The vast, expanding horizon that is BPO

Prior law-school, I applied for a writing/editing position in a BPO company.

During the computer exam, the female employee right next to me was chatting (IM) during office hours with a guy, asking “what turns you on?” and “how would you like to be pleasured?” My first thought was that it was weird, and second was that I am not sitting with her if I get accepted.

My interviewer told me that they write for an online men’s health magazine. Observing we both came from UP, she said that we UP students are not “icky” when it comes to sex and reproductive health. Finally she got to the point – they write sex stories for a male audience. She asked whether I can write about that topic, I said it is just a matter of creative writing, imagination, and maybe research. We talked about my writing and editing background and then she said that I should come back the next day for a final interview.

I had suspended my surprise for a while there, but going home it dawned on me - the first world didn’t limit their outsourcing to transcribing doctor’s instructions, encoding documents, or creating graphic presentations. The sex scene must have to be represented.

I did not return.

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Maria Cristina P. Yambot