My job involves telemarketing and making invitations. I am responsible for calling customers from a list of phone numbers, asking about their language-learning needs, and inviting them to take an online trial lesson. In fact, if you are familiar with the process, it is fairly easy. There is a standard script, and once you get used to it, you hardly need to think—you say almost exactly the same content each time. There are many educational training videos in the system, and massage services are also available every week; you can sign up for them. Each day, the office has a staff member on duty who can place lunchbox orders on behalf of everyone. On Wednesdays, there is an afternoon tea with fruit and snacks. From time to time, there are general meetings where the director shares learning concepts or tips on interacting with customers. The director is young and accomplished, radiates positive energy, wears a well-fitted suit every day, and is quite approachable. He remembers everyone’s English name. My supervisor is not much of a people manager and only requires punctuality. He also came from a sales background, so he does not really police things like going outside to smoke. Days off are fairly flexible, and I have a good relationship with my coworkers. The working hours are 10:00–20:00 for the morning shift and 13:00–22:00 for the evening shift, with lunch breaks from 12:00–13:00 and evening breaks from 17:00–18:00.

The working hours are very long. The scheduled hours are 10:00–20:00, but customers usually arrange online trial lessons after work, at around 6:00 p.m., to accommodate their schedules. If you have high performance expectations for yourself, you usually cannot leave work too early, so working until 10 or 11 p.m. is the norm. If your conversion rate is high, you can earn a decent income; if you do not perform well, you will simply be busy for little pay.