As it is predicted that an extra 1.5million administration roles will be needed by 2012 (Council for Administration), Pitman Training, the leading provider of office and IT skills training is using Administrative Professionalsí Week (18-22 April) to urge office workers to get ahead of the game and enhance their skills in order to compete for the most lucrative administrative positions that the Olympic Games will create.
ìThe 2012 Games will bring opportunities, not just to London, but to the whole of the UK,î said Michael Graham, managing director, Pitman Training. ìBut while there will be literally millions of office positions that need filling in sectors such as local and central government, tourism, transport and the Olympic Village itself, competition will be fierce. Unless you are able to demonstrate that you have a broad range of skills and a CV that boasts up to the minute training, youíre likely to be pipped to the post. So itís worth taking a look at your CV now and ensuring that it has ìwinnerî written all over it.î
Based on HR professionalsí comments, Pitman Training has compiled a ten point ëbetter CVí checklist: q Check your CV for accuracy of information, spelling and grammar. q Respect the recipient. Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs so keep it short. Two pages are ideal but a 10 page life history will head straight in the bin. q Customise it. Use the CV to promote the skills and achievements that match the job you are applying for. q Keep it simple. Avoid jargon ñ the recruiter may not understand them. q Pay attention to layout. Make it simple by good use of headings, line spaces, bullet points and a readable font size. q Never hand-write your CV or use coloured type. It doesnít scan, photocopy or email well. q Use good quality white paper. q Put the most important information first. This includes name, contact details and address. Follow this with a profile of yourself which should include your skills, experience and immediate career goals. After this you can insert your career history, followed by education, interests and references. q Make sure all dates match up and any gaps are explained. q Ensure information flows in a logical order. q Finally, just because youíre competing for a job associated with the biggest sporting event the UK has ever seen, donít pretend to be a keen sportsman or woman if youíve never even picked up a tennis racket or kicked a football. It wonít do you any favours in the long run!
Michael Graham added: ìWe can teach people to type and use word processing software, but itís care with the content and detail ñ like spelling, punctuation and grammar ñ that helps them make it to the interview stage.î
The idea of enhancing your skills now in preparation for a job which is likely to be in a high performance environment is backed by Olympic Gold medallist Adrian Moorhouse. Adrian who is also founder and MD of performance development consultancy Lane4 said: ìThe Games will bring a great deal of prosperity to locals and businesses in the UK but with this will come a great deal of pressure to perform. Businesses and individuals alike who ensure that they are prepared for the challenge from day one and properly trained to deal with the stresses of performing in a high pressure environment will be the ones who contribute to the success of London as it takes to the world stage, both in the run-up to The Games, in 2012 itself and beyond.î
Training for the 2012 Games
Itís not just the athletes that need to get in shape
