selling your transferable skills & interview questions · • interview location – recce •...
TRANSCRIPT
• TRANSFERABLE SKILLS
• ‘DE-TRAVEL’ YOUR CV
• INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
• Q & A
SELLING YOUR TRANSFERABLE SKILLS & INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
LYNNE GRIFFITHS FIONA MACKENZIE
Identifying your transferable skills
Flexibility:Your transferable skills will make you an attractive candidate for a range of companies in different sectors. Having a diverse skill set will help you stand out from the other applicants and demonstrate that you have greater flexibility.
Portability:The nature of transferable skills means they can be taken with you when you move jobs and even industries. As you progress in your career, the skills that you currently possess will improve and you will also gain additional ones as well.
Employability:Although you may not have direct work experience in the industry you are targeting, your transferable skills will demonstrate that you can adapt to new demands, cultures and environments.
Transferable skills are ones that you can build on and develop throughout your career. They benefit both candidates and employers in a variety of different ways:
Identifying your transferable skills
Hard SkillsKnowledge & abilities learned through education and training, often proven through qualification e.g: foreign language, IT & Software skills, CRM, Microsoft Office, BA Fares, CIPD, Prince2, Sabre, Amadeus etc
Identify your skillsYour JDLook at your performance reviewsAsk other people for feedbackCheck out job postings/adverts
Soft Skills (most transferable)Soft skills are non-technicalskills and relate to how you work. Soft skills includeinterpersonal (people) skills, communication, listening, time management and empathy, negotiation, presentation, sales, among others.
Travel Industry Transferable Skills
Emotional Intelligence Interpersonal skills Team working Time management Attention to detail Ability to work well
under pressure
Initiative Customer service Complex problem solving Communication Organisational skills Change management
Negotiation skills Presentation skills Sales Composure Information processing/retention Adaptability/flexible approach
“De -Travel” Your CV
• Explain briefly about your employers
• Avoid industry jargon & acronyms
• Generalise your job titles
• Generalise your experience highlighting your transferable skills
• De-Travel your personal statement
CWT
Amex GBT
HRG
Gray Dawes Group
The Appointment Group
Reed & MacKay
TripActions
Altour
ATPi
Hillgate Travel
Blue Cube Travel
BCD Travel
Diversity Travel
Omega World Travel
Capita Travel
Applehouse Travel
Fello Travel
Clarity Travel
Travelport
Sabre
Amadeus
Atriis
KDS
Groundscope
Addison Lee
Airplus International
Grasp
Audley Travel
Titan Travel
MyTravel
Hays Travel
Southall Travel
Western & Oriental Travel
Best at Travel
Broadway Travel
Exodus Travels
“De-Travel” Your CV
• Avoid industry jargon & acronyms
• Generalise your job titles
• Generalise your experience highlighting your transferable skills
• Made travel reservations using GDS
• BTA, ITM, TOD, GAL, TMC, IHG, HRS, GDS, GBT
• Business Manager, Account Manager, Client General Manager, Client Manager, Customer Manager
• Entertainment Consultant, Media Agent, Oil & Gas Consultant, Marine Specialist, Corporate Agent, Consultant, Customer Service Agent
• Answered telephone and email enquiries promptly, professionally and inline with customer expectations and service level agreement. Completed airline, hotel, rail and car reservations using advanced computer skills, high level of travel product and fares knowledge and exceptional customer service and communication skills.
Key Responsibilities:Win and sign new customers
Key Achievements:Won £10m of new business
Key Responsibilities:End to end sales cycle – sourcing own leads, qualify them, meet with prospect customers, complete RFP (request for pricing) process, presentations, negotiations, win and implement new clients.
Key Achievements:Signed £10m of new business against target of £8m. Top sales achiever in team of 5. Typical client account size £500k, total accounts won 17.
Your Experience
(Travel Industry)Personal StatementExperienced SBTC making travel reservations for music and entertainment clients using Sabre and Galileo. BA Fares qualified and competent with online booking systems.
(“De-travelled”)Personal StatementExperienced business travel organiser, with excellent customer service and time management skills. Able to work to stringent deadlines in a fast paced pressurised working environment. Confident communicator, both verbal and written, at all business levels and utilising strong technology skills. Excellent attention to detail with a highly motivated work ethic.
• Explain who you work for• Explain what you do• Explain your successes
Show them the evidence that you have the transferrable skills that they are looking for…....they don’t know the travel industry so you have to explain!
Preparation• Research the company• Review the JD in depth• Interview location – recce• Outfit• Think of questions your
interviewer may ask(competency based)
• Prepare questions you could ask at the end of the interview
• Read and review the research you’ve done over and over!
• Send presentation in advance
INTERVIEWSInterviews
At the Interview• Don’t be late• Never forget body language• Listen• Be attentive• Be honest, don’t take yourself down a rabbit
warren and if you don’t know something, say so but add how you would find out!
Follow-Up• Email the interviewer(s) – one email.
Or send to the recruitment agency to forward. Other methods (call, handwritten note) could work for other industries but in the most part an email is good
• Ask for feedback if not successful
Virtual Interviews• Position yourself in a well-lit, quiet, clean
space without a distracting background (blank or blurred).
• Make sure your face is well-lit (natural light from a window in front of you is best) so your facial expressions are clear
• Test your technology day before• Mutual contact numbers in-case of tech
fail• Prepare thoroughly• Dress appropriately - something bright
and different from background colour (not PJs)
• Look into the camera and not at the person on the screen
• Be yourself, smile, contained energy• Send presentation in advance in case of
tech failure
Types of interview questions
• Classic
• Career Goal
• Character
• Competency (or behaviour)
• Curveball and creativity
• Tell me about yourself; Why did you apply for this role? What are your weaknesses? Why is there a gap in your work history?
• Why do you want to work at this company? Where do you want to be in five year’s time? What’s your dream job? What motivates you?
• What are your core values? Who do you admire, and why? Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult person? When were you last angry, and why?
• Tell me about a time you’ve worked to/missed a deadline? Tell me about a big change you’ve had to deal with? Tell me about a time you supported a member of your team who was struggling? Give an example of a time you’ve had to improvise to achieve your goal?
• If you were an animal, what would you be? Every CV has one lie in it. What’s yours? Tell me about the last good idea you had? Sell me this pen!
Do you have any questions for me?
• Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role?
• How could I impress you in the first three months?
• I saw that your company has recently done X. Can you tell me a little more about this?
• Where do you think the company is headed in the next five years?
• Can you tell me more about the team I would be working in?
• Are there opportunities for training and progression within the role/company?
The experience and skills you have gained working in travel will set you on a great path for opportunities outside of the travel industry.
Resilience • Positivity • Confidence
Q & A
[email protected] • +44 (0)1932 562007 •www.sirius-cv.com