Debt Collector

The Job and What's Involved

A debt collector's job involves reclaiming money owed to an organisation by businesses or individuals.

They pursue debts of all sizes, from thousands of pounds owed by a business to smaller amounts owed by individuals to credit card companies, phone and energy companies, finance companies or mail order catalogues.

The debt collection process usually follows a series of steps:

• First, the debtor (the person or business that owes the money) is contacted by letter or telephone.
• If no solution is reached, the debt collector may visit the debtor in person.
• If the debt is still not paid, the matter might be taken to a solicitor and could be brought to court.

Debt collectors may specialise in a particular aspect of the collections process:

Consumer debt collection - collecting debts owed by individuals. This could be over the phone from an office, or by visiting the debtor's home or business (known as field collection).

Commercial debt collection - pursuing business debts, usually by letter and phone rather than through personal visits.

International collection - working for foreign creditors to collect debts in the UK, or for UK companies wanting to collect overseas debts.

Legal collection - handling debt that has passed into the legal recovery stage.

Debtor tracing - trying to locate debtors who have moved or who cannot be contacted.

A debt collector may:

• Ask debtors to settle their debts.
• Find out why the debt has not been paid.
• Negotiate with debtors who are in financial difficulties to work out a realistic way for them to settle their debt, for example, by agreeing a series of smaller payments over several weeks or months.
• Deal with debt collections that have entered the legal system, following strict procedures.

Debt collectors use computer databases to check financial information about individuals and companies. Those working in call-centre environments may use automated dialling systems when calling debtors.

They may work alone or in a team. They usually stay in close contact with the company to whom the money is owed, ensuring that any payment arrangements are acceptable to them.

Commercial debt collectors usually work standard office hours, from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. They may need to work extra hours at times to meet monthly targets for collections.

In the consumer sector, debt collection hours are generally 8.00am to 9.00pm, Monday to Saturday. Debt collectors are likely to work on a shift system or on a flexible basis within these hours.

Part-time work is common in this type of job.

Most debt collectors are office-based. Field agents, who visit debtors' at home or work, are often self-employed and may use their own home as a base. They normally need to have a driving licence and their own car.

Debt collectors with some experience may earn up to £25,000 per annum. Salaries may be made up of target related bonuses on top of basic salaries.

Getting Started with this Career Choice

Around 10,000 people work in debt collection, and opportunities exist throughout the UK. The main employers are:

Large banks, retailers and other organisations which have in-house debt collection teams.

Debt collection agencies, which are contracted by organisations to pursue their debts. There are around 500 agencies in the UK, of which two-thirds are small local operations.

Overdue debt is a constant problem in the commercial world. The amount of consumer debt and the number of people who default on payments is on the increase. This has led to more work for the debt collection industry and good opportunities for debt collectors.

Vacancies are advertised in the local and national press, through recruitment agencies and on company websites.

Education and Training

There are no minimum qualifications for this work. However, employers may look for GCSE's (A*-C) in English and maths. Enthusiasm and good interpersonal skills are also important.

The Diploma in business, administration and finance, available from September 2009, may be useful for this type of work.

A degree or a professional qualification is not essential for this work, but may be an advantage for those who want to progress into managerial roles. Several universities offer degree courses with an element of credit management. For a degree, the minimum requirements are usually two A levels and five GCSE's (A*-C), or equivalent qualifications.

A Few More Exams You Might Need

Debt collectors normally train on the job. They may attend in-house or external courses covering relevant legal aspects and essential skills in subjects such as telephone techniques and negotiation.

The Institute of Credit Management (ICM) offers professional qualifications for careers in credit control. The ICM Diploma in Credit Management is a flexible qualification that covers a wide range of credit management related areas including telephone collections and debt recovery.

A City & Guilds diploma in debt collection is offered by the Credit Services Association (CSA). Candidates are required to attend four tutorials and sit a written examination.

The CSA also runs a range of courses on aspects of debt collection, such as dealing with abusive debtors and telephone collection techniques.

Credit Management Training offers a Level 4 Diploma in Credit Management accredited by NCFE. Successful candidates are awarded MACP (Diploma) and first year membership of the Association of Credit Professionals.

CMT also run courses on cash collection and DIY legal action for consumer and commercial credit.