Dressing for Success:
March 31, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
When arriving for an interview, it makes an enormous difference if you are well presented. When you meet someone face-to-face for the first time, it only takes a quick glance for them to evaluate you. Within the first few seconds of meeting someone, an opinion can be quickly formed based on your appearance, body language and how you are dressed.
It is ProGrads recommendation that you dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
It is important to think ahead. Who are you meeting and what will they be wearing? It is then essential to match this. If they will be in a full suit, so should you.
Generally men should wear a dark full suit, light coloured shirt and plain tie. Shoes should be back and polished and hair neatly groomed.
It is recommended that women wear either a dark suit, or knee length skirt/suit pants and a long sleeve shirt. Stockings should be worn along with closed toe plain black shoes. Hair should be neatly tied back and minimal jewellery to be worn.
After your appearance, body language also needs to be professional in order to make a strong first impression. Walk in the room with self confidence and assurance and shake the persons hand you are meeting. Your handshake can also lead the interviewer to make an opinion of you. It should be firm while maintaining good eye contact and a natural smile give you a confident start.
Sophie
Case Study: Rachel - SCX Global
March 31, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Experience Prior to Applying to ProGrad:
“I went to Brisbane Girls Grammar School and represented Australia in Rhythmic Gymnastics. After school I went to Queensland University of Technology up in Brisbane and worked in a café as a Public Relations Assistant.”
Assessment Day:
“It was a lot of fun and an enjoyable way to be assessed in a group situation.”
Interview Process:
“I was interviewed by my manager Matt and another manager in the company. I was then called back for round 2 with my manager and the CEO. The role was exciting and offered me a lot of ownership, responsibilities and a variety of tasks.”
Role & Responsibilities:
“My role is to manage the relationships between out company and our retailers. To create new retail channels and sales among retailers.”
Advice for Other Graduates:
“It’s a good way to get your foot in the door within sales and marketing. The training is practical and you would be amazed at how much you actually need to use the theory in your own role. ProGrad offers you a great opportunity to learn and excel in your role, company and industry.”
How should you behave in group interviews?
March 24, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
During the assessment day last week, an impressive candidate asked a great question, “How are you supposed to behave in a group interview? What are employers looking for?”
More and more employers are using group interviews as a tool for assessment and selection. But how do you put your best foot forward? Well, it’s going to depend on the role you are going for, and ultimately it will depend on their selection criteria.
Employers aren’t always looking for the loudest person in a group, in fact - these people are often ruled out by employers as being too “brash” or “outspoken”. Employers are definitely looking out for good team working ability, strong listening skills and effective questionning.
If you find yourself in a very quiet group of people, take a proactive role in getting the most out of the group. Ask questions, acknowledge the group, try to get all group members involved.
Ultimately though…you need to be yourself. If you’re successful in a group interview, at least you know that your potential employers shares the same values as you do.
During the ProGrad assessment day, we are looking for a certain set of competencies - and these are explained during the day. If candidates don’t make it through our group assessment, we can offer feedback about their performance. If nothing else, it is great interview practice for any job-seekers and can only help to increase confidence levels in future (group) interviews.
If you’ve recently attended a ProGrad assessment day and would like to speak to us about your feedback, please contact the office on 02 8235 8300.
Recession need not mean unemployment
March 4, 2009 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
With so many redundancies happening every day - is anyone safe? Is there such a thing as a “recession-proof” job?
Redundancies seem to be happening at every level, senior people, junior people, accounts departments, HR teams, marketing divisions, IT support, administrative teams. The list is never-ending.
ProGrad work with over 500 companies in Australia, and recently employers are using the description “value-adders” when refering to the key positions that they’re retaining. The key employees that add value, are the ones which companies will work hard to retain during an economic downturn.
In a tough marketplace, where companies are watching their costs - there is more and more emphasis on organisations to continue selling. The corporate sales team are key “value-adders” to companies in a recession, as they are the ones working hard to continue revenue generation. Ultimately, this carries even more importance than ever before.
At ProGrad, we are seeing an increased demand for organisations to recruit business to business sales people, especially at the junior level.
Yeo Gek Cheng, director for IT and telecommunications (IT&T) at recruitment consultancy Hudson Singapore, said all IT jobs that are non-sales in nature will be the first to be scrutinized by employers. Payroll is the largest cost on any corporate spreadsheet and as such will be reviewed against the returns, Yeo noted in an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia.
“Sales roles will also come under the microscope, and sales people with a healthy ‘pipeline’ and activity will be more recession-proof than other tech positions,” she said.
“It is even more critical than ever for management to expect salespeople to pull through deals and bring in the money” she noted.
So whilst there is no job that is seemingly “recession proof” - they key message is to ensure that your role is one of adding value to a business. If you’re a revenue generator for a business, increasing sales opportunities, and maintaining high activity - you’re definitely adding value.
Davinia
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