Transcript e3l1l2cvandphoneskills

CVs & Telephone Skills
Top Tips to remember …
CVs
What goes on my CV?
 A CV is a paper copy of you … it’s just another way to introduce yourself. Think of
it like an advert – you’re selling yourself to the person you send your CV to
 The four most typical sections covered by a CV are:

Relevant skills
-
What sort of things have you done that will make you a good fit for the job? This could be things
like having a clean driving license, or having a Key Skill in Communications or Application of
Number…

Work experience
-
Have you done any similar work in the past? What did you learn from your other jobs that will
make you better at this one? If you don’t have much work experience, think about what other
things you have done – sports teams, drama groups, childcare, activities at school etc.

Education and Training
-
This should sum up your time at school and any training you have done since. What qualifications
do you have? You can mention the training you’ve received from the Volunteer programme…

Personal Interests
-
Be prepared to talk about any hobbies you write down here – don’t make them up! Think about
what is relevant for this section. If you were applying for a job in a Sports Centre for example, you
might want to say that you enjoyed keeping fit, swimming etc.
Why do employers ask for a CV?
 Employers look at your CV to see what experience you have, and match that
experience with the job on offer
 You can tailor your CV to suit different job applications – but ALWAYS tell the truth!
 Some of the things employers are looking for:
Experience:
 Make the most of what you’ve done. Things outside of work might be a good thing to include:
for example, have you played for a sports team? You could talk about teamwork.
Results:
 Let’s say you worked in a shop - what did you achieve? For example, did you deal with
customer complaints, leaving the manager free to get on with his/her job?
 You may have overcome obstacles in the past – rather than writing about the obstacles, try to
show how you overcame them. Be positive!
Top tips: CVs
DON’T …

Lie

Sell yourself short – think carefully about how you can describe things

Over-exaggerate what you have done
DO …

Check your spellings – ask someone to read it through for you

Be positive – you’ve got more to write about than you think!

Be prepared to talk about everything you include on your CV …
Be clear, but make sure it makes sense. Here’s a bad example from real life:
“I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse…”
Help! How do I know what to include on my CV?
WHAT AM I
GOOD AT?
Good at
talking to
people
WHAT HAVE I
DONE WHICH
PROVES THIS?
HOW CAN I
USE THIS?
Helped my
team to get
along
during the
Prince’s
Trust
programme
Work involving
teams or jobs
with a
customer
focus
Worked in
a shop
dealing
with
customer
complaints
I HAVE ONLY
3 - 4 WORDS TO
DESCRIBE
WHAT I AM
GOOD AT…
Strong
Communication
Skills
Understand
people in my
team who are
less confident.
Remember to
listen
HOW CAN I
IMPROVE AT
THIS?
Telephone Skills
Answering the phone
IF THE PHONE RINGS …
 If you’re eating, let the phone ring for a few seconds before answering – don’t talk
with your mouth full !
 Answer in as few rings as possible – try and get to the call by the time it has rung
three times
 Always hold the phone directly in front of your mouth so that people can hear you
  SMILE 
1. Greet the person …
2. tell them who you work for …
3. introduce yourself …
4. offer to help
“Good morning, Coopers Computers – Richard speaking … How can I help?”
While you’re on the phone
IF IT’S NOT FOR YOU …
 Make sure you know how the phone works – will you have to know how to transfer
a call? Ask someone working near you …
 If you have to leave someone on the line while you find an answer for them, put the
phone down gently on your desk
 Avoid having conversations with other people while you’re talking to someone on
the telephone
 If you need to discuss the call with someone else, make sure you put the person on
hold before discussing his or her situation with your colleague
 If you’re going to put someone on hold, ask if that’s OK – tell them what’s going to
happen – are they going to hear music? Or will it just bleep?
“ I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask a colleague for some further details. Will it
be OK to put you on hold? I should be back within two minutes. ”
Making a call
IF YOU NEED TO MAKE AN IMPORTANT CALL …
 Plan in advance – you don’t have to have a script, but what information do you
need to find out? Write yourself a list …
 Check you’ve got the right number
 Introduce yourself clearly, and tell the person what you are calling about
 Check that the person isn’t in the middle of something, and has time to talk to you
 Don’t rush – give yourself time. People will understand if you say “Before I go, let
me just check that I have all the information I need” …
“ It’s Richard here from Coopers Computers. I’m calling about the meeting on
26th November. Is now a good time for you to talk? ”
Taking Messages
IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A MESSAGE FOR SOMEONE …
 Write your message down clearly and accurately – make sure the person will be
able to read your writing
 Write down:
 Who the message is for
 The name of the person who called
 Where the person was calling from
 The caller's telephone number – including their area code and/or extension
 The details of the message
 At the bottom of the the message, write down your name, the date and the time of
the call. That way the person will be able to find you if they have any questions.
 If you’re not sure you have the message right, ask the caller if you can read it back
to them – every message is important even if it doesn’t sound like much to you …
“ I’m afraid she’s not here right now. This is Richard speaking - can I take a
message for her? ”