I have been volunteering at Ulfah Arts under the Youth Television banner, getting to work as a writer, film crew and currently working on a short film (currently finishing up on pre-production). Working with Ulfah Arts/YTV I have learnt a lot more about filming in Hi-Definition, lighting, sound engineering and gaining further knowledge of advanced editing software.

I have been working as a Customer Services advisor for the Planning Enquiries team, dealing with homeowners, businessmen and architects acting on behalf of clients that require planning permission to build an extension on their domestic properties, have external building work done on commercial premises as well as providing a switchboard service to clients looking to speak with planning officers and make use of the opportunity to learn other aspects of the services that Birmingham City Council covers. What I really enjoy about this role is that I can use my previous knowledge of the CRM system to log calls as well as my customer service skills when liaising with planning officers as well as clients and applying my strong rapport-building skills while on the phone. I also carry out spatial searches on addresses to see if planning permission is required or if the property has permitted development rights by utilising the M3 systems as well as the Planning Portal website.

As a Sales Executive, my duties are to sell the website www.educationjobs.com to recruiters, recruitment agencies and, advertisement agencies and Local Educational Authorities. I must call this individual selection of businesses to discuss advertising their vacancies, company brand and services on the educationjobs.com website. Initially there was a lot to take on board as I was expected to start selling within my first week. It is a very challenging and demanding role as Account Management is also included for the vacancies posted – I actively search for candidates within the education sector to make sure they are qualified and have the right experience for the roles make them aware of vacancies on our website. I accordingly update my clientele as to what the current status of candidates and vacancies is, as well as building a strong rapport with my clients.

My role as an outbound sales advisor is to contact customers on behalf of TalkTalk and to offer the most suitable package as to suit the customers’ needs. There is also a lot of objection handling and the ability to provide excellent customer service that is required. As an agent I am cold calling customers to establish and build a relationship between clientele and company. It is a very target-driven role and requires determination to excel.

As a Warranty Sales and Service Executive my role is to take incoming calls for customers who would register the manufacturers’ warranty on their appliances (e.g. Vailant Boilers, Mira Showers) and offer to extend their warranties as well as introduce HomeServe policies as cross-sales when possible (i.e. plumbing and drainage cover, electrical emergency and breakdown cover as well as others). Along with strong focus on sales, my role also consisted of strong customer service skills and professionalism as we would be dealing with many different types of calls apart from sales opportunities while being the first point of contact for these customers. I have proven myself to be consistent in my role being able to exceed my targets consecutively and achieving 100% pass rate for my call feedback on a monthly basis. I also gave help to new employees on sales coaching, and helping the Outbound Sales department by offering sales tips for Warranty products.

My role as a Communications Officer was a role which included a high element of customer service and the ability to prioritise the nature of calls. I would take incoming calls from the public, rail staff and police officers, which would involve creating incidents and deploying units as well as transmitting information to officers over the radios. As well as being competent with calls and the radio, I was also utilising my IT skills using programs such as NSPIS, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

My role as a senior consultant was of a strong sales background and to manage a team of 12 property investment consultants. We sold the concept to prospecting investors to purchase exclusive buy-to-let investments with a minimum capital outlay. When joining as a investment consultant, my duties were to generate leads from any source, book appointments using existing leads on the database, give consultations (face-to-face and over telephone), build rapport with investors and other businesses (accountants, IFA’s etc) and promoting the Group at events (such as the Landlord’s Show, Institute of Asian Business Awards). Since I was not given much training, it motivated me to learn as much about the company and product sold. I required help and managed to meet and exceed targets, then was promoted to a senior consultants’ level, in which I helped train new consultants, encourage them when needed and also give feedback to team members when required.