Several years ago I wrote on the importance of English in the business of outsourcing. That truth remains unchanged. Sadly the quality of English taught in most of our schools has not improved. Earlier convent and missionary schools were the ultimate bastions of impeccable English. But with our education laws insisting on interfering with school boards the English taught there is not what it was. There are private schools where the State does not tread, but the less said about the education that "international" schools offer the better.
Last month there was this fresher who came in for an interview. A smart, young, lady prattling in fairly good English. Glancing at her resume I saw she had spelt the name of her school, "St. Merry's". Surprised, I googled the school and of course it was "St. Mary's." Perhaps it was a typo?
Prepared to give her the benefit of doubt, without pointing out her error I asked her to spell out the name of her school. "M-e-r-r-y" came the answer.
When I suggested it might be M-A-R-Y, she looked puzzled for a moment, and then nodded giggling. (Yes she did.)
After spending 12 years writing the name of her school, in every single book, perhaps dozens of times a year, and just four years since leaving that school, she could not spell the name of her school!
And she didn't seem to find anything wrong with that. Moron.
What, after all can any school teach someone who cannot take the trouble to remember its name?
Today I had an employee, a sincere, hardworking girl but English-language handicapped, come in telling me that the insurer's letter asked for healthcare denials. What the document actually said was that the bills had been partly paid by healthcare. Sigh.
Girl, if you cannot read and interpret simple things like that, how can you ever be able to understand the immensely complicated and convoluted terms that attorneys normally use? That one is headed for the chopping block.
That said, there's no need to be disheartened, you. There are plenty of giant LPOs that deal in work requiring only average English language skills. And the work is repetitive. So once you learn what is needed, you're good for the next few years. Or the next process anyway. Just make sure you are able to make it through the interview speaking only in English. Let the accent go hang.
Last month there was this fresher who came in for an interview. A smart, young, lady prattling in fairly good English. Glancing at her resume I saw she had spelt the name of her school, "St. Merry's". Surprised, I googled the school and of course it was "St. Mary's." Perhaps it was a typo?
Prepared to give her the benefit of doubt, without pointing out her error I asked her to spell out the name of her school. "M-e-r-r-y" came the answer.
When I suggested it might be M-A-R-Y, she looked puzzled for a moment, and then nodded giggling. (Yes she did.)
After spending 12 years writing the name of her school, in every single book, perhaps dozens of times a year, and just four years since leaving that school, she could not spell the name of her school!
And she didn't seem to find anything wrong with that. Moron.
What, after all can any school teach someone who cannot take the trouble to remember its name?
Today I had an employee, a sincere, hardworking girl but English-language handicapped, come in telling me that the insurer's letter asked for healthcare denials. What the document actually said was that the bills had been partly paid by healthcare. Sigh.
Girl, if you cannot read and interpret simple things like that, how can you ever be able to understand the immensely complicated and convoluted terms that attorneys normally use? That one is headed for the chopping block.
That said, there's no need to be disheartened, you. There are plenty of giant LPOs that deal in work requiring only average English language skills. And the work is repetitive. So once you learn what is needed, you're good for the next few years. Or the next process anyway. Just make sure you are able to make it through the interview speaking only in English. Let the accent go hang.
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