Where a call centre agent can go next
12 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a call centre agent already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Call centre agents handle incoming or outgoing customer calls for a business. They call existing and prospective customers to promote goods and services. They also obtain sales and arrange sales visits.
Also known as call center agent, outbound sales agent, telephone sales agent, telephone operator, outbound call centre agent, call centre operator, telemarketing agent, inbound call center agent, telephone sales generator, call centre service agent, telemarketing operator, telephone solicitor.
Service and sales workers 32 skills on file 12 career moves 0 above 60% overlap Closest: live chat operator, 59%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 1 · Within reach
Table 2 · A bigger jump
Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.
- ICT help desk agent 46% covered · difficulty 57.5
- customer service representative 36% covered · difficulty 67.9
- car leasing agent 35% covered · difficulty 69.3
- sales processor 32% covered · difficulty 68.1
- call centre supervisor 32% covered · difficulty 67.7
- ICT help desk manager 30% covered · difficulty 66.7
- customer contact centre information clerk 28% covered · difficulty 68.5
- contact centre supervisor 27% covered · difficulty 69.1
- after-sales service technician 26% covered · difficulty 71.1
- aviation data communications manager 25% covered · difficulty 66.5
- rental service representative 24% covered · difficulty 77.4
Table 3 · What the job itself asks for
A call centre agent needs 17 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- handle tasks independently information skills
- credit card payments business, administration and law
- use customer relationship management software working with computers
- process data information skills
- adapt to changing situations communication, collaboration and creativity
- communicate by telephone communication, collaboration and creativity
- perform multiple tasks at the same time management skills
- characteristics of services business, administration and law
- characteristics of products engineering, manufacturing and construction
- keep task records information skills
Table 4 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a call centre agent does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- live chat operator 65% covered · difficulty 36.6
- car leasing agent 60% covered · difficulty 42.2
- rental service representative 47% covered · difficulty 54.7
- call centre supervisor 45% covered · difficulty 54.9
- customer service representative 44% covered · difficulty 56.8
- ICT help desk agent 41% covered · difficulty 58.3
- sales processor 39% covered · difficulty 60.2
- railway passenger service agent 20% covered · difficulty 76
- passport officer 18% covered · difficulty 77.2
Look up another occupation
Call centre agent is filed under Service and sales workers, ISCO major group 5. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a call centre agent’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.