Fish4

Hayley Taylor on Changing Careers

Thinking of changing careers? Hayley shares her tops tips to help you ....

To find a new job, search and apply on Fish4jobs

Thriving in Customer Service. This could be you....

....if you apply for a Customer Service Job on Fish4jobs

  

From when he landed his first job in merchandising at Nescafe Shyam Sreedharan always knew that Customer Service was his strength. Now, as Head of Customer Services and Account Management at Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment, it’s his passion for customer service that makes him thrive, taking his team with him…. 

 

If you had to summarise your job in 5 words, what would they be?

Challenging.Rewarding. Exciting. Implementing… and Managing.

 

Can you give us a snapshot of how your career in customer service has panned out?

I didn’t specifically start in customer service but everything that I've done has had some form of customer interaction. It’s something I’ve always been good at and really enjoyed, so I thrived in it and built on it.

My first job was in brand merchandising at Nescafe and then I moved on to working as an IT administrator. That again involved customer interaction because I was working with clients. I really enjoyed that aspect of the job. From there, I went to work for a call centre which was my first real career step. I started off as a call handler in sales and that actually gave me the opportunity to start honing my customer service skills because it involved being able to influence people and dealing with issues. I worked my way up within that business to junior management, managing a team and running accounts.

My next step was to join Trinity Mirror Digital Recruitment. I started here as a customer service executive. I soon moved on to managing the renewals team and then progressed to running the department.

Customer service has always been an aspect of everything that I have done. I think it has also been my passion and I’ve realised that it’s something I always want to do.

 

What do you think is key to managing a customer service team effectively?

It makes no difference what department you’re working in/managing. Whether you manage a team in customer service or sales, you are still managing a team and using the same skills to get the best out of people.

You need to have good people skills, structure, processes, focus and drive to get the best out of people working for you. Effective team management is about how a team works together for the same goal and the same business objectives.

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Looking after customers, being able to develop customers and accounts and deliver what they’re looking for and giving them a return on investment. It’s extremely fulfilling.

 

If you’re a people person and looking for a job that’s satisfying, then Fish4jobs is the best place to find a customer service job. Search and apply here

 

We also have a CV template to help you get started. Good Luck. 

 

Got a question for Shyam about working in customer service? Work in customer service and want to share your experience? Feel free to leave your comments and questions below. 

 

 

Looking for a career in retail?

……search for jobs on Fish4jobs

 

Kurt Geiger’s Store Manager in Canary Wharf began his career in retail straight out of school with a job at Tesco. 14 years of varied retail management roles later he still loves his job. His passion is evident as he tells Fish4jobs why retail is the only career for him…..

 

What made you decide to pursue a career in retail?

It’s just something that I was good at. I’ve always been a people person; I enjoy meeting new people and helping them.

 

Where and how did you begin your career in retail? 

When I left school and I didn’t really want go away and study so I looked at sectors to get into and I was always interested in retail. I applied for a job at Tesco and realised I enjoyed the people aspect. My next job was at an assistant management level so it was more interesting, more fun and I learnt new skills. It was more commitment and responsibility but that’s what I enjoyed about it. That’s when I realised that this is where my skills lie so that’s why I have stayed in retail.

  

What questions were you asked for this job? 

 I was asked ‘what motivates me’, and what experience I’d had in similar roles and how I motivate a team. I was also asked what sort of turnover I’d managed before.

 

So what does motivate you? 

To be honest it’s really job satisfaction. I’ve got to be in love with the brand then it’s an easy job. If people can see that you are passionate about the brand then they tend to get a bit passionate about it themselves. It’s an infectious thing.

  

How long did you work as a sales assistant before becoming a manager? 

Not long. I worked for about a year and a half as a sales assistant in Tesco and then I was lucky to get a break as an assistant manager with an independent retailer. I learnt the skills needed to be a manager through that and then I was able to get managerial roles. I’ve been up and down the ladder though, because I’ve done all sorts of different things and took a break to study.

 

What sort of retail outlets have you worked in?

Mostly clothing and fashion but I’ve done also done gifts, music and entertainment, accessories and footwear.

 

Is there a tough part about working in retail?

Yes. It’s when people aren’t happy or when people are rude but it’s part and parcel of the role.

 

Do you enjoy working in retail? 

I certainly do, and meeting new people and offering my help is what I enjoy most.

 

 

Have you ever worked in retail? Tell us about it. Got a question about working in retail? Feel free to leave your questions below. 

An administration job could be your break...

…so keep applying on Fish4jobs

Claire Moody started out as an administrator, now she’s Customer Service Manager at Fish4jobs. Claire talks about the value of an admin job early on in your career....

 

 

 

What sort of admin jobs have you had?

Completely varied roles from filing to jobs in the holidays at university doing data entry. When I left university I took up a temping job which led to my first permanent job. I worked for a recruitment consultancy and then joined Fish4jobs as an administrator.

 

Would you say admin is a good place to start for any sector?

Absolutely! But it’s also quite competitive because it’s the starting point for a lot of different roles. It’s good to get your foot in the door, even if you’re temping. That’s what I have found with quite a few of the admin jobs I have temped with; they have actually led to permanent positions. If you can prove yourself while you’re temping, quite often there is the option to take on a more permanent role even if it is in a different department.

 

How long were you temping for in total?

I’ve probably temped for four or five different jobs. I got made redundant and took on temping roles which ended up leading to a permanent position.

 

Did you have a lot of gaps in between different jobs when you were temping?

Not really. I was fairly lucky that most of the jobs that I went for were slightly longer term. They were in the holidays when I was at university and when I was looking for permanent work they were ongoing, and then led to something permanent. Other than a two month gap before I joined Fish4, it was all fairly continuous.

 

To get an admin job do you need to have gone to university? 

Not necessarily. I’ve got a degree in Psychology, but I took a filing job to get the experience and that’s what led to another temping job in the same company, and then a permanent one. Sometimes you have to take jobs that aren’t exactly what you are looking for just to get your foot in the door.

 

Are there any specific skills that you think are necessary to get an admin job?

I think it’s that you’re motivated and you show that you are motivated, and that you enjoy it. Try and prove to the people that you’re working with that you’re good at it and do it well. Things like attention to detail, being enthusiastic and being on time are extremely important.

 

Have you got a question for Claire about working in administration or how to leverage the experience for a permanent role? Feel free to leave your questions and comments below. 

If you're looking for a new role in PA/Administration, click here

 

Feel like your Admin CV needs a makeover? Click here to view our Admin CV template designed to help you get the right CV for the job. 

Channel 4’s Fairy Jobmother answers Fish4jobs’ jobseekers questions

If you missed Fish4jobs’ live chat with Channel 4’s Fairy Jobmother Hayley Taylor on how to create an interview-winning CV,  you’re in luck.

 

We've compiled a presentation for you which includes the live Q&A with Fish4jobs's jobseekers and Hayley's top tips for:

• Creating the perfect CV
• How to explain gaps on your CV
• The best CV format and length
• Mature jobseekers
• Inexperienced jobseekers

The presentation also includes additional questions that we didn’t have time to cover.

 

Download Fish4jobs Live Chat Q&A

We wish you all the best with your job search.  

The Fish4jobs team

Job hunting Checklist

Are you prepared to get a job? 

There is no denying that your job search can be hard work. It’s often just when you think you won’t find a new job that things start to pick up. So make sure you’re prepared to get the most out of every opportunity.

Identify your career goals : 

A good starting point is to identify your career goals - are you motivated by money, progression, culture or a particular industry? Rank them in order of priority to help you plan for your next role.

Fish4jobs 'Sales Speak'

Fish4jobs tips for sales professionals:

• Know Your Client – Listen to your client. Let them do the talking to gain a better understanding of their needs. You’ll discover useful information for your sales pitch by doing this.

• Open Questions­ – Ask questions that minimise the scope for “yes/no” answers to find out the most about your customers needs.  (E.g…How, Why, What …..)

• Sell the Benefits not the Features – Closing a sale is not just about offering a fair price for your product or explaining how a product or service will function. Price and suitability of the product will always have a bearing on the final decision but customers will expect to know how they can benefit from using your product.  Customers may even be prepared to dig deeper if you can offer them significant benefits compared with your competitors. Analyse the benefits of your product from the customer’s point of view and be ready to demonstrate how these benefits match their needs. Eg: Do they want to save time or working hours?  Will your product affect their bottom line in the long term?  

• Closing a Sale – Get your customer to commit to buy your product or service. You have to learn to know when and how to ask the customer if they want to proceed to purchase; being pushy is not a good strategy and may put them off buying your product or service altogether. .At the end of your conversation, ask the customer if they have any questions, which will give you the opportunity to pick up on any buying signals (maybe they want to know when you can deliver, for instance).

• After Sales Care ­– If you want your customers to return and turn them into loyal customers, you must provide good after sales care.  It costs more to acquire a new customer than to retain an old one so you want to build this trust right at the beginning. If they have any queries, respond to them swiftly and effectively, and you may soon find yourself with another sale.

 

Working in Sales

Sales professionals are an integral part of any organisation because they are responsible for bringing in revenue. Whether you’re selling in a business-to-business or retail environment, by telephone or in person, you need to be able to engage effectively with a client to pitch your product or service and close with a sale.

As a sales professional, your daily challenges will be to meet targets and make sales. It’s important that you are have a robust and resilient personality and are unafraid of taking a few knockbacks in the quest for great sales. Successful sales people have high levels of confidence and determination, as well as excellent interpersonal skills.    

 

Working in hospitality and catering

Hospitality is a widely used term that includes roles in hotels, cruise ships, airlines, restaurants, leisure centres and conference facilities. If you’re customer focused, the possibilities are endless if you can work well in a team, manage pressure and think on your feet.

Within hospitality and catering, there are four core areas that you could decide to pursue in opportunities in. These are:

Food and Beverage:

• Service: This is one of the most popular jobs for students and temps and those looking to get started in the sector the opportunity for growth up to a managerial level and. It includes roles such as waiting staff, bartenders and runners and is centred around the service of food and beverage – in a restaurant, café, in-flight, on board a cruise ship or at mega events. Other functions within this area are bookings, room service (in hotels) and events support.

• Production: For those inspired by MasterChef, this is the real thing. While it can be stressful cooking under pressure, it provides an opportunity to be creative and do what you enjoy for a living. Entry level roles include commis or kitchen assistant but you could then choose to specialise in a particular cuisine, pastry or confectionary. In terms of where you could work, the range of options include: hotels, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, in-flight and cruise liner kitchens.

Accommodation:

• Front Office: This includes front of house/reception roles where customer service is an integral part of the job. It involves taking or making bookings, assisting with directions, passing information and cashiering.

• House Keeping: Cleaning, bed making and laundry tasks all form part of the housekeeping department.

To get hands on experience as a waiter, receptionist, cashier, hostess, commis or house keeping attendant, previous experience may not always be required.