Dec 26, 2009 Posted by PTJFS on Dec 26, 2009 in Career advice, New articles | 0 comments

Customer Service Training

I once worked in the data entry business. This meant I spent the day putting information into a computer, but I never had to deal with the customers. However, that didn’t seem to be important. When I started the job, I had to learn about the software I was going to be using, and I also had to go through some customer service training. The company I worked for also had jobs for taking orders over the phone, and even though I would never do this, they thought everyone should at least have some basic understanding of how to talk with customers.

A must

Customer service training is a must for anyone with a job that interacts with the public. It is more important in some sectors than in others, but these skills are always good to have. This is because we often think we know how we would like to be treated, and we think that is how you talk to others. The problem with that is some don’t think like this, and they need customer service training so they know they are saying the right things at the right time. Not every customer is going to be pleasant, and that is where most of the problems come from.

Smile to the customer

One thing that surprised me about my customer service training was that I was instructed to smile. This is something that anyone should do when interacting with a person face to face, but I never thought there was a need to smile when on the phone with someone. I was taught that a smile will make your voice more pleasant, and will encourage you to be nicer and more patient with someone who may be complaining or giving you a hard time. This part of customer service was a surprise, and very much a simple lesson, but it is one that I would not have thought of on my own.

Customer service training is worth it

Most who go through customer service training will have to learn much more than I did. I don’t really care for such jobs, but they can be great jobs with wonderful earning potential. People always need help, and that is why these types of jobs will always be around. If you are offered courses on customer service training anywhere you go, you should make sure you take them, even if you aren’t sure you will ever need them. One thing anyone should know is how to treat a customer. You have no idea where your career will go, and these skills may come in handy more often than you can imagine.

Dec 16, 2009 Posted by PTJFS on Dec 16, 2009 in Career advice, New articles | 0 comments

Job applications

It is very important that your application stands out when you are looking for work. Remember, you are competing with a lot of other students (and non-students), and many of them are highly qualified. This means you have to focus on the qualities that make you different, so that your first impression is remembered by the employee. Here are some tips that can help you get your foot in the door and hopefully land an interview with an employer.

First impressions

If you’ve answered an ad in the newspaper, the employer typically asks you to come in and fill out the job application. In many cases, the employer wants to get a look at you and size you up. This gives the employer a chance to discard your application without further thought, should you come in with a sloppy appearance or a bad attitude. So, when you go to fill out the job application, dress as though you were showing up for an interview. Put your best foot forward.

Resume: make it count

You need a resume, and you need it to look good. I am not talking about fancy-schmancy, with exotic fonts and clip-art. You need to have a resume that is easy to read, with good structure, and no grammatical errors. I repeat: no grammatical errors. If you spell the name of your past employers wrong, or common words, your first impression will go down the drain. So use a spell checker. If you need help writing your resume, search online for “resume template”, there should be several free ones out there (we will offer one on this site soon). You can also visit your local employment department for guidance and advice.

Customized vs. generic resume

If you really want to stand out, create a customized resume for the job/employer you are applying to. Build this customized resume based on your generic, adding and/or subtracting skills, experience, and knowledge to target the specific requirements in the job.

Let’s say you’re applying for a job as a secretary in the personnel department of a local company. This company sells cabinetry. Do a little research on the company. If they have a website, go take a look. You want to rearrange your resume in such a way that you emphasize the particular skills and personal characteristics they’re looking for in an employee.

Don’t lie

Even though it is advised to target your resume content, do not go overboard by including things that are not true. You need to market and sell your self, but don’t lie.

Special interests

A great way for your employer to “get to know you” is to include special interests at the bottom of your resume. As an example, if you have volunteered at the local “poor house”, raised awareness for global warming, anything you have a passion for that is not offensive, include it to give the employer a glimpse in to what kind of person you are.

Special skills

If you have a special skill, like fluency in foreign language(s), this can be a great feature in your resume.

Concluding thoughts

That’s about it for now, so go brush up your resume and remember to sell your strengths!