Call Center Agent Job Description: Duties, Skills and a Resume-Ready Version
By Dave Wilson · 7 min read · 16 October 2026
A call center agent answers or makes customer calls, solves the customer's problem using the account's tools and policies, records what happened, and does it within targets for quality and time. That is the whole job in one sentence. Most results for this search are templates written for employers to post a vacancy. This page is for the person applying: what the day looks like, which skills get you through screening, the numbers you are judged on, and duties you can copy onto a resume without exaggerating.
What does a call center agent do?
A call center agent is the first point of contact between a company's customers and the company. On a typical shift you take a call, find out why the customer is calling, check their account, fix the problem or explain the answer, and write a short record of the call in the system. Then you take the next one. On a busy account that can be dozens of calls a shift.
Which calls you take depends on the account. On an inbound account customers call you, about billing, orders, tech problems or complaints. On an outbound account you call people for sales, reminders or surveys. Some accounts mix chat and email with voice.
What are the main duties and responsibilities?
These are the duties that appear on nearly every call center job description, with what each one means in practice. The right-hand column is written the way you could put it on a resume.
| Duty | What it means on the floor | Resume-ready wording |
|---|---|---|
| Handle inbound or outbound calls | Answer or place calls, use the opening spiel, and keep control of the conversation | Handled 60+ inbound customer calls per shift for a US telecom account |
| Resolve customer issues | Find the cause, apply the policy, and fix it or escalate it correctly | Resolved billing and account issues on the first call using the knowledge base |
| Document every interaction | Write accurate notes and dispositions in the CRM so the next agent can continue | Logged call notes and outcomes in the CRM with a 95% accuracy score |
| Follow scripts and compliance | Use required statements, verify identity and never skip a disclosure | Followed call flows and verification steps to meet QA compliance standards |
| Meet performance targets | Stay inside the handle-time, quality and attendance numbers set for the account | Consistently met QA, schedule adherence and attendance targets |
| Escalate when needed | Pass a complaint or a request you cannot approve to the right person with the details | Escalated complex cases to team leads with complete notes |
Try a mock call as a new agent, free, with no account or card needed.
Try a mock call as a new agentWhat skills and qualifications do employers look for?
Most entry-level roles ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and often accept applicants with no BPO experience, because the company trains you. What they screen for is skill, not a degree.
- Clear spoken English and active listening: you will be tested on this with an English assessment such as Versant.
- Patience and empathy: staying calm and courteous with a frustrated caller, covered in the empathy statements guide.
- Typing speed and computer comfort: you type notes while you talk, which is why employers run a typing test.
- Problem solving: working out what the customer needs when they describe it badly.
- Willingness to work shifts: many accounts run nights or weekends because they serve customers in other time zones.
What numbers are call center agents measured on?
Every account scores agents on a handful of metrics, and a job description usually mentions them without explaining them. Knowing them before the interview helps you answer "how do you handle pressure" with something concrete.
Average handle time (AHT)
The average time you spend on a call, including the notes you write afterwards. A target that is too low rushes customers, and one that is too high holds up the queue, so you aim to stay near it without cutting the conversation short.
Quality assurance (QA) score
A reviewer listens to some of your calls and scores them against a checklist: greeting, verification, empathy, accurate answers and closing. It is the number that most often decides promotions and bonuses.
Customer satisfaction (CSAT)
Customers rate the call after it ends. A courteous agent who fixes the issue scores well even when the answer is "no".
First call resolution (FCR)
The share of problems you solve on the first contact, without the customer needing to call again.
Schedule adherence and attendance
How closely you follow your assigned shift, breaks and log-in times. For many agents this is the easiest number to protect and the easiest to lose points on.
Try a mock call as a new agent, free, with no account or card needed.
Try a mock call as a new agentWhat does a day in the job look like?
You log in on time, check the shift notes and any new product or policy updates, then start taking calls. Between calls you finish notes. A team leader may sit in on a call or give you feedback from a QA review. Breaks and lunch are scheduled, not flexible. At the end of the shift you log out and the numbers for the day are added to your weekly scorecard.
The first weeks are the hardest. After classroom training, new agents spend a period on live calls with extra support, called nesting. It is normal to feel slow and unsure then.
How do you write a call center agent job description on a resume?
Use short action bullets that start with a verb, include a number if you honestly have one, and match the words in the job posting. Do not copy the employer template above word for word, because recruiters read dozens of identical ones.
If you have no BPO experience, translate work you have done into the same duties: retail, food service, tutoring or volunteering all involve handling customers, solving problems and following procedures. The no-experience resume sample shows where each of these goes on the page.
- Handled customer inquiries in person and by phone, resolving issues on the first contact.
- Followed written procedures and verification steps accurately under time pressure.
- Typed customer notes while speaking, at 35 words per minute with 95% accuracy.
- Stayed calm with upset customers and escalated complaints to a supervisor with full details.
Try a mock call as a new agent, free, with no account or card needed.
Try a mock call as a new agentHow to get ready for the job itself
Reading a job description does not prepare you for the live call. Practice the part employers test most: a mock call. The free mock call practice lets you rehearse a call with an AI customer and see your score, and the interview questions for no experience cover what you will be asked. When an offer arrives, compare it with the salary guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the job description of a call center agent?
A call center agent handles inbound or outbound customer calls, resolves the customer's issue using the account's tools and policies, documents each interaction and meets targets for quality, handle time and attendance.
What skills does a call center agent need?
Clear spoken English, active listening, patience, typing speed and basic computer skills, and problem solving. Most employers train you on the account itself.
What should I put for call center duties on a resume?
Short verb-led bullets: handled customer calls, resolved issues on the first contact, documented interactions in a CRM and met quality targets. Use real numbers only if you have them. See the resume sample.
Do you need experience to be a call center agent?
Not for most entry-level roles. Many BPOs hire applicants with no experience and train them, as long as they pass the interview, English assessment, typing test and mock call.
What is the difference between inbound and outbound call center agents?
Inbound agents answer calls customers make, usually about problems or questions. Outbound agents place calls for sales, follow-ups or surveys. See inbound vs outbound calls.
Why should we hire you as a call center agent?
Tie your answer to the job: you communicate clearly, stay calm under pressure, learn procedures quickly and will show up on schedule. Back it with one short example. Practice it with the interview questions guide.
The call center agent job is taking customer calls, solving the problem, recording it and hitting the account's targets. The skills that get you in are clear English, listening, typing and staying calm, and the numbers that keep you in are quality, handle time, satisfaction and attendance. Write your duties as short verb-led bullets, and practice a mock call before the interview.
See it in Oliver
Ready when you are
Practise before the next real conversation.
No sign-up required. Pick the scenario, add your name, and speak with a realistic AI partner. Get a scorecard and transcript after every call.