- I doubled the income of an educational publisher in one month period – and went on to develop new strategies to generate income and sponsorship. In nine months I had taken over £100,000 more than any previous employee in the same position, and had set up several long-term agreements with customers and sponsors. I also used persuasion and negotiation to encourage previous late payers to pay in advance for a whole year’s worth of advertising and sponsorship – no mean feat!
- I worked in one of the foremost charity fundraising agencies in the UK on an Amnesty International telephone campaign and am comfortable organising, motivating and managing telephone contact campaigns.
- I have generated income in the Department of Chemistry for creative and new course activities from a number of sources.
- I am confident that the offer of association with NAGTY, combined with appropriate PR and Marketing activity will be an attractive one for many companies and private donors, and I expect to be able to raise significant donations for their work.
Organising Presenters and Speakers/ Advocates for Donating
- I already organise speakers for various programmes including the RSC lecture series. To do so I need to convince world leaders in academia and industry of the benefits of lecturing at Warwick to an undergraduate audience. These opportunities are also used as PR and networking opportunities to develop relationships which can later be exploited for scholarships, student exchanges and collaborations.
- I have also been instrumental in a bid for public engagement funding to train science students in media skills, which involved making a case for production of short television programmes for Channel Four
Social Matching
Using strong communication skills, my ability and desire to match people’s interests is part of acting both socially and professionally, but I have used these skills particularly effectively on several occasions. Examples are:
- When working for the Scottish Media Group, I arranged a number of networking events for people to interact and develop ideas together. Some of which resulted in long-term relationships between industry players.
- When working for the Edinburgh Television Festival, I regularly introduced people to potential partners in the industry by use of delegate lists and personal contacts made at the event. Some of these resulted in television coverage for events that had been previously ignored.
- I have a friend who on my recommendation set up a jousting school. Through setting up opportunities for him to meet with experience holiday company representatives and by advising him on PR and Marketing, he now has regular PR coverage in titles like GQ, FHM and the Independent, and has also had several TV appearances. As a direct result of these meetings, he also now has a regular presenting slot on the Discovery Channel’s Horse Tales.
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I have a good understanding of the educational environment combined with strong commercial and marketing expertise developed in education, telecoms new media, and other environments.
My particular interest in, and focus on the role of the media, public relations, and communication in developing a brand, communicating with relevant publics, and reinforcing organisational culture is what makes me a particularly strong candidate. I also have an ability to initiate, develop and maintain strong relationships, demonstrated in many of my roles. These elements give me a strong basis from which to develop this role.
CONSTRUCTING PRESS RELEASES AND COPYWRITING
I have had specific experience and training in writing press releases as part of my Certificate in Journalism Studies, and in writing press releases for the Chemistry Department.
I also have awareness and experience of dealing with press enquiries, researchers and journalists, through helping in the Press Office for the GEITF, working as an external point of contact for Questions Publishing, and working in the Chemistry Department.
I also have experience of writing targeted literature and am used to conveying ideas simply and effectively.
I have had additional experience of editing, proof-reading and writing adverts for suppliers who wished to advertise with Questions Publishing. I was also the sole design contact for one of the highest paying clients, and acted on his behalf in internal liaison with designers and magazine editors in the production of a sponsored double-page spread.
LIAISON WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
I have direct experience of developing television adverts, and corporate training videos, and have worked with advertising agencies on placement strategies, for instance I was an internal champion for one of our largest customer’s sponsored layouts whilst working at Questions Publishing. I have also had to negotiate and develop relationships in all my roles, and am confident in my ability to maintain strong constructive relationships with both internal and external customers and partners.
MANAGING MEDIA REQUIREMENTS
I have worked as an assistant producer on a small film, managing electricians, lighting, camera crews and extras. I have been responsible for security at several events, including managing access by journalists, management of shared cameras for news crews, and negotiating access and camera points for journalists.
I have also had experience working with camera operators, sound recordists, researchers, and presenters whilst working for Delphic Interactive (formerly In-Video Productions).
TRAINING AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT
I have demonstrated an ability to plan, maintain accurate records, exercise flexibility in demanding situations and to maintain strong communication lines between active participants in several roles.
Recent work in the Chemistry department, my role as Venue Manager for GEITF and exhibition work for several employers involved co-ordinating guests, events and delegates.
At the GEITF I also had to manage relationships between lighting and sound crews, session producers, and delegates and have also performed a similar role as an Assistant Producer on a short film.
CONFERENCING SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain morale and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, whilst maintaining the ability to keep delegate needs uppermost at all times.
As a conference representative I learnt to use conferences and events as an opportunity for strengthening business relationships. I have also organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media, and been responsible for the design and presentation of statistics, and display materials for conferences as an exhibitor.
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Database management and the effective use of customer information was the key driver of my success at Questions publishing, where improved data management, based on my recommendations, resulted in an increase of over £100,000 in revenue in the first six months of operation.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
My Interpersonal skills have been developed in diverse situations, and with differing personality types. My particular successes in sales, conferencing and new media environments was directly related to an ability to interact with people from differing backgrounds, expectations and beliefs, and work with them to achieve common goals.
I have an extremely professional approach to contact with customers, and this would include internal departments, internal and external media and business contacts. I have distinguished myself by maintaining this belief even in very stressful sales and conference environments. I believe that an open and committed approach to employment is essential. I am never afraid to put myself out to solve problems to maintain satisfaction.
I believe that a good press officer must be able to run to a very flexible timetable, and an awareness of other people’s needs is an important component of this.
KEY STRENGTHS
My key strengths are passion, imagination, commitment and versatility, combined with strong commercial awareness and communication skills.
My dedication to the university and to achieving success is high, and I include the above examples to show my awareness of marketing communications, my drive to achieve challenges lain before me, and my consistent commitment to organisational success.
I have an ability to quickly understand new situations, adapt my knowledge, and to combine experience with learning behaviours to allow me to seek optimum solutions for each situation I find myself in.
I also am known for my people skills, and ability to think of problems from many different angles – a skill which I believe is particularly useful in being able to persistently communicate messages in stimulating and imaginative ways.
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In all my roles to date I have had a reputation for meeting and exceeding the expectations of the role. This has allowed me to develop skills above and beyond the roles I have been in, and to gain a reputation for achieving ambitious goals perticularly by neotiating with and understanding supporting functions to achieve 'win-win' benefits.
In my current role 4 out of 5 system improvements suggested by my department have been adopted across the University, and a current process-mirror workflow system was instigated after I campained for faster access to information. I have also been responsible for the use of a new database (currently excel pre export into custom built database) that has vastly improved the quality of service we give to current postgraduates. The model is also now being used centrally i to monitor student progression as an add-on to our existing SITS database.
I have experience in several different environments of looking at workflows, and proposing process improvements. This was typically done in addition to my core role. This has included: Physical Department resructure in the Royal Bank of Scotland to improve working efficiency, movement freedom and to minimise territorial conflict between staff at 'pinch points'; A resturcture of the process of sales support in a Corporate Sales environment to maximise sales and minimise paperwork time, and the recent trial of a paperless workflow system in my current institution which will be rolled out to all departments later in the year.
I am now seeking a role that allows my skills for understanding systems and my understanding of the importance of management information to be combined with my ability to negotiate cross function and department, my ability to train and develop people and my preference for focussed results orientated work. I am particularly used to communicating system benefits in terms of income gained (or reduced costs) and am used to a sales focus.
I am also used to project planning, both as a team member and as a project leader. I run an induction process, a lecture series and a poster and presentation event each year, and a series of additional projects over and above my core role, including a campus-wide exhibition with over 30 projection sites for historic photos. I also teach project planning and have used similar skills whilst training as an officer for the Territorial Army.
All my roles have relied completely on effective information management., and I have learnt from this. When I worked for an Educational Publisher I suggested several improvements to the way customer information was handled. This was implemented which resulted in an increase in sales across the team. The imporvements helped me to double my earned revenued in one month.
Your person specification mentions that the postholder must be able to manage his or her own deadlines, be familiar with the creative print and production process, work across departments, have good time management and communication skills and be prepared to develop in the role.
The skills you mention here are needed and have been developed in my current role, where I manage my time, and spend a good deal of it producing brochures, posters, and web communications. I also have the advantage of having worked in both a multimedia company and in an educational publisher, where I have seen the other side of the creative and design approach.
I hope that I have mentioned enough to be considered for interview. If there is any information you need clarification of, please get in touch with me at any time.
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STATEMENT
I believe that my specific recent experience at Warwick University and the understanding of the university environment combined with skills gained in commercial roles in educational publishing, telecoms and new media position me well for University Administration. I plan, negotiate and inspire others in the work that I do – proposing and having had accepted new procedures centrally, and introducing new working methods into the administration of postgraduate students to increase efficiency. I am used to developing and maintaining support systems and committed to the aims of promoting good practice and communication. I enjoy acting as a simplifier of information and as someone who translates ‘should do’s’ into ‘have dones’ and I aim to keep myself informed of all new developments and communicate these to people who are affected.
GOALS AND AIMS
I have consistently taken on new responsibilities, worked to a higher standard than expected and put in extra time and resources to achieve goals ahead of department goals for my role. I have done this for two reasons 1. commitment to academics and students (my ‘publics’) and 2. because I seek a successful career in University management. I have stayed away from the central administration, because of the direct contact Departments have with their customers. I prefer to see
COMMUNICATION, STUDENT SUPPORT AND AWARENESS OF QAA.
I have been involved in a secretarial role in the Chemistry Department in student administrative support, admissions and publicity and brochure production. Whilst I have been here, I have been a strong supporter of the effectiveness of openness, approachability and genuine support of the aims of both the department, and students within it. I can bring this ability and commitment to the Academy, and would welcome the opportunity to be involved in this ground-breaking, and fundamental activity. I have a general awareness of the activities of the QAA, gained from working on QAA assessments of other institutions for the Departmental Deputy Chair. and fully support its aims
AWARENESS OF FORUM MANAGEMENT
As regards the maintenance of internet forums, I have some direct programming experience, using templates. More importantly I am a fast and proficient user of technology and would welcome the chance to enhance my skills in this area. I am an occasional user of internet forums, and am aware that they give great opportunities for support, awareness, and bonding for members, and I look forward to being able to provide this service in this capacity.
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I have a good understanding of the educational environment combined with strong commercial and marketing expertise developed in education, telecoms new media, and other environments.
My particular interest in, and focus on the role of the media, public relations, and communication in developing a brand, communicating with relevant publics, and reinforcing organisational culture is what makes me a particularly strong candidate. I also have an ability to initiate, develop and maintain strong relationships, demonstrated in many of my roles. These elements give me a strong basis from which to develop this role.
CONSTRUCTING PRESS RELEASES AND COPYWRITING
I have had specific experience and training in writing press releases as part of my Certificate in Journalism Studies, and in writing press releases for the Chemistry Department.
I also have awareness and experience of dealing with press enquiries, researchers and journalists, through helping in the Press Office for the GEITF, working as an external point of contact for Questions Publishing, and working in the Chemistry Department.
I also have experience of writing targeted literature and am used to conveying ideas simply and effectively.
I have had additional experience of editing, proof-reading and writing adverts for suppliers who wished to advertise with Questions Publishing. I was also the sole design contact for one of the highest paying clients, and acted on his behalf in internal liaison with designers and magazine editors in the production of a sponsored double-page spread.
LIAISON WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
I have direct experience of developing television adverts, and corporate training videos, and have worked with advertising agencies on placement strategies, for instance I was an internal champion for one of our largest customer’s sponsored layouts whilst working at Questions Publishing. I have also had to negotiate and develop relationships in all my roles, and am confident in my ability to maintain strong constructive relationships with both internal and external customers and partners.
MANAGING MEDIA REQUIREMENTS
I have worked as an assistant producer on a small film, managing electricians, lighting, camera crews and extras. I have been responsible for security at several events, including managing access by journalists, management of shared cameras for news crews, and negotiating access and camera points for journalists.
I have also had experience working with camera operators, sound recordists, researchers, and presenters whilst working for Delphic Interactive (formerly In-Video Productions).
TRAINING AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT
I have demonstrated an ability to plan, maintain accurate records, exercise flexibility in demanding situations and to maintain strong communication lines between active participants in several roles.
Recent work in the Chemistry department, my role as Venue Manager for GEITF and exhibition work for several employers involved co-ordinating guests, events and delegates.
At the GEITF I also had to manage relationships between lighting and sound crews, session producers, and delegates and have also performed a similar role as an Assistant Producer on a short film.
CONFERENCING SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain morale and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, whilst maintaining the ability to keep delegate needs uppermost at all times.
As a conference representative I learnt to use conferences and events as an opportunity for strengthening business relationships. I have also organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media, and been responsible for the design and presentation of statistics, and display materials for conferences as an exhibitor.
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Database management and the effective use of customer information was the key driver of my success at Questions publishing, where improved data management, based on my recommendations, resulted in an increase of over £100,000 in revenue in the first six months of operation.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
My Interpersonal skills have been developed in diverse situations, and with differing personality types. My particular successes in sales, conferencing and new media environments was directly related to an ability to interact with people from differing backgrounds, expectations and beliefs, and work with them to achieve common goals.
I have an extremely professional approach to contact with customers, and this would include internal departments, internal and external media and business contacts. I have distinguished myself by maintaining this belief even in very stressful sales and conference environments. I believe that an open and committed approach to employment is essential. I am never afraid to put myself out to solve problems to maintain satisfaction.
I believe that a good press officer must be able to run to a very flexible timetable, and an awareness of other people’s needs is an important component of this.
KEY STRENGTHS
My key strengths are passion, imagination, commitment and versatility, combined with strong commercial awareness and communication skills.
My dedication to the university and to achieving success is high, and I include the above examples to show my awareness of marketing communications, my drive to achieve challenges lain before me, and my consistent commitment to organisational success.
I have an ability to quickly understand new situations, adapt my knowledge, and to combine experience with learning behaviours to allow me to seek optimum solutions for each situation I find myself in.
I also am known for my people skills, and ability to think of problems from many different angles – a skill which I believe is particularly useful in being able to persistently communicate messages in stimulating and imaginative ways.
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Management and Marketing Skills.
• I proposed constructive sales strategies at Orange that were adopted by corporate sales teams.
• I also successfully developed strategic approaches to address particular business opportunities.
• Management of the sales process for several titles at Questions – Gaining significantly increased revenue.
• Marketing Degree involved group work in International Marketing. I also received a prize for excellence on my Retail Studies course, for demonstrating strong commercial and presentation skills.
• Presentation skills developed as a sales representative for Questions, and as part of Officer Training in the Territorial Army.
• Personal Study – Additional study in International Marketing In Europe.
Conferencing Skills
• Venue Manager for MGEITF – In this position I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain moral and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, and the ability to keen delegate needs uppermost at all times.
• As a conference representative for Questions Publishing at the Education Show, and Special Needs North, I learnt exhibition sales and service skills.
• Organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media.
Liaison and Negotiation.
• Negotiation was a key part of the sales role I held at Orange PCS Ltd. I had a reputation and ability for sourcing and arranging meeting with larger and more resistant businesses. As a result I achieved the highest connection bonus (for business achieved) in the national team, in my first year of employment.
• Held post of Registry Liaison Officer during the implementation of a new registry system at Warwickshire College, which involved negotiation up to Heads of Department.
• Negotiation was also a key part of the role I held at Questions Publishing. During a period of additional investment by the company, I was able to use the strong relationships I had developed externally to encourage my major clients to extremely early, in order to maximise cash flow and investment opportunity for the business.
People and Support Skills
• As undergraduate secretary in the Chemistry department, I act in a support role for students. I am always concerned for student welfare, and I am a keen supporter of the Departments Open Door policy for students. I believe that the supportive approach that the department offers is one of the main reasons candidates choose Warwick above their competitors.
• My belief that support and inclusion is a major factor in the academic success of Warwick students.
• I have consistently believed in team and client support as being a key feature of both commercial and non-commercial relationships, and demonstrated this at Orange, and at Questions, where I was known for actively encouraging, coaching and supporting team members. I believe that a key part of being an employee is to be prepared to demonstrate strong support to one’s colleagues, and I have been able to demonstrate this on several occasions.
• My experience both as a team member, and leader in the Territorial Army, has taught me the importance of maintaining team cohesion through communication, support and appreciation of the particular strengths of individuals in achieving team goals. I believe that these experiences will allow me to make the most of the interdependency of roles in the International Office at Warwick University.
• I have experience of developing relationships in a range of commercial and non-commercial environments.
These skills were first developed as a Marketing Assistant for Delphic Interactive, the new media arm of the Scottish Media Group.
I built on these as a sales representative for Orange Plc, developing strategic relationships in order to achieve business and project success, maintaining the integrity of the brand whilst ensuring that any solutions, proposals and expectations were tailored to the needs of the individual account.
I built on these skills whilst working for an educational publisher, and this enabled me to develop such strong relationships that I was able to negotiate early payment from some of our key suppliers to allow the company the financial freedom to invest in new commercial development.
I was also given the freedom to research and implement new communication strategies which enabled the team to generate funding from new sources.
Strategic Skills
In Orange I proposed a strategic approach to corporate sales activity, which was adopted by the corporate sales team, and have been instrumental in implementing commercial strategies for Questions
Publishing.
I am known to be someone who gets the job done, succeed and exceeds expectations, even in the most difficult circumstances.
I am quick to, and eager to learn. I am particularly keen that the role offers me opportunity, and an expectation of growth and development. I believe that this is key to maintaining the success of the role and I aim to rise to any challenges given to me.
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I believe that my understanding of the educational environment combined with strong commercial and marketing expertise developed in education, telecoms new media, and other environments position me strongly for this role.
LIAISON WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
I have had direct experience of developing television adverts, and corporate training videos, as well as working with advertising agencies on placement strategies, and as an internal champion for one of my largest customer’s sponsored layouts whilst working at Questions Publishing. I have also had to negotiate and develop relationships in all my roles, and am confident in my ability to maintain strong constructive relationships with both internal and external partners.
In terms of overseeing contracts, I can provide strong capability in verbal and numerical reasoning skills, an awareness and familiarization with the basics of contract law, and the ability to talk honestly and effectively with suppliers about needs and expectations. I was also responsible for developing, implementing and gaining agreement on discount packages at Questions Publishing, and so have awareness of the situations you describe.
COPYWRITING AND MARKETING LITERATURE
My experience in copywriting for promotional literature comes from two areas. Firstly in editing, proof-reading and writing adverts for suppliers who wished to advertise in educational magazines. I was the sole design contact for one of our highest paying clients, and acted on his behalf in internal liaison with our designers and magazine editors in the design of a sponsored double-page spread. I have also been involved in, and responsible for the production of Marketing literature, and sales letters for Delphic Interactive, Questions Publishing, and more recently, for the Chemistry Department at the University of Warwick, where I have designed the covers and internal structure for the Research Brochure, and for flyers for a RSC lecture programme. This last example involved a change in the strategy behind the programme to appeal to a wider external audience, and I designed a brochure to reflect this brief, which I can bring to interview.
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
I gained a good educational grounding in Research and Analysis in my degree, and have found research and basic analysis necessary in almost all project work. I have also used Market Analysis in commercial spheres, in designing research for outside clients - most notably for an educational publisher, and to extend the usefulness of internally held data. At Questions Publishing, I extended my sales role to include liaison with the Marketing Department to access customer and subscriber information, and conducted my own research of suppliers and competitors in the markets we sought to operate in. This was instrumental in increasing market coverage an estimated four-fold across all sectors. This also led very quickly to increased business effectiveness, stimulating a doubling in our sales results within months of implementation.
CONFERENCING SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain morale and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, whilst maintaining the ability to keep delegate needs uppermost at all times.
As a conference representative I learnt to use the conference as an opportunity for strengthening business relationships, as well as generating business. I have also organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media, and been responsible for the design and presentation of statistics, and display materials for conferences as an exhibitor.
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Database management and the effective use of customer information was the key driver of my success at Questions publishing, where improved data management, based on my recommendations, resulted in an increase of over £100,000 in revenue in the first six months of operation.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
My Interpersonal skills have been developed in diverse situations, and with differing personality types. My particular successes in sales environments was directly related to an ability to interact with people from differing backgrounds, expectations and beliefs, and work with them to achieve common goals. It was this ability that often saw me being referred to senior corporate level, through encouraging junior members of staff to see themselves as vital to the effective functioning of their organization, and through gaining their support.
I have an extremely professional approach to contact with customers. I believe that it is fundamental to achieving a high quality exchange between business and consumer. I have distinguished myself by maintaining this belief even in very stressful sales and conference environments. I believe that an open and committed approach to customers is essential and I am never afraid to put myself out to solve problems to maintain customer satisfaction.
I am very capable as both a team player and as a team leader when necessary. Many of the situations I have found myself in have required me to fluctuate between these roles to achieve the best solution to a particular problem. I believe true leadership comes from the ability to keep individual and team needs in mind whilst focusing on an overall goal, and I am proud to say that I have functioned successfully in both capacities.
KEY STRENGTHS
My key strengths are imagination, commitment and versatility, combined with strong commercial awareness and communication skills. I include the above examples to show my awareness of marketing, my drive to achieve challenges lain before me, and my commitment to organisational success. I have an ability to quickly understand new situations, adapt my knowledge, and to combine experience with learning behaviours to allow me to seek optimum solutions for each situation I find myself in.
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STATEMENT
I believe that my specific recent experience at Warwick University and the understanding of the university environment combined with skills gained in commercial roles in educational publishing, telecoms and new media position me well for this role. I am used to developing and maintaining support systems and committed to the aims of promoting good practice in the Education and Development of Gifted and Talented Children.
CONFERENCING SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF – I learnt that effective management of communication is a key skill in both pre- and during conference work. I also demonstrated the ability to get the best out of teams on tight deadlines.
I organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media - these skills will be invaluable in gaining strong relationships for the Centre with its relevant interest groups.
COMMUNICATION, STUDENT SUPPORT AND AWARENESS OF QAA.
I have been involved in a secretarial role in the Chemistry Department in student administrative support, admissions and publicity and brochure production. Whilst I have been here, I have been a strong supporter of the effectiveness of openness, approachability and genuine support of the aims of both the department, and students within it. I can bring this ability and commitment to the Academy, and would welcome the opportunity to be involved in this ground-breaking, and fundamental activity. I have a general awareness of the activities of the QAA, gained from working on QAA assessments of other institutions for the Departmental Deputy Chair. and fully support its aims
AWARENESS OF FORUM MANAGEMENT
As regards the maintenance of internet forums, I have some direct programming experience, using templates. More importantly I am a fast and proficient user of technology and would welcome the chance to enhance my skills in this area. I am an occasional user of internet forums, and am aware that they give great opportunities for support, awareness, and bonding for members, and I look forward to being able to provide this service in this capacity.
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I believe that my specific recent experience at Warwick University and the understanding of the university environment combined with strong commercial and creative expertise developed in education, telecoms and new media position me perfectly for this role.
CONFERENCING SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF –I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain moral and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, and maintained the ability to keep delegate needs uppermost at all times.
As a conference representative for Questions Publishing at the Education Show, and Special Needs North, I built on exhibition sales and service skills to use the conference as an opportunity for strengthening business relationships.
I organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media.
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
I gained a good educational grounding in Research and Analysis in my degree, and have found research and basic analysis necessary in almost all project work. I have gone on to use Market Analysis in commercial spheres, designing research for outside clients - most notably for an educational publisher, where I extended my sales role to include both liaison with the Marketing Department to access customer and subscriber information, and conducted my own research of suppliers and competitors in the markets we sought to operate in. This allowed me to increase the coverage of the department an estimated four-fold across all sectors. More importantly, this led very quickly to business success sustaining a doubling in our sales results throughout the period of my employment.
At Questions Publishing I also built on my knowledge of database management to vastly improve the quality of information held on the company sales database, and on the methods for manipulating that data. My activity in Questions publishing doubled the income of my area of responsibility in the sales department in my first month, improving the communication opportunities with prospective customers, and allowing more efficient cross-selling. Afterwards my improvements were made to the rest of the team, and sales representatives were able to tailor their offer to the advertising needs of the customer across sectors, rather than each sector individually. As a result I was able to put in place discount packages resulting in increased revenues and a larger proportion of customer advertising spend in our titles. The fact that this robust activity achieved its success against a background of falling advertising revenues and budget cuts in the education sector made mine and the department’s success incredibly gratifying.
COPYWRITING AND MARKETING LITERATURE
My experience in copywriting for promotional literature comes from two areas. Firstly in editing, proof-reading and often writing adverts for smaller suppliers who wished to advertise in educational magazines. On one occasion I was the sole design contact for one of our highest paying clients, and acted on his behalf in internal liaison with our designers and magazine editors in the design of a sponsored double-page spread. Secondly I have been involved in, and responsible for the production of Marketing literature, and sales letters for Delphic Interactive, Questions Publishing, and more recently, for the Chemistry Department at the University of Warwick, where I have designed the covers and internal structure for the Research Brochure, and for flyers for the RSC lecture programme.
LIAISON WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
I have had direct experience of developing television adverts, and corporate training videos, as well as working with advertising agencies on placement strategies, and as the aforementioned internal champion for one of my largest customer’s sponsored layouts. I will be able to draw on these experiences in my liaisons with outside agencies, with common interests always forming the basis for strong commercial and creative relationships.
ADDITIONAL
I have also recently gained a Journalism certificate, which has enhanced my skills in writing Press Releases and Articles. I have used these enhanced skills to gain additional publicity for the Chemistry department, and will do so also for Warwick Environmental Network.
KEY STRENGTHS
My key strengths are imagination, commitment and versatility. I include the above examples to show my awareness of marketing, and my drive to achieve challenges lain before me. I have an ability to quickly understand new situations, adapt my knowledge, and combine it with learning behaviours to allow me to seek optimum solutions for each situation I find myself in.
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I have a good understanding of the educational environment combined with strong commercial and marketing expertise developed in education, telecoms new media, and other environments.
My particular interest in, and focus on the role of the media, public relations, and communication in developing a brand, communicating with relevant publics, and reinforcing organisational culture is what makes me a particularly strong candidate. I also have an ability to initiate, develop and maintain strong relationships, demonstrated in many of my roles. These elements give me a strong basis from which to develop this role.
LEADING EXTERNAL PROJECTS WITH NATIONAL COVERAGE/MANAGING EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
I am currently involved in high profile activity in the University. This includes brokering a webcast for Warwick School’s recent Showcase Science event, and I am also involved in the application process for a high value Public Engagement with Science bid, in partnership with Imperial College London, which has included liaison with television producers and Channel Four. I am passionate and driven particularly at making big ideas work. I have the presence and ability to work hard at building up relationships and utilizing these to drive mutually beneficial activities forward. It is this key ability which has enabled me to consistently contribute above my level in all my previous roles.
I am used to working with high profile brands, and am also passionate about the aims of the National Association for Gifted and Talented Youth. These two factors combined I believe make me a particularly strong candidate for the role.
I have also had journalistic, marketing and PR training, both during my degree and in the last two years, and am experienced at brokering deals and partnerships on a wide-range of projects. This has both made me aware of the importance of managing a public profile, and given me the tools with which to do it.
Through both commercial and public sector experience, I am also used to dealing effectively with people at all levels.
LIAISON WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES
I have direct experience of developing television adverts, and corporate training videos, and have worked with advertising agencies on placement strategies, and I was an internal champion for one of our largest customer’s sponsored layouts whilst working at Questions Publishing. I have also had to negotiate and develop relationships in all my roles, and am confident in my ability to maintain strong constructive relationships with both internal and external customers and partners.
MANAGING BUDGETS
I have worked as an assistant producer on a small film, managing both the time and budgets for electricians, lighting, camera crews and extras.
I have a good ability with figures, and have experience of managing ordering budgets in small businesses. I am also acutely aware of the need for tight budget management, and the additional freedoms granted by doing so.
I am also involved in two 40th anniversary projects where I am jointly responsible for the budget in one, and have sole responsibility in the other – there is nothing like having to pay out oneself to appreciate the need to be in full control!
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS
In many of my roles (Marketing in New Media, Educational Publishing, Outreach Activities at the University of Warwick) I have been expected to work in cross-disciplinary teams, sometimes involving the need to translate different types of language between parties. My wide experience and knowledge means that I am particularly strong in this area. Recently this was tested on a very tight budget with tight time constraints when I brokered a project between the University, Warwick School, E-lab, Fullrange media (an independent production company) and Groovy Gecko (a multimedia and web-casting provider). All partners had different viewpoints on the subject and my job was to co-ordinate these into a successful event.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT
I have demonstrated an ability to plan, maintain accurate records, and exercise flexibility in very demanding situations and to also to maintain strong communication lines between active participants whilst doing so.
Recent work in the Chemistry department, my role as Venue Manager for GEITF and exhibition work for several employers involved coordinating guests, events and delegates, with lighting crews, session producers and the media.
At the GEITF I also had to manage relationships between lighting and sound crews, session producers, and delegates and have also performed a similar role as an Assistant Producer on a short film. This ability to manage many concurrent activities is another particular strength I can bring to the role.
CONFERENCE AND EVENT SKILLS
As a Venue Manager for MGEITF (Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival) I learnt management of time and resources, the need to maintain morale and communication in hectic conference environments, and the ability to liaise between teams with conflicting needs, whilst maintaining the ability to keep delegate needs uppermost at all times.
As a conference representative I learnt to use conferences and events as an opportunity for strengthening business relationships. I have also organised and attended E-business conferences sponsored by Delphic Interactive, in order to establish a network of supportive businesses to promote generic marketing opportunities in New Media, and been responsible for the design and presentation of statistics, and display materials for conferences as an exhibitor.
ADDITIONAL USEFUL EXPERIENCE
I have been responsible for security at several events, including managing access by journalists, management of shared cameras for news crews, and negotiating access and camera points for journalists.
I have also had experience working with camera operators, sound recordists, researchers, and presenters whilst working for Delphic Interactive (formerly In-Video Productions).
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Database management and the effective use of customer information was the key driver of my success at Questions publishing, where improved data management, based on my recommendations, resulted in an increase of over £100,000 in revenue in the first six months of operation.
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
My Interpersonal skills have been developed in diverse situations, and with differing personality types. My particular successes in sales, conferencing and new media environments was directly related to an ability to interact with people from differing backgrounds, expectations and beliefs, and work with them to achieve common goals.
I have an extremely professional approach to contact with customers, and this would include internal departments, internal and external media and business contacts, and project teams. I have distinguished myself by maintaining this belief even in very stressful sales and conference environments. I believe that an open and committed approach to my role is essential. I am never afraid to put myself out to solve problems to maintain the satisfaction of all parties.
I believe that a good administrative officer must be able to run to a very flexible timetable, and an awareness of other people’s needs is an important component of this.
KEY STRENGTHS
My key strengths are passion, imagination, commitment and versatility, combined with strong commercial awareness and communication skills.
My dedication to the university and to achieving success is high, and I include the above examples to show my awareness of marketing communications, my drive to achieve challenges lain before me, and my consistent commitment to organisational success.
I have an ability to quickly understand new situations, adapt my knowledge, and to combine experience with learning behaviours to allow me to seek optimum solutions for each situation I find myself in.
I also am known for my people skills, and ability to think of problems from many different angles – a skill which I believe is particularly useful in being able to persistently communicate messages in stimulating and imaginative ways.