Hot Rec | Business and Industry Recruitment Specialists

As an Accounts Assistant, you would help out on everything from data entry to Purchase Ledger (goods and services that the company have bought), Sales Ledger (the money coming in from sales the company have made) to Credit Control (chasing for payment on the invoices raised by the company) and Payroll (wages paid to staff and appropriate deductions / payments to the Inland Revenue).

You can really develop your career in the accounting field, which has great prospects for part-qualified and qualified people. The main career boosting qualifications are:

AAT – Association of Accounting Technicians

These are practical and work relevant and will give you a deeper understanding of the accounting functions.

ACCA – Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

The ACCA teaches you financial and management accounting and is an internationally recognised qualification. You’ll learn about professional accounting skills and legislation and it covers key financial and business topics.

CIMA – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

This will prepare you for a career in business accounting and covers topics like financial strategy, marketing operations and resource management.

Administration

There are a wide range of administration job titles and in doing an administration role, you are providing support to all the teams and departments within the business. Jobs can range from being a Data Entry Clerk to managing Contracts, Secretarial and HR Operations. You need to have a good general standard of English and/or a head for figures, along with strong planning and organisation skills.

Human Resources

Human Resources is about providing advice, developing and implementing policies relating to the staff within an organisation. You’ll cover areas including diversity, working practices, employment conditions, recruitment, training and pay structures. The main qualification for HR is the CIPD, Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Secretarial

Secretaries provide administrative and typing support, using software including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. As a PA, you would be heavily relied on to carry out senior duties and look after the interests at Executive / Director level and you’ll need a thorough knowledge of the company and practices within it.

Automotive

There are many different types of automotive outlets and the main ones are:

Dealership Group – these are a cluster of businesses selling and servicing new and used vehicles. They often have several sites within the group and each site may specialise in a different vehicle brand.

Independent – they may specialise in a particular brand or work with several types of vehicle

Motor Factor – sell and distribute vehicle parts

Fast Fit Centre – generally concentrate on fitting parts to vehicles (i.e. tyres and brakes) and may do servicing

Roadside Assistance – customers sign up to become members and if their vehicles break down a mobile technician will go out to repair it or have it transported to a local garage

There are many different roles within the motor trade and the most popular ones are:

Technician – mechanical repairs to vehicles. You’ll need to get a City & Guilds / NVQ in Motor Vehicles and serve an apprenticeship.

Bodyshop – repairing vehicles with body damage and within the Bodyshop would be a team of Panel Beaters, Paint Sprayers and an Estimator who assesses the damage using computerised equipment and will advise on costs.

Controller – has technical knowledge and assigns jobs to the productive staff, manages staff and customer requests, liaises with other departments to ensure the work is done to the correct standards

Service Department – When vehicles have done a certain amount of mileage, needs oil changes and for the vehicles to be checked over, they will book in vehicles for repair and the Service Team will liaise with the Workshop to provide customers with information on costs and progress of works.

Parts Department – are responsible for the movements of vehicle parts whether to the public, other departments or trade outlets

Sales / Showroom – this is where they sell the cars and in this department you’ll find Sales Executives who need a UK Driving licence to deal with the customers, take them on test drives and negotiate the deals.

A Business Manager deals with the finance / insurance and the Sales Manager will ensure all standards are maintained, that paperwork is completed properly and be in charge of recruitment and training.

There may also be support staff including Sales Administrators whose duties include making sure vehicles are registered with the DVLA. Larger organisations may have a Corporate Sales Division whose task it is to sell fleets of vehicles to bigger businesses.

Warranty Manager / Administrator - A warranty insures certain parts of the vehicle and the Warranty person will verify that it’s covered so that the repairs can go ahead.

Customer Service

You could be working in a small team or in a large call centre. If you have good communication skills and a patient disposition, a career in customer service may well suit you. This role is all about customer care and you could be handling anything from providing information to taking new orders or dealing with complaints in a calm and solutions orientated way.

Driving

If you have a clean UK Licence and like the idea of being out and about, there are various driving jobs you could do. A delivery / multi drop driver will deliver goods to a number of address each day. With a Heavy Goods Licence, you would drive large lorries longer distances, distributing goods to various business locations. Look at the DVLA website for more information on the types of licences available.

Engineering & Trades

These are specialists qualified in their chosen field who will repair goods / machinery and provide an in-depth knowledge on technical matters. There are engineers in manufacturing, electronics, gas, plumbing / heating / electrics. Engineers will have completed vocational training / City & Guilds or NVQ.

Finance & Insurance

You could have a career in Banking with roles ranging from Customer Advisors to Financial Planners or Insurance Claims, Risk Assessment and Underwriting.

Hospitality & Catering

Roles here range from Front of House and direct customer interaction to back of house chef roles or housekeeping. There are numerous types of roles in Restaurants, Bars, Hotels and Contract Catering.

Industrial

Industrial trades covers everything from manufacturing and production line to driving, transport planning and warehouse.

IT

You’ll all be familiar with the term Information Technology and this covers a huge range from Helpdesk Support (giving customers advice, usually over the phone, on problems they’ve encountered with their systems with the aim of fixing the issue) to Programming and Software design/creation. There are many roles within SEO (making sure the website has maximum exposure and comes up high on search engine lists) and online marketing.

Legal

Working within the law is very challenging and roles vary from Legal Secretarial to Lawyers / Barristers and it takes a lot of hard work and several years to qualify as a Lawyer. You could work in private practice or as an in-house solicitor for a corporate organisation.

Marketing

Companies have to market their business and make sure their brand is noticed by their target audience in order to make sales. Marketing specialists will help to promote the companies products and services in the most effective way.

Retail

Working in retail means you have to be friendly, helpful disposition as this involves being in a customer focused environment, selling goods to the public. Roles and environments vary from working in a branded chain on the high street to a superstore in a retail park.

Sales

Sales Executives promote company goods and services to the public or other businesses, using techniques that engage the customer to ensure they purchase goods from them, not their competitor.

Business Development Managers may deal more with account handling and up-selling to existing clients as well as covering defined territories to gain new business.

Teaching

A hugely rewarding career where you impart your training and knowledge on to others in specialist subjects. You will need to have a degree and do additional Teacher training. You could work in schools, colleges or universities.

Top tips for writing a great CV

It’s all about first impressions ….

Your CV is your most important selling tool and without a good CV you will not even get an interview.

Some CVs try to look “different” and this can frustrate the reader so keep the format simple and uncluttered.

Don’t put false information on your CV - reference checks and in depth questioning will confirm the accuracy of your statements.

Your CV will highlight your skills, experience and accomplishments, and a well presented CV is likely to encourage the company to actually interview you.

Try to limit the length of your CV to three pages and include details on awards, memberships, courses attended, language and technology skills.

Remember that a short, clean and to the point CV has a better chance of being read all the way through.

There are a few golden rules to follow when presenting your CV and these are:

Covering letters

First impressions count, so make sure your letter is addressed to the correct person, check there are no typos and use good quality paper. Put your name and address on the top of the letter, with the date on the left, and type in the person to whom you are addressing the letter, with the correct address. Start your introduction by stating how you heard of the position and identify what you are applying for. Put in a short paragraph detailing your suitability for the role by using the information in the advertisement and provide an overview of your qualifications and experience. The last part of your letter should let the reader know your contact details

How to make your CV stand out

TYPING MISTAKES

Always have someone else read over your CV - errors show prospective employers that you are careless

FONTS

Make sure your CV is readable and that the font is not too small. Bold headings, dates and job titles can effectively separate sections and create visual interest. There is no point in squeezing all your information on to 1 or 2 unreadable pages as the interviewer will switch off. Aim to show your abilities on no more than 3 pages of easy to read text. Do not use too many fancy fonts or different sizes as this will be distracting not interesting

GRAND CLAIMS

Don’t make them unless you can provide examples to prove it.

THE USE OF LANGUAGE

Do not use excessive or overly complicated words. You may think it makes you look smart but a potential employer doesn’t want to use a dictionary in order to understand your CV.

THE EXCLAMATION MARK

Do not use them!!! Your professionalism, experience and skills will show through without these desperate attempts at humour, so don’t add exclamation marks on either your CV or covering letter.

HUMOUR

Avoid this on your CV as the recruiter may not have the same sense of humour as you. A CV trying to be funny at best can be irritating and at worst could make you look like an oddball. Tongue in cheek statements can also show that you don’t actually take work seriously and nobody is going to interview someone like that.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Be clear and concise in describing the main responsibilities of each position held and keep the description to a few constructive lines or bullet points. Focus on what the role entailed and your accomplishments and avoid stating “objectives” unless they are highly compelling. Provide less detail on descriptions relating to the early part of your career and put the emphasis on the most recent years of your employment.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

When highlighting the things you have achieved, use words that express action such as “directed, negotiated, improved, generated, launched” and show the results using words like “increased customer retention by 10%”. If you are applying for a sales role, indicate your targets and results.

INTERESTS

You will stand out because of the presentation of your CV, your skills and experience, not because of your personal interests. Personal interests are just that and if you make too much issue of them on your CV it could taint the interviewers perception of you as a person and you will not get a chance to show how good you really are if they don’t invite you for an interview.

Interviewers can be put off by your personal comments on paper, especially if they appear to be weird, boring or controversial. If you really must include a personal statement then make sure it is a positive interest that will not take away the focus from your abilities. Most importantly, make sure you do not make silly statements i.e. “Objective: to find a job” or “I love to play football” or “my hobby is watching television”

Invaluable interview tips

Invaluable tips for making a good impression at your interview

Attending an interview can be a nerve wracking experience … follow our guidelines and you will be well tutored and prepared, giving you the best chance of landing the job you want !!!

When an interviewer asks you questions about yourself and your career you need to answer positively and concisely. You are unlikely to do this by chance but you will do it by careful preparation and, of course, practice.

Qualifications and experience alone doesn’t guarantee you the job … communicate your skills confidently and give out the right signals with your body language. Emphasise your strengths and let the best side of your personality shine through.

Grooming

Always dress smartly using bright colours only as an accessory, not to dominate your outfit

Take only one neat bag or small briefcase with you.

Limit jewellery to small subtle pieces, make sure your nails are clean & well trimmed and that your hair is tidy.

Small amounts of light perfume or aftershave is fine but make sure it is not overpowering and don’t spray anything just before entering the building. Good personal hygiene and fresh breath is essential.

Etiquette

An interview is your chance to make a positive impression and good manners are vital. The position you have applied for may not be the right one for you but the company may well be and the company could call you back for a different position in the future if you conducted yourself with style.

Prior to attending the interview, make sure that you know exactly where you are going and the time of the meeting.

Find out who will be seeing you and make sure you pronounce their name correctly and know their title within the company.

Check out the route you will take and ensure that you arrive at least 15 minutes early. This will show that you are keen and also give you an opportunity to fill in an application form if needed.

When entering the reception area, be mindful that the first impression is created here.

Always be polite and friendly to the reception staff as they can often be the most powerful people in the company. Why? Because they are constantly liaising with senior management and if you have been less than impressive on your introduction, you can guarantee that the decision makers will hear of it and no matter how brilliant your interview went with the personnel officer, you will not get that job because you don’t fit into the culture of the company and have shown a disrespect for others.

Bring with you a copy of your CV in case the interviewer asks for it and have your references with you but only offer them if asked.

On introduction to your interviewer, shake hands firmly, make good eye contact, wait to be asked before sitting down, always sit upright and show interest in what is being said.

Never smoke, eat or chew gum even if the interviewer offers you or is doing so.

Always remain polite, friendly and professional whilst also showing enthusiasm.

Form Filling

Many employers ask you to complete an application form whilst waiting in reception.

Take your time to fill out the form neatly, with brief and carefully considered answers.

If you are fortunate enough to have the form in advance of the interview, take a photocopy and plot your answers on the copy.

When you are confident that the form represents you well, copy it onto the original in your best handwriting.

Always pay attention to special instructions given on the form for completion.

Communication

At the interview, you need to show poise and confidence as well as illuminating your qualifications and/or experience.

Courtesy is most important and you need to show an interest in the company and the opportunities available.

Really listen to what is being said so that you can respond intelligently to the interviewer.

Responsive smiles and firm handshakes can often make the difference between a job offer and no offer.

Don’t be afraid to let the interviewer know if you feel nervous and remind yourself that the interviewer had to go through the very same procedure as you at some stage - otherwise they themselves would not be in a position to interview you!

Body Language

Our body language can sometimes tell another person more about you than words alone. An interviewer may be observing your gestures for clues as to your confidence and honesty. Single movements alone are meaningless but patterns of signals build up a much fuller picture.

Always make sure your handshake is firm because this shows confidence.

Maintain good eye contact (without staring!) as this shows interest and self-assurance.

Sit upright but not rigidly, to show you are alert and lean slightly forward to show confidence and attentiveness.

Talking with your hands show openness but don’t overuse the hand movements.

Nodding acknowledgment of what the interviewer is saying shows agreement but nodding constantly can be interpreted as lack of interest.

Shaking your head or frowning is negative but smiling can help develop a rapport with the interviewer.

Covering your mouth shows you are uncertain and scratching your nose could be a sign that you are not telling the truth or trying to cover up.

Resting your chin in your hand shows boredom and crossing your arms indicates defensiveness or resistance.

Knowing your CV

You should never have to refer to your CV during the interview, so make sure you remember all your employment dates, job titles, responsibilities and accomplishments.

Have answers for questions relating to your choice of further education, career changes and gaps in employment.

Preparing for Questions

Show how much you already know about the company and the position by asking well thought out questions on the role and focus the interview on how your skills can complement the job.

Showing that you understand the requirements of the position gives credibility on how your background and experience applies.

Before the interview, always gather as much information on the company as you can and understand why the position interests you and how your long term goals fit in with the opportunity on offer.

How to answer Questions

Most important of all is to listen, listen, listen and do not interrupt the interviewer, as this is rude and arrogant.

Make your answers to questions as positive as possible and try not to give "yes" or "no" answers unless it is appropriate.

Turn potentially negative questions into positive answers. For example, if the company needs you to use a software package that you haven't used for two years, don't say "I haven't used it for two years" as this will make the interviewer think that you "can't" use the package. What you should say if asked whether you have worked with this package is a very positive "yes, I worked with this package for over three years at Fred Bloggs & Co". This is a truthful answer and gives the interviewer a positive impression of you.

It is easy to lose the attention of the interviewer if you give too much detail when asked to describe an accomplishment or project. Give a brief overview of the subject and then ask "would you like me to elaborate".

If you are asked a question that throws you or makes you feel uncomfortable, do not become defensive or arrogant to cover your feelings. Instead say, "I’m not sure" or "I will give that some thought" and then take your time to respond openly.

Questions employers may ask

Have good reasons for leaving each position. Do not say "I wanted more money" or "I was bored" or "I was headhunted" as these will make the interviewer question your stability for their company. Unless you were made redundant or have relocated, growth and opportunity should be the key reasons for change.

There will always be questions put to you at your interview and you need to make sure that you have the answers. The most common questions are listed below, so take time to think and rehearse how you will deal with them on your interview.

Tell me about yourself?

Name five attributes that have led you to be successful in your career.

What area of your skills or experience have you targeted for improvement?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Of all the roles you have covered, which do you enjoy the most and why?

Which tasks do you like the least?

If you are faced with three job offers at the same time, what will make you decide which one to take?
What do you like about this company and/or the position?
What do you think is the greatest challenge for this company?
What can your contribution bring to this company?
Where do you find your best working relationships, with management, subordinates or colleagues?
Are you a team player?
How do you respond to authority?
What are the things you have liked in your bosses and why?
What are the things you have disliked in your bosses and why?
How do you react to negative feedback or comments?
How do you evaluate your own performance?
How do you evaluate the performance of others?
What mistakes have you made in your working life?
What did you learn from these mistakes?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Questions you should ask

Asking relevant questions like the ones listed below, confirms your interest in the company and shows you are organised and can plan ahead.

· How long has the company been established?

· What would the daily duties involve for the position?

· Why has the position become available?

· When is the position to start?

· How many people are being considered for the position?

· Will there be a shortlist and a further round of interviews?

· When will you be making a decision on the position?

It is impressive if you show more interest in the role, who you will be working for and whether there are peak times when longer hours need to be worked than discussing money and how the company can benefit you

Telephone interviews

Some companies use this method to shortlist the candidates they want to interview. You need to be as prepared for a phone interview as a face to face interview.

Always make sure you have privacy when taking part in a telephone interview, be calm, positive and don't forget to smile as you can hear a smile over the phone.

After the interview, if you are going through an employment agency, phone your Consultant as soon as you can to provide your feedback and if you have decided that this is the job for you, make sure your Consultant is aware of this.

Otherwise, take time to digest the information you have received at the interview and analyse how you performed at the meeting - as this will help you improve your technique in the future.

Assessments

Some organisations require candidates to attend assessment centres where there may be a mixture of practical tests, interviews, presentations, group exercises and psychometric tests. If you attend an assessment try to relax as much as possible on the day, don't panic if you don't perform well on a task but do make sure you turn up on time and show enthusiasm.

Key points to remember

Don't hesitate or repeat questions when answering the interviewer as this stalling technique can be interpreted that you are not sure what answer to give or that you may not be telling the whole truth.

Don't over elaborate explanations because it can be confusing, just remain calm and concise.

Never, ever, make derogatory comments about previous employers' as this is highly unprofessional. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.

Don't try to completely change who you are. It may be that you are not right for that role or that company and the interview process is also there for you to evaluate the prospective employer.

Respond positively if you are told aspects of the job that don't appeal to you. You will have plenty of time after the interview to weigh up all the pros and cons of the post and there is no point in rejecting an opportunity before you have received an offer and had time to think it over.

If you show too much interest in salary or discuss wages and rises too early on, it can show greed and insufficient interest in the company and/or position.

Never become involved in conversations on controversial subjects and if the interviewer asks leading questions on such matters, diplomatically steer the conversation back to the job role and company.

Make sure that the interviewer knows why they should hire you by focusing on your accomplishments, providing honest and persuasive answers.

When leaving the interview, always shake hands with good eye contact, thank the interviewer for their time, tell them that you are very interested in the position (if this is the case) and that you look forward to hearing from them.

After the interview

GOOD INTERVIEW BUT NO JOB OFFER

Don't worry if the interview did not result in a job offer - there is always a

next time. Naturally you may be disappointed but you must not take it personally - there was only one job on offer and several candidates applied, so some people were not going to get the job anyway. Every interview you attend will teach you a little bit more about what to do and what to avoid.

Now, pick yourself up, think constructively and remain positive. There may be reasons why you were not offered the post, and some of these may be

TIMEKEEPING

Were you late and if so, did you ring in advance to advise the company of your delay and then apologise when you finally arrived? In any case, unless there were extraordinary circumstances, being late is the height of rudeness and will not provide a favourable impression. If you don't value the company's time for that all important interview, then they will think the chances of you turning up on time every morning are not good.

PRESENTATION

Were you smartly dressed and well groomed? Did you convey negative body language? Did you chew gum or smell of smoke? Was lunch still evident on your teeth? Examples like these can make the company decide you are not for them

UNPREPARED

Did you do your research and find out all you could about the company and position? Did you forget the information on your CV or were unable to answer direct questions relating to it? If you didn't do your homework, be assured the job will go to someone who did.

DIDN'T WANT THE JOB OR WANTED THE JOB TOO MUCH

If you came across with a negative attitude then no company will want to employ you and remember, there could have been another, even better position with the company. Don't agree to go on interviews for jobs that hold no sufficient interest for you. This wastes everyone's time. Of course you should be enthusiastic at your interview, but being over keen can show desperation and the interviewer could conclude that you want any job not just this job. The likelihood is that they will offer the post to a candidate with a more balanced approach

THE JOB IS ON HOLD

Sometimes companies have to reassess their budgets at short notice and the position they originally envisaged cannot take place at that point. If you have given a good impression, you are bound to be considered at a later date should the position become available. It may also have been the case that the position has gone internally. In most companies, applications from existing staff will take priority over new candidates. Other companies have a policy to advertise and interview both internal and external staff and again, priority will be given to existing staff

SORRY, YOU'RE TOO GOOD - OR NOT GOOD ENOUGH

You were everything they wanted - excellent skills and personality with an exemplary work record. In this case, the company may have felt that you were over-qualified and would get bored with the role. People can apply for jobs that are beyond their experience and ability, so aim to improve your skills and demonstrate at your next interview that you are more than prepared to undergo whatever training they feel is appropriate.

AVAILABILITY

If two candidates of equal ability are being considered, it could simply be that the position is urgent and if you have to serve a months’ notice, they will take on the other person who can start straight away.

SALARY

Was everything going great until salary was discussed? It could be that you tried to get that little bit extra and the company felt your expectations were unrealistic. At an interview, it is always better to let the company know that the most important thing is the role and the people within the company as you should already know the salary range the job is paying before you go for the interview.

Not getting the job isn't the end of the world and although it is upsetting, it is vitally important that you don't let it get you down. Act positively and begin your search again.

Career & Training advice

Improving your skills

You can improve your career opportunities by taking courses relevant to your chosen field whether you are technically based or customer service focused.

UCAS.com

Lists university courses

cityandguilds.com

There are lots of courses leading to qualifications and if you already hold good qualifications you could go further and train others by taking an Assessor course.

icslearn.co.uk

You could also do distance learning on subjects, which means you can study at your own pace

Changing jobs

When you are going to change your job, think about the aspects of your role that you like and dislike. This will enable you to focus on what you want out of your next job. Factors to consider are:

Location

Job content

Responsibilities

Status

Who you want to come into contact with

Consider your own personal life goals, your work/life balance and where you want to be in five years time. Decide on the type of industry you want to work for, whether you need to obtain further training or qualifications and if you would consider relocating for the perfect job.

How to resign

Be sure you want to resign before you do it - once it’s done, it’s done. Make a dignified exit by being professional throughout and remember, you will need a reference. When you do arrange to give in your notice:

Prepare in advance what you are going to say and keep it short and very sweet.

Don’t go into excessive detail or say things that you don’t mean.

Different bosses have different reactions to resignations, some take it as a personal slight, feel betrayed and become defensive but whatever you do, keep cool, calm and professional, stand your ground and remember why you wanted to leave in the first place.

Don’t feel guilty about leaving - you are in a business relationship, people do move on and like it or not, the company will manage without you.

Make your resignation letter short, polite and to the point stating the date the notice is effective and when your last working day will be.

Offer to help cross train your replacement and reassure your boss that you will continue to put in 100% effort to the last.

Ensure all HR issues are dealt with in terms of settlement of bonuses, holiday leave and personal belongings.

When you leave on a positive note everyone benefits and the last impression of you will be a good one.

Counter offers

When you give in your notice, be prepared for an offer to tempt you to stay with the company. Your employer may offer to increase your salary and/or status. This may seem attractive but bear in mind what made you decide to hand in your notice in the first place and think carefully as to whether the conditions that led to your resignation will change with this counter offer.

If you are tempted by the offer, you should consider the following:

Your integrity may be compromised because your boss may feel that you will threaten to leave again if your conditions are not met and this could create resentment from the company and tension in your working environment.

Could you now be vulnerable with a false sense of security? Now that the company know you will consider leaving them, they could recruit around you or hold on to you only until another suitable person comes along.

Consider why it took your resignation before your company showed they valued you and is their counter offer really going to make a difference in the long run.

Will you be postponing the inevitable, missing out on other more beneficial jobs and do you really have a future with the company.

Handling redundancy

Redundancy doesn’t have to be a negative experience and in a lot of cases, it can provide the opportunity to go for a career change or to do something you would not have previously considered. If there are rumours that your firm may be making redundancies:

Do try to speak to your boss to find out if you may be on the list.

Update your CV, put the feelers out and start seeking alternative employment.

Get your finances in order, to give yourself the best chance of financial survival.

Being made redundant is not your fault so think positively about the things you can do, now.

Don’t burn your bridges, keep on good terms with your boss and obtain a good reference.

Even if it takes longer to find a new position than you had hoped, keep yourself and your mind active by updating your skills and even consider some voluntary or charity work whilst looking for your new job.

Returning to work

Going back to work is a big decision and you will need to work out how to balance the demands of your life with making a career. Returning to the work place will give you the opportunity of utilising your skills, taking up new challenges and meeting different people.

The right time to go back to work is when you feel it benefits you and other members of your family. As flexible working is more common, there are many options you can take when returning to the work place such as:

Temping, which is ideal if you don’t want to commit long term or want to experience a mixture of environments.

Part-time, which is anything up to 30 hours a week and legislation gives part-timers rights on maternity, redundancy, sick and holiday pay.

Job sharing, where two people share the same job.

You may need to put together a CV and update your skills, so check out the local colleges and private training organisations. If you have been a home-maker, you will have juggled many tasks at once improving your time management, budgeting and people skills. Many employers are seeking flexible, reliable, responsible, hard working individuals like you.

Overcoming barriers

There are many steps you can take to improve your chances of employment:

Make sure your CV sells your experience.

Update your skills.

Focus on your achievements.

Demonstrate your organisational ability.

Show how multi-tasking you can be.

Be flexible in your choices of company and get your foot in the door of opportunity.

Remember that the qualities of loyalty, diplomacy, calmness and reliability are eagerly sought by employers.

When you do get that interview it is because the company believes in the skills and attributes you conveyed in your CV and you really are one step away from getting that job!

Starting your new job

When you start your new job there are many aspects to consider along with the actual duties you will be doing. Effective time management will make the transition into your new role so much easier by developing techniques to reduce pressures and to make the best use of your time.

Work area

Organising your workspace includes ensuring the materials and equipment you need to do the job are close to hand.

Ensure lighting is positioned to avoid eye strain, that your desk accommodates all your paperwork and that your chair is well designed and comfortable.

Keeping an uncluttered desk avoids that snowed under feeling and enables you to concentrate on prioritising the tasks with ease.

Place your paperwork in logical orders of action, information and waste. Keep filing up to date and regularly throw away or archive information that you do not need.

Communication

Develop and maintain positive lines of communication with your colleagues and managers by providing them with necessary information and using internal e-mails effectively.

Plan your calls with an outline of the objective and what you are going to say, keeping the call concise, informative and polite.

Make sure that urgent deadlines take priority.

Arrive at meetings on time and well prepared.

Try to come up with our own solutions to problems but stick to the facts and don’t give opinions unless they are asked for, important or relevant.

When attending meetings, work out the purpose of the meeting and whether there is a set agenda. Notes should be taken clearly containing essential information on what was discussed and agreed.

Best Impressions

Always dress smartly using bright colours only as an accessory, not to dominate your outfit.

Limit jewellery to small subtle pieces, make sure your nails are clean and well trimmed and that your hair is tidy.

Small amounts of light perfume or aftershave is fine but make sure it is not overpowering and don’t spray anything just before entering the building.

Good personal hygiene and fresh breath is essential.

Planning

Plan your day by making a ’to do’ list of things to achieve, establish your priorities but always remain flexible in order to take on unexpected tasks.

Learn when and how to say no if you will be over-committing yourself.

Do not be vague if you are unsure you can complete a task in a given time frame, always communicate why you may be unable to assist by that time and negotiate on timing by stating that although you cannot do it now, you would be pleased to do it tomorrow.

Set out your goals and objectives, which should be specific, measurable and within a time frame.

Development

Make your own career plan and have a clear idea of the strengths you can build on and the weaknesses you can improve on.

You don’t need to be the person working the longest hours but you do need to concentrate on delivering results.

Believe in the organisation you work for, understand the company culture, direction, management structure and the people within it.

There are office politics in most companies, respect the company and don’t take part in negative practices such as gossip, as it is a dangerous game that often backfires and takes the focus away from what you are employed to do.

Committed, enthusiastic and determined people make things happen because they have ambition, drive and can take responsibility. Having the right attitude can fast forward your career and by working smarter, everything will fall into place.

Building Relationships

Develop a relationship with a mentor who can provide an objective view of situations and give helpful advice and so that you can discuss difficulties without fear of repercussion.

Learn how to work with your boss by taking a little extra time to see things their way and find out what is expected of you. The better your boss knows you and vice versa, the more trust is built up.

Don’t change the whole system and assume what would make your colleagues or boss’ jobs easier - ask.

Be understanding and sympathetic in your dealings with others as being over-sensitive and falling out with your manager will cause them to become irritated and defensive - remember, your boss is answerable to other people and is under pressure too.

The better your working relationships, the more job satisfaction you will achieve and the more respect you will gain.

Managing Customers

In the workplace you need really good face to face and telephone communication skills when dealing with colleagues, bosses and most of all customers. The customer is always right, even when they are wrong and knowing how to diplomatically handle escalated situations is commercial sense.

To stay ahead of the game, a company (and all the people who represent it) need to be professional and competent to gain a competitive edge. Giving the wrong impression over the telephone or face to face can ruin a professional image.

Customers will become extremely irate if they are cut off or put through to the wrong person or, are left holding for ages with nobody coming back to explain why or being asked lots of questions for no good reason.

A customer translates statements like “they’re at lunch” to mean the business cannot run at certain times or “they’ve just popped out” as they’re always out or “I can’t locate him” as poor internal communication or “they’re tied up” as they cannot be bothered or are too busy to talk to you. Are these statements familiar to you?

It is so much easier and more professional to simply state that the person is “not available at the moment, may I take a message and get them to call you back?”.

Be friendly and helpful, speak clearly and sincerely, deal with problems diplomatically and always act on promises given.

Good customer service means basic good practice by being courteous, identifying yourself on the phone, listening to the caller without interrupting and responding suitably and providing the minimum delay for resolving issues.

When providing information you must be clear and accurate, record relevant facts and confirm that the caller understands what has been said.

When you are taking messages, make sure you know who the call was for, the time and date, name and numbers for the caller, the nature of the call and your name.

Recognise the callers importance by addressing them courteously and letting them explain their problem and blow off steam. Then direct the call away from emotion, don’t be defensive, develop a solution, giving a time frame and a commitment for following up on your actions and thank the person for calling.

Handling problems and complaints gives you the opportunity to put things right and you need to be calm and professional. Establishing a rapport and empathising with your caller will break down barriers.

Name:	*
Username:	*
E-mail:	*
Password:	*
Verify Password:	*
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Career Centre

Do you fancy a job in …. ?

Quick Search

Featured Jobs