Tips for Exploring a Career in Collections - Oxy

Sometimes, the careers that are the most difficult can ultimately have the greatest rewards. Some careers may be harder than others for a number of reasons, including the amount of stress involved, the type of work that is required, or other factors. Knowing that you are a good fit for the career you are looking into is very important as a determinant of your success, no matter what your career of choice may be. This is true even if you are thinking about a career in debt collection. When most people think about what they want to do with their life, collecting debts does not pop into their minds. After all, most people’s experiences with debt collectors seem to be negative (oxy) That doesn’t mean this is always the case, though. You can look at debt collection in a positive way, actually. In its best form, this type of job is very helpful because you are helping your company to recoup an old debt while helping the debtor him or herself to get out from under the debt. In the end, everybody wins. Nonetheless, debt collection is not always a very easy job, and it can frequently be a challenging one. You may deal with debtors on a regular basis who are frustrated, embarrassed, or annoyed and who may lash out at you as a result. Therefore, one of the more important qualities to have is to be a thick-skinned person who knows that you can’t take these types of things personally (Oxy). The customer does not know you personally and is instead responding merely to the situation at hand. Of course, you can help to avoid some of this negativity with your own approach to the situation. If you can be a calm, reassuring person who treats debtors with respect, you will not only end up having a more pleasant experience with customers, but you will also probably have a lot more success, as well. People will be much more willing to work with you if you approach them in a more positive, supportive way as someone who is trying to help them take care of an old debt settlements for once and for all. Perseverance is another important quality that also translates to many other lines of work, too. You cannot be easily discouraged if you want to be successful in the collections business. Instead, determination will be very important, because you must always keep the ultimate goal in mind during your dealings with those who you speak with or contact (Oxy). On the bright side, being successful as a debt collector will show other possible employers that you are able to persevere, handle difficult situations, and relate to people in a positive way. Furthermore, being a debt collector is often just the first step of what can be a great career in management or certain areas of finance. You may have to spend some time in collections to get your foot in the door of a great Debt Buyer company, and really tackling the job with a great effort will show your employer that you have the qualities they are looking for at higher levels of the company. If you feel you have the specific type of qualities necessary to be in collections, it can be a very rewarding job. In the end, you can actually help people to recover their credit, get rid of a lot of their stress, and move on with their lives. In the meantime, you can build yourself a very respectable career as you show your current and/or future employers that you can succeed in one of the toughest jobs in all of the business world.