problems via the telephone. Is this a good thing to do for me as I am a female and it might involve working at hours of the night. Also what's the job progression like in this field?? Also I have a Masters in International Business, would I be able to use this in this field at any point of time??

Best Answer:
I've always been pretty ambitious, and the best advice a boss once gave me is this: the reason they put steps on a ladder is because you can't get to the top in one go. Any job is what you make it to a certain extent. Think glass half-full, not half-empty - if this is a male-dominated area, doesn't being female give you a point of difference you can harness to stand out? I wouldn't immediately think this is a disadvantage. I've run a number of call centres over the years. I've found there are two basic types of people: those who are there to stay, and those who are there to leave. You sound like the latter. That is, you'll want to find opportunity to go do something else and you're using this role to prove yourself to people who can help that. The fact you're in an MNC gives you opportunity. Focus on doing your job exceptionally well. Ask questions about how you're assessed, what the benchmarks are, and think about what you can do to beat them so you stand out to people who can help you advance. Don't worry about your Masters right now. That'll be useful in time with business experience under your belt. And once you're a couple of rungs up the ladder, you'll have a different perspective - seeing how you can jump to a different ladder heading perhaps in a far more exciting direction.