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The golden rule of business communication

October 2, 2014 6:00 pm ⋅

 

How many times have you been annoyed by people – whether clients, business associates or other personal contacts – not replying to your emails? And then next time you speak to or meet them, they profusely apologise for not having got back to you with a multitude of unconvincing excuses, such as being very busy etc. One of the people I am working with recently complained that a lot of their enquiry emails to companies have not been answered and how frustrating it was to not even know whether they have been received. Having been through the same experiences before, I decided to write this short blog to address the issue.

The simple truth in the majority of these cases is that they either forgot to reply or decided to ignore your email. But in either case, by not getting back, they are probably signalling a lack of interest in the matter you wanted to discuss. And ultimately it may show lack of respect and consideration, which is not a good foundation to build trust and understanding on.

In business communication, the old ‘do to others as you would have them do to you’ rule applies as much as in everyday life. If you like to receive prompt responses to your queries, respond fast yourself. If you are unsure about how to tackle the issue or haven’t had enough time to consider all possible options, then a simple confirmation of the email receipt along with the promise to get back to the person a bit later should be enough. Or else a more direct approach explaining why you are not interested or can’t be of help is much better than ignoring the email for days and weeks.

As far as your business clients are concerned, the best strategy is to reply as soon as you get their email, this applies both in the case of prospective clients and current ones. Sometimes the length between when the email was sent and when you response arrived, is a matter of winning a particular client or losing an opportunity.

I would like to hear your examples of other ‘golden’ rules of business communication so please feel free to share in the Comments box below.

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How to make a successful career transition?

September 26, 2014 8:37 am ⋅

On 25th September, I was on the expert panel for the Guardian Careers discussing the ingredients of a successful career change. You can find the full discussion here. Below I am publishing some of the most relevant questions and my answers to them. Hope the tips provided will be helpful to you in your career change pursuits. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on dasha@careercoachingventures.com.

Q: I am transitioning from 15 years as a self-employed photographer and home educator. I want to transition into the finance and investment sector because that was my primary interest before I had a family. I do not have much in the way of relevant experience. I am currently studying for an MSc in International Business. How can I demonstrate to employers that they can take a chance on somebody who is applying for entry level positions who has great life experience, takes risks but is older?

A: Hi, you obviously have a lot of good experience, ambition and I believe that doing your MSc will increase your chances considerably. However, the realistic situation in the finance sector now is that they prefer to hire candidates straight out of university (their target schools) for junior (analyst) positions or MBAs for associate positions. So I would suggest, the best strategy in your case would be to start networking/getting to know senior people in your target institutions straight away as due to the nature of your background, you would most likely need a personal recommendation for them to hire you. Work on your CV emphasizing your numerical, financial analysis and leadership skills and you can also stress your entrepreneurship experience (working as a photographer for instance). All the best of luck!

Q: I am a graduate of two years and currently I am in a job that is not that level. My dream was a carreer in TV and media but it looks like I have to part that on hold. Now I am trying to figure what I want to do because everything else does not inspire me as much. How do I choose a career?

A: First of all, what is the main reason you think your dream career is out of reach? Perhaps, it seems so at first but if you dig deeper and brainstorm, you may come up with some closest alternatives or subsector within your dream industry you could start with? Or perhaps gaining some voluntary experience within TV and media sector? If you feel you don’t like the work you are doing now, then I would consider various ways to reach your dream – do you know somebody in the sector who can assist you in getting unpaid work as a starting point to get your foot through the door for instance?

Q: How to tell if an employer welcomes candidates who changed careers? any specifics/places to look for..?

A: I believe that the majority of employers would love to hear from ambitious career changers but the best way to actually understand the internal culture of the business and the way they treat various categories of people, including during their recruitment process, is to talk to those currently employed within the company. I would say – spread your net wide – from more junior to senior employees to really understand how it all works and whether the culture is accepting or not.

Q: How can non-student with 1 career already get work experience when all w/e are geared at young students or recent grads?

A: Generally it depends on the industry. With one career already behind your belt, you have a lot of practical skills new grads would not necessarily possess and this is what you should stress during your application/interview process – how the skills you have gained make you different/better than those straight from university. 

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What does it take to land a job with the United Nations?

September 11, 2014 11:30 am ⋅

 

???????????????????????????????Recently I interviewed Noreen O’Gallagher, UNMISS staff (Twitter: @NOGallagher) who has worked within the United Nations for a very long time across various critical missions (the latest being in South Sudan). She has shared her experience and insights in the article below.

1. I know you have worked in the UN for a number of years in various posts – could you please share the most fascinating and most challenging aspects of the job?

The most fascinating part of working in the UN is discovering different parts of the world, not just a holiday but really getting time to experience the culture, the terrain, understanding the people and travelling to the regions with less and less infrastructure as you head out of the capital.   The sense of pride you get from feeling like your work makes a little difference to the country that has welcomed you is pretty damn special, sometimes this can take a long time but developing nations don’t move at the same pace as “back home”.   Also passing on skills to national colleagues and seeing them blossom in either their professionalism/ ethics / confidence has made all of my UN work worthwhile, they become soul mates and they’re talented so they’ll probably employ me one day.

Challenges are faced daily and like in any large organisation I have to learn to work around many bureaucratic and logistical blockages just to do one small thing, most don’t make any sense at all, it is by far the most frustrating part of my work.

2. For those wishing to apply for positions within the United Nations, what three key pieces of advice can you give?

a)     Set a goal of what job you’d ideally like to do, where you’d like to work and take steps towards that goal.  Chances are that you won’t start there but nonetheless you can work towards it.   Know what the job titles are – it’s not good enough to know you want to work for UNICEF in Africa … narrow it down ie P2 Reports Officer, Congo and search out the skills required to be shortlisted for those posts.

b)     Spend your time when you’re studying or not working to make your skills stand out.  Look at the skills required in the posts that you’re interested in and start getting voluntary work/ additional training to make your CV better than all the others.  Remember fluency in a second/ third UN language is as good as a second degree, definitely not a waste of your spare time to build on language skills. If you’re coming straight from university, perhaps you now have a Master’s but without work experience you don’t have a track record of practical application of any of your skills.  Some job descriptions or levels require that you have two years’ overseas experience working for an established INGO.   Don’t rule out UN Volunteer schemes, Internships to get experience and to get you a step closer to your goal, they rarely convert into actual professional positions these days however the experience obtained is irrefutable, after a hardship post you may also believe that the UN is not however what you’re wanting after all. It doesn’t work for everyone.   Getting into the UN can be achieved without a professional post there are many more mission support staff such as Air Operations assistants or International Consultants for IT or Budget Officers.  These can all be stepping stones to get your foot in the door.

c)     Spend the time and fill in all online application templates (www.inspira.un.org, who.int, etc). In the UN they aren’t usually called CVs but PHPs (personal history profile).  They take forever to do as each organisation has its own template but then it’s a couple of clicks and you can apply for multiple posts.  Look for generic postings to get cleared, such as Humanitarian Officer Multiple Duty Stations.  Be accurate with your details online, they are easily checked and Human Resources are obliged to take action which can affect your career in the future.

3. What does the interview process generally look like and what is the best way to prepare for the interview stages in order to be successful?

Regularly check the websites that you are registered for and apply for a variety of posts.  See every written test/ interview as experience in answering the type of questions and not necessarily for getting the posts, ie don’t raise your expectations too high.

WRITTEN TESTS

Firstly, if you’ve applied and meet all the requirements for the post you may get selected for a written test which happens online.  These tests take on many different guises and are usually within a very narrow timeframe ie between tues 8am- thurs 5pm NY time.  The written exam usually is 2-3 hours and is timed from the time you open the attachment, depending on what subject you are being tested on it can be anything from multiple choice questions to summarising reports or full essay questions.   Hopefully it goes without saying that plagiarism/ getting other people to help is unacceptable behaviour anywhere/ anytime.  So preparing for your written test will depend on your selected subject, you can have web pages open that might be relevant or key documents that your subject matter is based upon.  Best advice is to not panic, get plenty of sleep beforehand and separate yourself from distractions. Timing is crucial, it’s an automatic fail if it’s sent back late so ensure you’ve checked your start time as you begin.

ORAL INTERVIEWS

A much much smaller amount of people are interviewed after the written test and can be anything from a month to 6 months later, except they don’t tell you, it just comes out of the blue as an email.    I’ve never had a face to face interview, or even skype, mine have all been by speaker phone but some agencies can send you a ticket or expect you to be dressed up on videoconference such as skype at a time that is convenient for their panel.   Given the shear volume of people being interviewed for each post and other commitments of multiple panel members please note that there is little flexibility in the timings for interviews, so make sure you confirm receiving the instruction and that you’re ready at the designated time. To recap: the initial check of your experience tells the UN that you have the qualifications for the post/ level and written interviews tell them that you have the required competency to complete the work that is required.  Interviews ARE NOT going to ask you about your degrees and you’re not listing your previous jobs, they have all that already.   Oral interviews are usually competency based style of questioning, which is a Human Resources way of telling that you are type of person that fits into the UN type, for example: to show that you respect diversity you may be asked a question such as “explain in detail of a time where there was a difference in opinion with your team at work and how you resolved it?”  This type of questioning can be tricky but also with a little practice you can become an expert.  Remember they are generally panel interview which can have 3 – 6 people firing questions at you with many different accents.

So how do you prepare for an oral interview?  Well it’s actually quite simple….. look at the vacancy announcement again and under  the heading “Competencies” they list what they are specifically looking for on this job vacancy ie Professionalism; Communication; Planning and Organising; Client Orientation.  These will be the headings that your questions will come under.   Remember it’s okay to be proud of your achievements but not okay to work in isolation at the cost of your team, it’s just up to you to give clear concise answers/stories that reflect that you’re shining at these competencies in your everyday working environment.   Generally they want real examples of real events, not what you would do but what you did and please keep them short so you get to your point/ complete your story/ punchline… you’ll feel sick afterwards if you get cut off each time due to time constraints and they move on without you having got to your ending.   Speak slowly and clearly as close to the mouthpiece as possible and please if you don’t hear a question clearly you have every right to ask for the person to repeat it.  Also note that if a job is in a country where another language other than English is spoken they may actually ask a question in one of the UN key languages if it’s relevant.  If the job is advertised in English only they may just want to know if you have the local language to compare their final selection, as it always helps in the post even if not directly needed.

If you cover all the required competencies in the oral interview but maybe you arent selected there is a chance that you can be cleared for the roster for that level and that post title/ family.   FCRB stands for Field Central Review Board which is essentially passing all the levels above and this puts you on the roster if the job application is for a full job – note though this excludes temporary/ consultancy positions.  There is an official email that confirms registration onto a roster but again this can take any amount of time after the interview, be patient nothing usually happens quickly for recruitment.

4. What is the key to your success and promotion within the organisation for so many years?

I have to say that everyone will have their own particular analysis of their own degree of success, no two people would be the same.  I was asked a question by a good friend who i’ve worked alongside now in two missions “what would be my ultimate dream work goal / level in the UN?”  My answer surprised her immensely:  ”Getting into the  UN was my dream so i achieved my goal on my first day in the job”.  I really enjoyed my years as a UN Volunteer in both East Timor and Haiti, perhaps even my best working years of my life, this has always been my dream job so my satisfaction was always complete from day one.There are many ways to get ahead but my mantra has always been to work hard and achieve as much as possible, I don’t wait to be asked but just get ahead preparing anyway.    Think outside the box when required and work towards getting a good appraisal through meeting specified goals alongside your team.

5. What qualities does the UN management look for in aspiring candidates?

All the UN core/ selected competencies as i mentioned above which can be found on each Vacancy Announcement for the post.  Confidence & clarity comes across in phone interviews and the panel having a pleasant interview with you will reflect positively when they summarise your skills together after your interview.

To to finish remember to apply for jobs that can lead to your goal, especially generic postings, even if you don’t want to take them to get FCRB roster clearance.  Try to get cleared for as many posts and levels as possible, this gives you more opportunities.   Don’t aim too high at first, but good luck in your endeavours.

 

 

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Changing a career path – one of the most challenging endeavours in one’s life?

September 4, 2014 5:54 pm ⋅

 

careerchangeHaving done it myself and having helped a number of my clients to accomplish it too, I can say with honesty that changing career path is one of the most difficult tasks one can face. And this shouldn’t come as a surprise – transitioning to a new career takes a lot of courage, time, money and energy investment.

No matter what kind of career move you are planning to make, it is important to remember these five key points:

  1. Make sure you are making the right move by researching the new field, opportunities within it and whether you are going to be a good fit personality and experience-wise. Talk to as many people in the new field as possible to gauge their perspective on your fit.
  2. Consider doing an advanced degree, such as Master’s or MBA to help you gain knowledge and credibility necessary for moving into a particular field. For example, if you have always worked as a sales professional and would like to move into the field of management consulting, then an MBA is definitely the right way to go.
  3. Gather the support of your family behind you – you will definitely need it along the way as the path to a new career may not always be smooth.
  4. Consider different locations for your future work – as you have already made up your mind to change your career path, it may make sense to try living in a new location. You may have always dreamt about working in Australia for instance – now may be the time to turn this dream into reality!
  5. Don’t rush. Take your time to think and plan. Take small methodical steps – thinking each and every move through will result in less disappointment and decisions you may regret after.

In this article, I have also included a short interview with Ahmad Bhatti – management consultant of Clique Consulting (ahmad@cliqueconsulting.co.uk) who resigned from his steady and well-paid job to pursue the path of self-employment in his own consulting company.

1. After you finished your MBA you decided to quit your job and pursue the path of self-employment. What motivated you to do this?

During my MBA, I started exploring to see what was around in terms of exciting and challenging opportunities. I started developing my internal and external networks. Soon after finishing my MBA, I was offered an interesting assignment of managing a collaborative R&D project in China. I opted to quit my job to take that opportunity as an independent consultant because I believed that the path of self-employment could provide me with variety of challenging assignments and would also allow me freedom to pursue my career goals.
2. What main challenges did you encounter in working for yourself on a consulting basis? And how did you tackle them?

I would say that it is hard to find the first 5 clients and to be honest I am still in the process of achieving this bit as staying in China the majority of the time did not help me establishing myself in UK. In my opinion, it takes time and determination and one should never give up despite all the challenges that may come up. Again, your network and attending various relevant events will help you achieve this.

For me time management was the second biggest challenge. But having a proper and balanced routine of work, family, leisure can tackle this issue easily.
3. What are main differences in your opinion between working in the UK and China?

There is no short answer to this question but it is mainly about culture and working practices. In a nutshell, it is all about ‘think global, act local’ if one wants to get a positive outcome.
4. What advice would you give to all those seeking to change a career path?

Always give consideration to your skill set and desire when thinking of changing a career path but it also important to plan, talk to others who are already working in that sector, and seek advice from career professionals.

I would love to hear from those of you who have changed a career path or planning to do so. Please post your thoughts in the Comments section below.

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How to find work experience and paid internships

August 14, 2014 8:23 am ⋅

 

internshipsOn the 13th August 2014 I was part of the expert panel for the Guardian Careers on finding work experience and internships. You can find the full discussion here. In the article below, I have compiled some of the most pertinent questions from the public with my answers to them. Please feel free to ask further questions in the Comments box below.

Q: I’m about to start my penultimate year of a BSc and looking for summer internship in finance, where should I look?

A: Majority of financial internships are advertised on the banks’ websites – however, due to the fact that they are very competitive, I would advise to adopt a two-prong strategy: to network and get to know decision-makers in your target companies about 6 months before the application process commences and then apply online and use the names of the people you have met as a reference.

Q: I have retail & education experience & a BA but can’t get an arts/admin internship – any tips on what to focus on?

A: I would suggest that getting to know relevant people and asking them to have a quick coffee with you is a good idea in this case as well. Also making sure that the CV is up to date and spells out clearly all your responsibilities in your previous jobs related to the area of arts/admin and also what courses you have taken during your degree and which grades you have achieved.

Q: How do I go about finding work experience from an advertising/PR agency or a newspaper? I’m under 18 so I’m finding it hard.

A: Yes, I know several people in the same situation and two girls got a two-week experience placement at a very large organisation through family acquaintances – so ask around within your close circle and perhaps they can put you in touch with a company of interest.

Q: I am a student actuary in India with membership. I’m planning to do MSc in Actuarial Management at Cass Business School this September. I want to know how and where I can apply for internship in UK during this coming year? I tried to search online but only found companies that want people who have done bachelor’s from UK.

A: With regards to Cass in particular, a lot of MSc students prefer to get a spring or summer internship after they have started their Master’s already. I believe this is probably the most effective way as you already have educational experience from the UK and sometimes B-schools assist their students with securing internships through during-the-year career events, presentations and networking events. So I would suggest starting your MSc and aiming to secure internships for the spring and summer term.

Q: What is your top tip for making the most of a work experience opportunity?

A:  I would say:

– do you best in terms of doing a high quality job
– get to know as many people as possible in your company
– make meaningful connections with the above people
– get some good recommendations post your work experience that you can perhaps add to LinkedIn etc.
– and of course, have fun while doing all the above!

 

 

 

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Cover Letter tips for graduate jobs

August 1, 2014 8:44 am ⋅

In this article, I will be answering some of your latest questions on cover letters. Please feel free to post additional questions you may have in the Comments box at the end of the post.

Q: I have been working in banking for a couple of years and would like to transition into PR/Advertising. Is Cover Letter and the CV style and format going to be different for these industries?

A: As you will be transitioning to a new role in a new industry, your cover letter should ideally focus on the skills you have gained during your two years in the banking sector and how those particular skills can be useful and transferable for a career in advertising/PR. I would also mention your education and perhaps any courses you may have taken on marketing, PR, strategy, product development etc.
I would also suggest to think through carefully why you are thinking of undertaking this transition as it needs to come through clearly and logically in the opening statements for your cover letter.

I would say that in general the CV format doesn’t have to be completely different for different industries. You can still create your CV in chronological order for the PR/ advertising sectors – a lot of managers do not care about the actual layout, but more about what responsibilities you held, what education and the grades you have obtained and the motivation to work in this new industry.

Q: How should a cover letter start to ‘hook’ employers to want to find out more? 

A: I would say that one of the most important ‘hooks’ for a potential employer on your cover letter is whether you know a person (or better a number of people) within your target company. In other words, name dropping (manager or director level ideally) is still very much alive.

Q: Should the cover letter be in the text of an email, if you’re applying that way, or as a separate word document?

A: I would strongly recommend a separate document unless you know the recruiter and they have personally asked you to email the cover letter in the body of an email itself.

Q: What common mistakes do people make with cover letters? Is there anything that people do that immediately makes you discount them?

A: – Incorrect grammar, not using spell check.

– A clearly copy/- pasted letter with no reasoning as to why this person is applying for this particular role in this particular company.

– Using ‘To whom it may concern’ or variations on this at the beginning of the letter (rather than finding the name of the relevant person)

– Not providing full contact details

– Not using the whole page or running into two pages

Q: Do you see the covering letter/CV dying out any time soon and, if so, what is replacing it?

A: I don’t see it disappearing any time soon as it is one of the two traditional documents required for a job application. However, in many cases, it is substituted by a direct conversation with a prospective employer. Networking in other words. When one networks and gets a job through a personal recommendation, then often no cover letter is necessary. A summary section on the LinkedIn profile can serve as a certain form of abridged cover letter.

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How to cope with work-related stress

July 24, 2014 8:29 am ⋅

stress

 

On 23.07.2014 I was part of the expert panel for Guardian Careers on preventing and coping with work-related stress. I have compiled some of the questions and answers below. You can find the whole discussion here.

1. Should there be any responsibility on employers not to create stress or is it down to employees to manage workloads?

I would say that it is ultimately down to employees to manage stressful situations effectively. This would include managing the workload skillfully through careful planning along with forging good working (and personal) relationships with employees and management. And yes, employers have these legal obligations but to be completely honest and after many years in the corporate sector in the UK, very few actually implement them and it ultimately falls down on employees to deal with stress and workloads. Sad but true reality.

2. What place is there for cultural activities that improve social relationships?

Cultural and social activities in general are critical for building positive and friendly atmosphere in the workplace, which would ultimately result in higher productivity and happier employees. Team building days out on a quarterly basis, weekends away abroad for having achieved targets, drinks out on a Friday night after work, a trip to the theater – this all is a great way to build strong culture within a company.

3. If people feel stressed out by their workload, do you have any tips on how to manage this?

I would say advance planning is the key here. Sitting down with your team, understanding the deadlines clearly and both external and internal stakeholder expectations is important too. Then outlining the project schedule and referring back to it regularly to update and amend. Understanding your boss’s expectations is important here too as it would help shape your schedule of works.
And if and when you realise you are behind, to schedule a catch-up with your team/boss to update and ask for advice and input.

4. What are the top tips that work for you in managing stress day to day?

A bit of physical exercise, going for a walk in fresh air, talking on the phone with a family member or even taking a quick power nap (if you have time of course) but all depends on the situation and your work day.

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How do I stand out from other candidates during an interview?

July 10, 2014 12:34 pm ⋅

 

interviewsYesterday (09.07.14) I was invited to be on the expert panel for the Guardian Careers Q&A on all things related to interviews and how to succeed at various interview stages. You can find the detailed discussion on the Guardian website.

Below I have posted some of the most interesting questions asked by applicants with my answers to them.

Q: I have an interview in a week and would really like to know what I can do to stand out from other applicants? I always do some research on the company and the interviewers and make sure I’m prepared with examples for competency questions – but what can I do to make sure I’m the candidate the interview panel remembers, in a good way of course!

A: All that you have been doing is correct – I would also add that you could meet some of the people from your target company ahead of the interview to get a better idea of what the company is about from the inside and what projects they have been working on recently. Getting to know people from inside ahead of the actual interview date is critical for standing out from the crowd and giving yourself a competitive edge. Good luck!

Q: I am interested to know how to answer the question what are your weakest points best?

A: This is the question a lot of candidates find to be one of the most difficult ones due to its ambiguity. A lot of companies now have decided not to ask this question as to be honest, it doesn’t demonstrate much. But if asked, I would suggest to be absolutely sincere about your weaknesses. But of course, try to find one or two that are not directly related to the responsibilities of the specific post you are set to interview for. For instance, if you are interviewing for a position of a teacher, you wouldn’t use ‘fear of working with children’ as your weakness for instance. So be honest but prudent in your selection of weaknesses. For strengths, it is easy – we all know our strong points so just provide an example to illustrate them.

Q: What are the best things to make up without getting found out?

A: Not sure what you mean but whatever it is I would strongly suggest NOT to make up anything as sooner or later it will get found out (especially during the interview process). 

Q: I’m having a phone interview at 6pm. I feel confident but very nervous. Any tips? Never had a phone interview.

A: First of all – all the best of luck! The most important point here is to behave, get dressed and speak exactly like you would during a face-to-face interview. Your aim is to convey a confident image of yourself despite the underlying nerves. Have a notepad near you and take notes of the questions they ask so that you can refer to it in case you forget anything. Have your CV in front of you as during phone interviews they tend to ask general questions about your career history overall. Most importantly, convey you are a likable person and smile just as you would in a face-to-face interview situation.

Q: I said in a recent interview for a graduate scheme to a manager position that I was sometimes not prioritising what needed to be done, but that through my studies I had really learned how to organise my time. The interviewer was very abrupt and stated that I the was a very disorganised person who wanted to be organised? How can one counter such aggressive comments in an interview?

A: I would let it go – your aim is to ace that interview and progress to the next round. Interviewers sometimes test how you can react under stress and can make such comments to gauge your reaction. Don’t act defensive – just point out again softly and clearly that you believe you have greatly improved your organisational skills as evidenced by (and provide some additional examples). The key here is not to show you are hurt by their comments or get defensive. Keep your emotions in check and continue as if nothing has been said (I know it’s hard but at least on the surface).

Hope the answers above will help you prepare for your upcoming interviews and if you require in-depth interview or case study preparation (including the most difficult questions), please get in touch via dasha@careercoachingventures.com

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How can new moms negotiate part-time work or working from home with their current employer?

July 3, 2014 1:33 pm ⋅

How can new moms negotiate part-time work or working from home with their current employer?

Each company has its own processes for women coming back from their maternity leave. And generally companies tend to follow these guidelines closely. I would suggest keeping in close touch with your managers and colleagues throughout your maternity leave. In the UK, for instance, companies have a provision for Keep In Touch days (KIT) when a woman can come into the office to either attend an important meeting, training or just to say hello to her team and introduce her new baby. Make sure you use as many of these days as possible as they are fully paid by the government so they are useful in financial terms too.

But more importantly, they are a great way to keep up to date with all the latest developments in your workplace. A few months before you are due to return to work, book a meeting with your HR department to discuss the date of return and the capacity you will be returning in. Prior to the meeting, you would normally be required to fill out a form indicating whether you would like to work part-time and how many days. The employer is not obliged to grant their consent to whatever you have proposed but they are obliged to consider it seriously (you can find additional information on this website: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/work_w/work_time_off_work_e/maternity_leave.htm). So I suggest you set out the maximum amount of days you would like to work while also considering early/later starts and early/later finishes to provide your employer with as many options as possible.

Perhaps, you could negotiate working full-time for three or four days plus one day from home. Normally, employers are more relaxed about their employees working from home on Fridays. Whichever path you wish to discuss with your employer, avoid becoming aggressive or demanding, state your wishes clearly and provide all relevant evidence. You can also re-visit the situation after a few months to see whether it’s working or needs to be amended.

When is it time to start thinking about a career change?

I believe when a woman is on maternity leave, it provides her with a great opportunity to reconsider her career path in line with your ideal work-life balance. A number of women start their own businesses while on maternity leave, subsequently resigning from their jobs (as I eventually decided to do). Others decide to change company within the same industry and some choose to stay at home to care for their children full-time. Generally, it all depends on your own situation and your plans for the future regarding your career and family life. The costs of childcare can also of course be a decisive factor. However, even if you do return to your existing job, you should also keep an open mind about whether this is still the right place for you, or whether your interests and aspirations have changed. Some women unfortunately find that after having returned to your workplace after maternity leave, a lot has changed and although technically your responsibilities stayed the same, you are now considered a second rate employee due to the fact that you need to leave early and work from home.

How can new mums be sure they’re getting the most out of maternity leave?

Maternity leave is there for you to care for your child and to enjoy your motherhood. So this is the primary goal. But it is worth taking the time to consider and note down what you want to achieve in your career after you children are a bit more grown up – prepare a career plan so to speak. If you want to set up on your own, carry out an audit of your current skills and passions and undertake some market research in the industry you would like to explore.

A number of women take up short-term course to develop their skills in a certain area – some even go as far as registering for a degree or Master’s. The opportunities are endless – all depends on what you want and how much time you are prepared to invest in achieving it.

How can you convey to your boss that you’ll still be a valuable employee, even with a new baby at home?

A lot of it is about your pre-baby career track record. If you were one of the top performers for instance, your boss will be more willing to believe you will continue in the same vein. But the main indicator of a valuable employee is their actual performance. So do your best when you return to work and aim to take up some more tasks and responsibilities – depending on your time of course.

If you would like any assistance and coaching on getting back to work after maternity leave and all issues related to this matter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on dasha@careercoachingventures.com

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The essence of outstanding customer service

June 24, 2014 8:07 am ⋅

When running my own business and coaching my clients on setting up and managing theirs, I constantly stress the importance of effective and high quality customer service above everything else. This is because in our super-competitive economy where finding an alternative supplier is only a Google search away, the best and most long-lasting way to differentiate yourself from your competitors is by providing unique and outstanding customer service – both before and after the actual purchase takes place. So many companies pride themselves on achieving high levels of customer service but in reality, if you asked their clients, they wouldn’t rate the service as above average.

In this article, I wanted to share my recent experiences with one of the world’s most powerful and innovative companies that, despite its size, influence and huge customer base, still pays very close attention to its individual client needs. A perfect example for other companies and individuals on how to retain customers and transform them into active advocates. That company is Amazon.

I have been dealing with Amazon for a number of years ordering everything from books to toys and in the majority of cases their deliveries arrived on time. This is one of the first tenets of excellent customer service:

1. On-time delivery of a product or service.

But how do they manage to fulfil their delivery promises so promptly? Well, the answer is – Amazon is very good at managing customer expectations. Every time you buy, you receive an email stating the period of time a customer should be expecting their delivery. Note – not a single date – but a period of time, normally a few days. Nice way to pre-empt delays. And yes, in most cases, they deliver on time within the time frame suggested. However, nobody is perfect and there are times when due to logistical challenges, the purchase is delayed. For those instances, they have a special multi-tiered mitigation process.  And here comes a second lesson of great customer service:

2. If a product/service delivery is delayed, provide a structured process for a customer to obtain a refund or to return a product if necessary.

During the mitigation process, the first point of call is the actual seller (that is if you are buying from one of the marketplace suppliers). If the seller refuses to cooperate, a customer can refer the case to the small claims department of Amazon. This process encourages accountability and transparency and makes customers feel re-assured, secure and protected. I have experienced a significant delay when dealing with Amazon recently. I ordered four garden chairs from one of the companies partnered up with Amazon and the chairs didn’t arrive on time. In fact, they were more than a week delayed. I resorted to contacting the seller directly and when they didn’t respond on a number of occasions, I mentioned that if the issue was not resolved, I would be referring it to the Amazon small claims department to investigate. They got back to me promptly offering a 50% discount on the chairs and following up with a delivery company. The chairs were delivered the next day.

Amazon has created a number of ways dissatisfied customers can get in touch. Namely, by phone, email and more recently – by chat straight from their website. I have used this chat twice and it can’t be faulted. Very polite and well-trained customer service agents responding immediately despite the time difference and solving issues there and then. The whole process takes a couple of minutes when you get in touch with Amazon via their chat. On another occasion, I reported a small fault with a product I ordered – the money was refunded immediately no questions asked. Wonderful example of the next lesson in great customer care:

3. Provide open channels for customers to get in touch and make resolution of their issues easy, painless and quick. And they will come back and buy again and again!

There are a lot of issues surrounding Amazon’s growth, tax withholding on online transactions, undercutting competitors but the main truth remains the same: Amazon is a master of outstanding customer care that other businesses can model themselves against.

 

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