Thornton Heath Work Club Resources Pack

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Structure of a CV Personal Details can be centralised. Name as title at the top, bold and use a larger font size.

Below your name, add your town and first three/four initials of your post code. Also include your contact number and professional email address.

Personal Profile or Profile is an optional label, usually self-evident. Focus on mentioning (1) Who you are, (2) What you can offer and (3) What you’re aiming for in your career. This section should be approximately five lines suggesting you are the perfect fit for your job in terms of personal qualities and skills. Personal qualities are characteristics which suggest you have the right personality to do the job - e.g. friendly and helpful for sales assistant. Skills show what expertise you have - e.g. good communication and strong team player.

Key Skills is an optional section, and is useful for CVs with little to no work experience. If you are making a career change this is a great place to list your transferable skills. Mention skills that are important for the job which you are applying and put the most relevant skill first. It is a good idea to show ways you have demonstrated these skills via concrete examples - Knowledge - a good understanding and awareness of health and safety regulations and licensing laws.

Employment should include the last 10-15 years. List month and year - find previous payslips for this information. Explain gaps in your CV, preferably doing something productive e.g. volunteering, travelling, caring for family members. Mention job title, name and company.

List duties and achievements for each job.

Education & Training can be placed before employment if recent. Add dates, institution, name of qualification(s) and grade(s). Add relevant modules if you are a recent graduate.

Other Information can include voluntary work, hobbies, interests and achievements.

Mention if you have a driving licence and/or are a car owner.

References do not need to be listed, but you can state ‘available on request’. It’s useful to have contact information of two references at hand for application forms. At least one referee should be work-related. If you haven’t worked for a while, you could use another responsible person who has known you for some time.

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Key Skills Communication Skills 1) Able to listen actively and accurately to what people are saying and express interest 2) Able to adapt communication to suit peoples level of understanding 3) Responds appropriately with effective use of body language e.g. head nodding, gestures, open posture and eye contact

Team Work 1) Able to co-operate and work in small and large teams 2) Contributes ideas, shares knowledge and skills 3) Take share of responsibility and workload 4) Learns from others 5) Accepts and gives positive constructive feedback to others 6) Motivates team by being enthusiastic when energy is low

Commercial Awareness 1) Interested and aware of current trends, news and latest initiatives 2) Knowledge of the marketplace in which the company operates 3) Aware of issues facing the industry

Initiative 1) Ability to anticipate potential problems and acts quickly to resolve them 2) Able to learn new skills to enhance capability 3) Introduce improvements to the way things are done 4) Able to self-motivate to complete and carry out task independently 5) Pro-active in identifying areas of work that need attention 6) Recognises opportunities to involve team members 7) Ability to work independently without supervision

Literacy Skills 1) Good grasp of English grammar and spelling 2) Express ideas clearly

ICT 1) Knowledge of Microsoft Office 2) PC and/or Mac literate

Time Management 1) Manages time to balance conflicting demands THORNTON 2) Prioritising tasks in order of urgency WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Key Skills Flexibility 1) Adapts well to changing situations and environments 2) Ability to cope effectively with change 3) Planning ahead, having alternative options in case things go wrong 4) Responds efficiently to sudden changes 5) Keeping calm and responding efficiently in challenging, unexpected situations 6) Taking on new challenges at short notice 7) Dealing with changing priorities/workloads 8) Maintains effective performance under pressure

Leadership 1) Able to motivate and direct others 2) Recognises skills of each individual and how they can be used 3) Sets an example for team by own actions

Numeracy Skills 1) Able to multiply and divide accurately 2) Able to calculate percentages 3) Operates a calculator 4) Able to read and interpret graphs and tables 5) Plans and organises personal finances effectively.

6) Manages limited budget

Decision-Making 1) Ability to clarify nature of the problem before deciding action 2) Able to gather, collect and organisation relevant information needed 3) Develops and generates solutions to the problem 4) Able to make and implement a decision then evaluate its strengths and weaknesses

Interpersonal Skills 1) Respects and values different perspectives 2) Open to the ideas & views of others 3) Relates to people at all levels

Organisation 1) Able to plan and prioritise high volume of work 2) Able to multi-task to meet deadlines 3) Copes well and works effectively under pressure THORNTON 4) Able to set objectives which are realistic and achievable WORK CLUB

every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Lily Jones West Sussex, RH6 lily.jones09@tmail.com 07922345567 A friendly and patient care assistant with a kind and empathic nature with over 5 years’ experience supporting individuals with learning disabilities. Enjoys being part of a supportive team to deliver high quality care service. Able to work independently without supervision. Copes well with challenging cases and difficult situations. Looking to transfer caring skills to support the elderly in a residential home.

Key Skills • Team Work - Able to work confidently within a group and contribute skills and ideas.

• Self-Reliant - Able to self-motivate to complete and carry out tasks independently • Verbal Communication - Good grasp of English and able to communicate information and ideas clearly to suit listeners level of understanding.

• Interpersonal Skills - Respects and relates well to people from all backgrounds and cultures.

Work History March 2009 - Present Care Assistant Goodyear Centre Bromley • • • •

Assisted residents with physical care and personal hygiene needs Supported residents in maintaining and achieving maximum independence Escorted residents to appointments and events in the community Engaged in social activities

May 2006 - February 2009 Waitress The Tea Box Richmond • • • • •

Prepared food and drinks Served customers Promoted loyalty card and special offers Opened and closed the store Cleaned table surfaces, floors, kitchen utensils and customer toilets with appropiate cleaning solutions • Provided tea advice

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Education September 2001 - May 2006 7 GCSE passes (A* - C) Simple Secondary School Epsom English Literature (A*) Maths (A*) Double Science (A) Geography (B) R.E. (B) Media Studies (C)

Hobbies Cycling, Swimming, Yoga, Visiting Museums and Exhibitions.

Additional Information Languages - Fluent in Mandarin & Patois Clean, Full UK Driving Licence

References Available on request

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Cover Letter Structure Your Contact Information Your Name Your Address Your Phone Number Your Email Address Employer Contact Information Their Name Company Name Their Address Their Phone Number Their Email Address Date Salutation Dear Mr. / Ms. Last Name or Sir/Madam Re: Job Title, Reference Number The First Paragraph of your cover letter should let the employer know what position you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.

The Middle Paragraphs should describe what you have to offer the employer. Your cover letter needs to be tailored specifically to the post you are applying for. You need to relate your knowledge, skills, and experiences to the information provided within the job details. You can also mention any relevant academic, training or voluntary work which relates to the role.

The Final Paragraph should end by thanking the employer for their attention and mention any further actions - e.g. you hope to hear from them soon or you will be making contact again in x number of days.

Complimentary Close Yours sincerely (Mr. / Ms.) Yours faithfully (Sir/Madam) Signature

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Cover Letter Examples A letter after reading a newspaper article: I read in this week’s Metro newspaper that you have received planning permission to build a new supermarket in Bromley. It occurred to me that you will be recruiting for new staff for this store and I would like to be considered for the available positions.

Follow-up letter after a telephone call: I spoke to you on the phone this morning about possible openings. Thank you for agreeing to look at my CV. A letter for ‘word of mouth’ contact: I have been advised by an employee of your company, Mr. / Ms. _ that you are soon to be recruiting for cleaning staff. I am interested in applying.

A letter after reading an advertised vacancy: I am applying for the _ vacancy as advertised in (name of where you saw the vacancy) on (date you saw it advertised) A letter requesting an application form: Job Title, Reference Number With reference to the advertisement on name of where you saw the vacancy) on (date you saw it advertised), would you please send me an application form along with the full details of the closing date for the application form.

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

55 Opal Street West Sussex RH6 0NT 07922345567 lily.jones09@tmail.com Ms Clemmings Royal House 45 Kelt Road Epsom EP8 3HD 2nd July 2014 Dear Ms Clemmings RE: Sales Assistant, Ref: 421089 Further to your advertisement for the position of Sales Assistant advertised in The Guardian newspaper on 27th June 2014, please find enclosed a copy of my CV. I have nearly five years’ experience of working as a team member at WHSmith. I delivered a high standard of customer service to people from all backgrounds and ages. I particularly enjoyed face to face interaction with members of the public.

My previous job involved working in a fast-paced retail environment. I developed the skills to work efficiently whilst meeting the needs of demanding customers. I also learned how to cope and work professionally under pressure.

I realise that the sales assistant role also involves taking payments at the till. I have experience of processing cash and card payments on the till and performing refunds with awareness of the company’s refund policy.

Finally, I would like to say that I work well in a team and I build good working relationships with people at all levels of responsibility.

Thank you for your attention and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely Lily Jones

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Speculative Letter Structure Your Contact Information Your Name Your Address Your Phone Number Your Email Address Employer Contact Information Their Name Company Name Their Address Their Phone Number Their Email Address Date Salutation Dear Mr. / Ms. Last Name or Sir/Madam First Paragraph I am writing to enquire whether you have any Sales Assistant vacancies at the moment.

The Middle Paragraphs should describe what you have to offer the employer.

[I am willing to undertaken any further training that is necessary. I am available for a meeting at your convenience to discuss possible openings.

If you do not have any openings at present I would be grateful if you could keep my CV and details on your files for future reference.]

The Final Paragraph should end by thanking the employer for their attention.

Complimentary Close Yours sincerely (Mr. / Ms.) Yours faithfully (Sir/Madam) Signature

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm

Tips for Making Phone Calls • • • •

Prepare what you will say. If it helps, write it down and practice first.

Think about questions you may be asked and prepare your answers.

Keep a pen and paper close by in case you need to write down any information you hear.

Thank the person for their time at the end of the call.

Calling for an Application Form • Be prepared to give the job title and reference number as well as your contact information for the application form to be sent to.

• Think about the questions you may be asked and prepare your answers - this may be an • opportunity for an “informal chat” about the role.

• Ask for the name of the person who will be recruiting for the vacancy.

Making a Speculative Phone Call Scenario: Hello Ms. Clemmings, my name is Jerome Russell. I am a qualified door supervisor with ten years’ experience as a retail security guard. I understand you are expanding your chain of stores in Surrey and I am interested in meeting with you to discuss any possible openings you may have.

Possible questions Ms. Clemmings may ask: (1) What sort of openings? (2) How did you hear about our new store openings? (3) Where are you working now?

If Ms. Clemmings has no immediate vacancies you can say: I’ll send you a copy of my CV in case any unexpected openings come up.

OR I’ll call again in a couple weeks to see if the situation has changed.

Thank Ms. Clemmings for her time and repeat what you have agreed - to send your CV or call in a few weeks. If she is willing to review your CV, send it promptly, mentioning the telephone call in your cover letter.

THORNTON WORK CLUB every wednesday 10am-12pm