Always Wanted to be a Police Officer?

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

You've decided this is the path you want to take. You've watched enough NYPD Blue and COPS to know this is the life for you. What do you do now?

Dig In:

Call your local police force or your local RCMP detachment. Ask to go on a ride-along. This will give you a better understanding of the job. What you don't see on NYPD Blue you might get to experience on your ride-along. 

Talk To Those on the Job:

Get to know your local police officers. Make some contacts at the station by telling them you're interested in the job and in pursuing a career in it. Ask them what they like about, what they dislike, what skills they needed, how they got into it, what skills they think you should have, and anything else you can come up with.

Decide on Which Force to Join:

If you are interested in local police in your town or municipality, check their websites or give them a call to see what qualifications you need to work as a police officer for your town or city. Ask them how many officers they have hired lately and how they see their needs in the future. Education requirements differ from city to city. Some will require you to have a policing course completed. Some hire you first and send you to a police college. As well, many colleges and universities offer preparatory courses to help you get into policing. Ask the force what they are looking for as this could save you a lot of time and money.

If you are interested in joining the RCMP, they have a detailed requirement of what they need. First, you must attend a training session. They are held throughout the country. Contact your local detachment for information on the next available training session. Then you must write the RCMP Police Aptitude Test, do the Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (called PARE, which is used by most police agencies in Canada), then a series of tests, investigations, and evaluations are performed. If you are successful, you will be selected to enroll in the cadet training program at RCMP Depot in Regina, Saskatchewan. 

Get Ready:

The process to join a police force can be intense. You've got to be prepared to deal with physical fitness testing, personality and aptitude testing, background checks, and lots of paperwork.

Policing can be a satifying and rewarding career. A little research now will help you prepare yourself and get you closer to fulfilling your goal.

Five Things To Discuss During Your Interview

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

A job interview can be a stressful event. You're trying to remember what to talk about, and how to make sure the interviewer knows you're perfect for the job. What should you remember to mention? Here are some tips.

Your Skills:

Re-read your resume so all skills are fresh in your mind. Put an emphasis on the skill requirements of the interviewer and make sure they know you are capable of doing what is required. Some employers won't read the specifics of a resume, or will have missed or forgotten about it. Stressing your skills will help them remember why you should be hired. 

Your Flexibility:

If you're flexible, let them know. If you can work late, can do overtime, or can work weekends or travel if you need to, tell them. Don't appear too eager because they may not have any need for you to work extra hours. But by letting them know of your availability, you present yourself as an attractive candidate.

Your Attitude:

Projecting a positive and professional attitude will leave a happy memory in the minds of your interviewers. A can-do approach to work is always welcomed by employers. Give yourself a pep-talk before you go in and tell them that you're a hard worker, you're cheery, and you'd enjoy working for them.

Your Willingness to Learn:

Since most jobs evolve over time, you want to showcase your willingness to learn new skills. Make sure you tell them about programs or tools you've learned and retained in your past jobs. They'll likely be impressed by your willingness to adapt and to learn new things. It shows a strong work ethic and talent.

Your Interviewer's Needs:

If you've got the skills they're looking for, tell them. If you fulfil the requirements of the job ad, make sure you stress how you fulfil them. Make sure your interviewer's needs and requirements are met. They want to know that the person they hire will be a perfect fit and will have everything it takes to do the job. By stress your skills and how you fulfil their particular needs, you're telling them to hire you.

It's important to bring forth some of your best qualities at a job interview. Your skills, your flexibility, and your ability and willingness to learn new things are usually key requirements in an interviewer's list of needs. By fulfilling these needs and telling them how you can do the job, you are projecting your capacity to do the job.

Do You Have What it Takes To Work in a Call Centre?

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Working in a call centre might seem like an easy job at first glance. It's just about answering phones, right? Wrong. There are many different jobs in call centres. There are Customer Service Reps (CSRs), Technical Service Reps (TSRs), Supervisors, Managers, and Human Resources staff, and many others who work to ensure a call centre, the customer's first line of contact with a company, works as a well-oiled machine.

So what does it take to work in a call centre? Though for this article we'll focus on CSRs, many of these skills are critical in other call centre jobs too.

Ability To Work in a Fast-Paced Environment:

In a call centre, it's all about speed. If you are working in an inbound call centre (meaning call come in to your call centre, as opposed to CSRs making calls) the main focus is how fast can a rep answer a phone. How quickly can they solve a customer's issue? Call times and wait times are how a centre calculates its efficiency, and therefore, it's costs and profits. But call times and wait times aren't just important for the company, they are also important to the customer. That's why it's critical to be able to work under pressure. 

Accuracy and Attention to Detail:

The customer is calling you because they have a problem. You must be able to answer their inquiry quickly and correctly so their faith and trust in your company is upheld. It's important to the company you work for that their customers aren't frustrated. These customers are the backbone of your company, and they need to have faith that their call is being handled professionally and correctly and that they will get the same correct answer if they call next time. Accurate consistency is critical. And for that, you need to be the type of person who can learn and retain information.

Ability to Learn New Skills:

Products and services change constantly. And though the basics will remain the same, you need to be on top of new things. The last thing a customer wants to do is be calling you for answers and you don't know what they're talking about. You also have to be willing to learn computer programs or software unique to your call centre. Call centres have a lot of processes and you must be able to learn how those work so you can work more efficiently, and better serve customers.

Learning new skills such as another language can also help your job prospects in a call centre. Many list the ability to speak a second language as an asset.

Ability to Deal with Difficult People:

More often than not, customers will call because they have a problem and they want you to fix it right away. If you cannot show empathy, and support them in their frustrations, they will get increasingly upset. You must be able to deal with difficult people and know how to handle and diffuse them. Consider taking a course on the subject. You'll learn how to improve your listening skills, and learn little tricks as simple as repeating back what you hear from your customer. This helps them feel listened to, understood, and in the end, it helps them feel better. The more ability you have in dealing with difficult people, the better you will feel also.

Flexibility:

Though a call centre can be a great 9-5 job, most of them require you to work some shift work. And this or may not fit your schedule. When you decide to apply for a job at a call centre, make sure you know what you are able to do in terms of shift work. If you have dependents, you will need to make alternate care arrangements. Remember too that changing shifts can affect your sleep patterns and your activities outside work hours.

The nature of call centres can also mean that you can be called in at the last minute. You might also be sent home if there is not enough work. If this is a concern for you, ask how often this happens when you are considering a job in a call centre.

Working in a call centre as a CSR can be a satifying job. Often, opportunities to move up to a team leader or scheduler can be had with the work experience you gain starting at the bottom. If you have the right skills and the desire to improve them, a career as a CSR might well be worth investigating.

Over 50 and Looking for Work?

By Sara Parent

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy 

Older adults looking for work can often face challenges unique to their position.

According to Barry Witkin, CEO of Prime50 Employment Services, "Employers still think that they are dealing with a 50+ person that existed 50 years ago and not realizing that the 50+ person of today is younger looking, healthier, has longevity, and wants to continue their careers."

If you are over 50 and looking for work, here are some things you should keep in mind.

Showcase Your Technology Skills:

Don't give an employer a reason to buy into the myth that older workers aren't technology savvy. Focus on the tech skills you have. Showcase your abilities to use and learn new programs by drawing on your past experiences and your ability to learn new processes. If your skills aren't where they should be, update your computer skills and learn how to use the common technology tools of today. Computers and new technologies are part of the workplace, and whether you are young or old, you should be able to use them effectively.

Focus on Your Experience and Loyalty:

According to Witkin, older workers have a vast amount of experience and knowledge and could be great mentors to the younger employee. He adds they are loyal and will not leave a job as the younger generation is doing today after two years or so.

Stress your experience and your ability to hit the floor running. If you've worked for a company for a large number of years, focus on the positive changes you made, the skills you learned, and your loyalty.

Show employers that hiring you makes sense. Witkin says that older workers know how to deal with change and stress and won`t panic in crucial situations because they have all of these life/work experiences from the past to rely on.

Draw upon your life experiences to show potential employers how you've managed situations in the past, and how you can use those skills in the future to benefit the workplace.

Get Out There:

You have a world of experience that just can't be had in a classroom. Get out there and make use of your experiences. If you're motivated to continue your career, make sure you stress that to a potential employer. Show them that you are willing to learn new things and help others around you with your experience. With the aging population, demographics and the future are in your favor. According to Witkin, the future holds great things for the worker who is 50+. He foresees that employers "will recognize that all the perceptions they had about the 50+ workforce are all wrong. They will embrace them by recruiting them and retaining them and create policies to allow them to work under quite different conditions and terms than they would have not considered before."

Being an older adult looking for work can have its advantages. Make sure you showcase your work experience, loyalty, abilities, and your desire to work. You've got a lot to offer potential employers so make sure they know it.

Students: Looking for a Sports-Related Summer Job?

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

If you love sports, there's no reason why you can't make it a part of your summer job. Check out these ideas on how to incorporate your love of sports into a job.

Hockey in the Summer?

If you're into sports, particularly hockey, why not consider applying to work at a summer hockey school or camp? These jobs are perfect for students because they are usually only for the summer. They are also a great way to get experience in coaching and working with kids, especially if you are pursing a sports, recreation, or education degree.

Summer on the Green:

Golf courses need tons of help in the summer. From driving range attendants, to landscaping workers, to working in the pro shop, you'll be exposed to golfing all summer. It's a great way to get your foot in the door if you're looking at gaining some golf-related experience.

Life-Guarding and Swimming Instruction:

If you prefer being in the water, you should check out these two summer job options. They generally require more experience and certification than some other summer jobs, but they are a great way to combine your love of water with making some summer money. Opportunities for life-guarding and swimming instructors can be found at city pools, beaches, summer camps, and recreational facilities.

Indoor Sports Facilities:

There are lots of different opportunities at indoor sports facilities that can be great if you're into sports. You can work at skating rinks, bowling alleys, in a fitness centre, or at a pool. Jobs range from doing maintenance, customer service, or selling tickets for events. A good way to prepare for a job like this is to get First Aid Certification before you apply for a job, since many sports facilities require this.

Retail Sports Jobs:

If you love sports, why not consider applying to work at a retail store that focuses on sports? You'll have the valuable knowledge that will make it helpful for customers who are looking at getting sports equipment or information about starting a sport. You might also be offered an employee discount which could benefit you as well. Consider big box sports stores and traditional stores that have sports departments.

You don't have to sacrifice your love of sports when you're looking for a summer job. Just think creatively and look for opportunities that allow you to use your sporting skills.