What is support? Ask yourself this question and then remember the first answer that comes to your mind. What was it?
Did you initially think of the times someone had your back, or you helped out your friends or family? Or was it an act of kindness to someone you didn’t know but couldn’t walk by?
Or maybe, now, you feel bittersweet, reminiscing of a time you had to overcome your fear and show your support for something you believe in or to someone you care about? It is not always easy, right?
It might have been a small thing like a smile or ‘all will be fine, we can make it together’ from your colleague or a stranger in the street. Such a little thing, but when it comes in the right time and place, this is all you need.
What do you feel?
This feeling is your experience. You might have been supported or instead, you have supported other people, it all comes down to protecting your values. Values are your beliefs and your view of how things should be. What you praise and what you can’t tolerate.
All of us are broadcasters of our experience and values, as they reflect who we are. Sometimes, our experience can change our values or, instead, solidify them. In the end, you are lucky if, by answering this question, you recall a situation from your experience.
Support is a day-to-day thing we all do. It can be something small, like making a favorite ‘champion or princess breakfast’ for your kid or rooting for your favorite sports team, even if they are points behind, and it is one minute before the game ends. It might be something more extraordinary, like writing a statement or manifestation on a piece of paper and using it to loudly support your beliefs or calling a person on the other side of the world simply because they need you.
For some people, support is a lifestyle. They often tend to give more than receive, believe in ‘what goes around, comes around’ and treat others like they themselves want to be treated. If you are one of those people, you have probably been working or considered to be working in the support industry.
Depending on your skill, if you are a supporter by nature, there are many professions you can conquer. From the most ‘people caring’ professions such as nurses, teachers, rescuers, firefighters, and psychiatrists to professions, we don’t usually think of as ‘people-centric’ unless we are in the situation where our lives depend on them: electricians, attorneys, police officers, and epidemiologists.
You can also work in IT, social media or television, be a builder, agricultural worker, parent, grandparent, colleague, friend, student, or a little kid. Support has no age, only the heart and will.
If you are one of us, and want to turn your supporting nature into a real job, I’m here to guide you through the process of becoming a supporter who gets paid. I haven’t mentioned Customer Support or Dispatching before, so you may wonder why it was not on the list. Have you noticed that? If yes — congratulations, you definitely know that the Customer Support industry is your calling.
To find out who a supporter at SupportYourApp is, click here.
Why Customer Service? Let me begin by saying we are all customers. Grocery shopping, picking up a Christmas tree, setting up Wi-Fi, or using our favorite apps — it is all about consumption. Today, consumption is the new black. If the world keeps going at the same pace, in a couple of decades, we will live in a society that is very much alike to the one described by Aldous Haxley in his masterpiece “Brave new world”.
Customer Service is always there for you when you need help with something you are incompetent about, like an error crashing your laptop, hardware not working after you tried to troubleshoot it, or when you need something to be done quickly. The support service can also be of big help when it comes to premium assistance as a Concierge when you need to get plane tickets, presents, or have forgotten someone’s birthday and need some help to arrange an awesome surprise party this evening.
Are you feeling the adrenaline of challenge rather than the sadness of defeat when reading this? Then Customer Support is just the thing for you.
How to become a Supporter?
The first step is to understand your skill set. If you start your career and have no work experience, think of the languages you can work with and how proficient you are in them. Customer Support professionals assist users from all over the world and in many languages, so be precise in your CV and add information about any language knowledge certificates you may have. Even if you haven’t had any experience in customer support before, mention your prior experience in another field or any other side activities. It is always handy for an HR Representative to know your background.
It is also good to mention any tech skills you may have. The interest in coding and networking, some knowledge in HTML, CSS, and Python, basic Google Spreadsheet knowledge, and interest in crypto or any other modern technology will look good on your CV.
For example, at SupportYourApp, we are looking for people with specific background, experience or skills, while on the other hand, we invest into gathering a pool of the best candidates and teaching them all-things-customer-service ourselves. It is beneficial for you and us, and if you have any secret talent, it is better to showcase it.
The second thing to consider is whether you want to be engaged in product company support or outsourcing.
A product company is a company that has its own product. Such companies usually seek Support Specialists who will be able to take care of their customers’ questions.
An outsourcing company is a company that provides customer support to multiple product companies. Outsourcing companies usually grant a more secure and diverse experience. They allow their team members to gain experience and knowledge by supporting one project and can then relocate them to another one upon request. This way, they not only ensure their teams stay engaged, but can also reduce burn and rust-out rates. From my experience, outsourcing companies are usually more human-centric. They offer growth opportunities and are focused on people retention. Working with many clients, they are more secure and flexible with their options.
The third thing you want to understand for yourself is if you want your job to be in-office or remote. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the market shifted and there are a lot of opportunities for remote work. If you have the right attitude, you can be as productive at your home office as if you were to work 9 to 5 from an office.
The fourth step is — google it.
Now, depending on your prior experience and skill set, you can surf the internet and look for the perfect Customer Support Consultant role. You can even look into a Technical Support Consultant position if you have the skills.
There are many job resources available, but selecting a company to work with always needs research.
I recommend you to create a spreadsheet with the list of companies you are interested in and evaluate them using the following criteria:
- Reviews — what do people, current employees, candidates, and ex-team members think of a company?
- Website — what does a company display? Are they clear in their statement? How does it sound to you?
- Vacancy — is its description clear? How is it written? Does it clearly display your responsibilities, or do you have more questions than answers after reading it?
- Social media — check Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts of a company. Those pages usually display more ‘insights’ of life at the company. Do you like what you see? Does the company appear inclusive?
For applying, use trusted job sites only to make sure your application is not lost on its way. I recommend applying directly from a company’s official website, or from a trusted job resource such as jooble.org or any other to make sure the HR department of the company receives the application.
Attach your CV in English, add a motivation letter, and you are good to go!
Now, it is your time to evaluate the company.
How soon did you receive a reply? Did an HR department seem clear in their next steps? Did you get any feedback and follow-ups? There are so many things to pay attention to during the application process. Remember, the HR department is the representative of the company’s culture, so pay attention to your feelings during the process.
Try to match the things important to you with the job offer, trust your gut and good luck!
To join the SupportYourApp team, browse our openings here.
Share this article on social media if you feel it is relatable, and let me know if you’d like to hear more tips on how to successfully apply for the Customer Support jobs with your dream company.
Here at your dream job assistance, Viktoriia, the CHRO at SupportYourApp.
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Viktoria Oliinyk.
Viktoriia, the dynamic Chief Human Resources Officer at SupportYourApp, has been an integral part of our team for more than seven years. As the visionary leader of our international HR team, Viktoriia is our number one treasure hunter.
Being passionate about connecting people worldwide, she constantly expands our recruiting world map with new regions, ensuring that more and more people match with SupportYourApp globally. Viktoriia also leads the SupportYourApp HR department and makes sure its members are equipped with everything they need to find the best talents around the world.
When creating a new team for the client or scaling up the existing one, there is no task impossible with the strategic and systematic approach Viktoriia applies to her everyday processes.
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