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Work at Home with Sykes
Alpine Access ( now Sykes at home) was the first work at home company I was introduced to over 10 years ago.
Shortly after my family and I had made the big move from California to Texas, I started looking into trying to find a job that I could perform from the comfort of my own home.
I had heard of some lucky people who were able to telecommute from home and I started thinking about how I could manage to find a job like that.
It wasn't easy.
In fact, I wasn't successful with that at all at first.
What I found was that in order to find a job that would allow you to telecommute, it was almost necessary to have worked for that company for a long time.
This is because they are taking a chance on you, trusting that you will do the work for them and they won't know if they can trust you until they see your work ethic over an extended period of time.
Ok, so, that option was out for me.
I kept an open ear for anything that sounded interesting and lo and behold, I was watching Good Morning America one morning and they had a whole segment on working from home.
The expert that they interviewed was Tori Johnson, author of:
This was back in the spring of 2006. The company they mentioned was Sykes.
I can't tell you how excited I was to hear about this because it seemed to be exactly what I was looking for:
A legitimate company that would pay you to be their customer service representative and take phone calls for their company, FROM HOME!!!! I felt like I hit the jackpot.
And so, I looked them up on the internet and started researching.
I hope this information will be able to help some of you discover if working for this company is the right fit for you. If not, don’t be discouraged, there are many other companies that may be a better option for your life and schedule.
Keep in mind that the information listed here is subject to change so I would recommend going directly to the company’s website to get the latest information.
However, what I can tell you is that Alpine Access is a legitimate company that currently hires workers from 40 different states in the U.S.
What you can Expect
Many of the positions they hire for are full time , although some part time positions are available.
When I was first looking at Sykes, I had two small children and I knew that it was not going to be possible for me to work over 30 hours a week.
However, there are many people that would jump at the chance to be able to work full time from home, so in my opinion this is a perfect job for people who have 30-40 hours a week to dedicate to a position such as this.
Applications can be completed online and the company suggests allowing approximately 7-10 days to complete the steps required in the application process, although it could take longer.
Schedule
When you are first applying with the company, you will be asked to submit a schedule detailing your availability to work.
I would suggest taking great care in choosing a schedule that will fit with your daily responsibilities.
The reason for this is that once you are hired , they will schedule your work hours based on the hours and availability you provide here.
You cannot go in and choose what hours you wish to work each week so in this way, the schedule is not a flexible one. The company publishes your schedule a week in advance and they require that you work at least one “weekend” day.
The hours you are scheduled will be the same for all 5 days.
This is one of the main reasons that I did not choose Alpine Access. Although, now that my children are older and both in school, I could settle into a routine of working the same schedule every week.
When they were younger, however, this was not a good option for me, mostly because my husband had a work schedule that was different every week.
And so, my schedule would have to coincide with his, for childcare reasons..
I
found other options that were a better fit for me (at the time), which I
detail on my "virtual jobs" page for any of you young moms, who, like
me, may need tons of flexibility in the schedule as I did at that time
in my life!
Click here to go to my "Virtual Jobs" page for a detailed list of more work at home companies!
Application process
Once you have indicated your hours of availability, you will be offered to take a course provided by Alpine Access.
They will have you take an application essay and a skills test.
I don’t need to tell you to ham it up in your application essay. It’s your turn to brag about yourself! Especially what skills and talents you can bring to the company and any project they may assign you to.
Make sure to list any customer service experience you have or any other languages besides English that you speak.
Most of all, stay positive in your essay, let them know why working at home would benefit you and your family, really let your light shine in this essay!
What are these companies looking for? Bright, enthusiastic, positive team players !
After this, the next step is the phone interview.
Definitely sell yourself in this interview!
They are looking for all the things I mentioned above plus a great phone voice!
So be as articulate as you can, as cheerful as you can… practice at home before your interview begins if that settles your nerves.
Best of all, remember this….. Most likely, the interviewer is also working from home!
How do I know this? Because I have friends who work for Alpine Access ( they love it by the way) were originally hired on as customer service representatives and were promoted pretty quickly to a new assignment: interviewing prospective employees!
And, from what they have told me this is not uncommon! So, hopefully that helps settle your nerves a bit… I know it did for me.
Most of all, try to relax and have a fun conversation. They really just want to get a sense for what your “phone personality” will be.
If you are accepted to work for Sykes, you will receive a job offer at which point they will conduct a background check as well as a drug test and credit check. There is a fee of $45.00 to cover the cost of the background, credit and drug tests.
Pay and benefits
If you are accepted to work for Sykes, you will receive a job offer, at which point they will conduct a background check as well as a drug test and credit check.
There is a fee of $45.00 to cover the cost of the background, credit and drug tests.
Working for Sykes, you are considered an "employee " of the company, not an independent contractor.
What this means is that you get paid by the hour, regardless of whether you have 2 calls come in that hour or 10 calls, you will be paid that set hourly wage.
Applicable taxes will be automatically withdrawn from your paycheck.
You can expect to be paid approximately $9.00 an hour or more depending on your experience and skills.
Benefits: Alpine Access does offer a voluntary benefits program providing medical, dental and vision insurance plans for eligible employees.
You are eligible to receive benefits 30 days after your hire date and must work an average of 20 hours per week.
As well, after one year of service for Alpine Access and if you have worked at least 1000 hours, you are eligible for their matching 401 (k) program.
All
in all, Sykes seems to be an excellent option for any job
seeker, as they offer stability and a chance to work from the comfort of
your own home!
For more information or to apply with Sykes at Home, please click here
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