I'm a first year University Student and I'm desperately searching for a job. I've applied to TravelEX, Asda and John Lewis. I'm doing M&S tomorrow. The thing is, I've heard people say that John Lewis employ attractive people but my step brother managed to get a job with them and he's ugly-ish but has a great personality.
here's what I wrote... (It's my first time applying for a job mind you)!:
________________________________ ___________________________
John Lewis prides itself on the motto 'Never knowingly Undersold' which it has used since c.1925. The company has a long and rich history starting on Oxford Street, London and incrementally bridging its way across the UK throughout the century. As of 2013, there are currently 43 stores throughout the UK. John Lewis received a Royal Warrant from the Queen and is renowned for its somewhat 'chic' alternative to household goods. For this reason alone, it is essential from an employer's perspective that John Lewis' staff must be humble, helpful and committed to providing customers the best possible service the High Street has to offer. Therefore a professional approach must be adhered to when dealing with both customers and colleagues alike so the integrity of the store remains constant.
Without customer service, there would be no John Lewis, which would be a tremendous shame! As a provider, it is my duty to uphold the traditional standards of the company by (a) being presentable at all times and (b) kindly offering alternative products to customers should they fail to find the exact item they desire. A provider should strike a careful balance between being direct/concise and friendly. Delegation within the team is crucial.
Customer service as a customer can be reciprocated from being a provider. As a customer, I am spending my money at this establishment and therefore, I expect a level of decorum that is professional and friendly. Personally I am open to employees suggestions if I can't find that specific item I'm looking for. I expect the employer to be aware of my dilemma and swiftly derive an alternative solution to it. This is where the strengths of the employer come to the fore and their actions will invariably reflect my outlook on John Lewis as a customer.
Aside from problem solving, customer service starts with smile and as a busy shopper I may not have time to talk with the employee. This is particularly true at Christmas time when shoppers are hastily rushing around to complete their shopping lists. Again as a provider, knowing when the right time to offer input is crucial from a employeer/customer standpoint. Having said that, sometimes a smile encapsulates John Lewis' desired image of opulence and is really is that is necessary when dealing with customer matters. Therefore assessing the situation is probably the most important thing an employer can do.
As a Volunteer at my local Oxfam Charity, I gained firsthand experience of working on the shop floor. My creative competencies were allowed to shine when I personally designed signs for the various produce shelving - CDs, Clothing, Books etc. Each sign encapsulated the store's interior motif. Most of all it was concise and conservative in its appearance but this is fundamental. Busy customers do not one dense floral designs overshadowing a barely legible font. Concise is key. A sign that immediately grabs your attention, yet looks great is what's best. A perfect synergy between creativeness and rationality is optimal.
After demonstrating aforesaid skills, I moved onto cashier work. This is where my interpersonal skills shined. I have a slight stammer (stutter) that I now have under control. My communication was inhibited for a brief period when during my adolescence but then I discovered the McGuire Programme. What's great about the McGuire programme is that not only is it a course designed to improve my eloquence (fluency), the heart of the course was social interaction in a professional manner. Answering telephone calls formally is invaluable in the work environment. The person on the receiving end of the call cannot see your physical presence so they make deductions based on intonation of speech. The companies reputation essentially lies with your voice and how you choose to conduct yourself via telephone.
Teamwork was probably the best part of my time at Oxfam. I felt I had a crucial role within the establishment. From a manager's perspective, being able to delegate responsibility to peers is crucial. For example I was given a task to iron and press a pile of clothing but I had never ironed before so instead of failing to commit to this task, I kindly asked the assistance of an older employee who taught me how to iron in 5 minutes!. Not only am I a fast learner, but I felt as though our efforts counted towards something special. Now this is also an example of honesty. If I hadn't have confessed to the manager (Jackie Sidwell) that I couldn't iron then it's likely I would have ruined a pile of resalable clothing (Not good for relationships/business profits)!
Looking as presentable is key. I have developed myself physically by keeping fit and keeping to a strict diet of healthy foods. I am a Geography Student and my aim is to develop myself through a future career abroad in Canada with my uncle.
Teamwork happens on a daily basis, some teamwork is discrete but other team work requires a greater personal involvement. My idea of teamwork is leaving a personal stamp on a collective group idea through collaboration and delegation. An example of a teamwork exercise actually occurs outside of the workplace but the skills can be interchangable within the work place too. I am a member of a Baroque ensemble (a older version of a Orchestra if you like). My role as harpsichordist underpins the structure of the group. I provide the momentum for the other instrumentalists to play their melodic lines. Without my presence, the integrity of the group's structure comes crashing down and no one knows quite how to continue. I'd imagine the same principles apply to John Lewis in that without shop floor employees, the other roles become useless. Therefore teamwork occurs everywhere but this particular example emphasizes the importance of individual presence and perfect timing within a gro up.
I have excellent creative competencies and like to leave a personal nuance in all of my work. If it's shelf stacking then I make sure the items are symmetrical and alluring. I like to arrange items in ways that draw customers in and sometimes thinking outside of the box though inventiveness is one approach to achieving this.
________________________________ _________________________
Will I receive an interview based on this and a good set of grades? My personality is attentive to detail, kind, polite, quite chatty. I fear that I will be rejected because of my looks if I do receive an interview offer.
Thanks :)
here's what I wrote... (It's my first time applying for a job mind you)!:
________________________________ ___________________________
John Lewis prides itself on the motto 'Never knowingly Undersold' which it has used since c.1925. The company has a long and rich history starting on Oxford Street, London and incrementally bridging its way across the UK throughout the century. As of 2013, there are currently 43 stores throughout the UK. John Lewis received a Royal Warrant from the Queen and is renowned for its somewhat 'chic' alternative to household goods. For this reason alone, it is essential from an employer's perspective that John Lewis' staff must be humble, helpful and committed to providing customers the best possible service the High Street has to offer. Therefore a professional approach must be adhered to when dealing with both customers and colleagues alike so the integrity of the store remains constant.
Without customer service, there would be no John Lewis, which would be a tremendous shame! As a provider, it is my duty to uphold the traditional standards of the company by (a) being presentable at all times and (b) kindly offering alternative products to customers should they fail to find the exact item they desire. A provider should strike a careful balance between being direct/concise and friendly. Delegation within the team is crucial.
Customer service as a customer can be reciprocated from being a provider. As a customer, I am spending my money at this establishment and therefore, I expect a level of decorum that is professional and friendly. Personally I am open to employees suggestions if I can't find that specific item I'm looking for. I expect the employer to be aware of my dilemma and swiftly derive an alternative solution to it. This is where the strengths of the employer come to the fore and their actions will invariably reflect my outlook on John Lewis as a customer.
Aside from problem solving, customer service starts with smile and as a busy shopper I may not have time to talk with the employee. This is particularly true at Christmas time when shoppers are hastily rushing around to complete their shopping lists. Again as a provider, knowing when the right time to offer input is crucial from a employeer/customer standpoint. Having said that, sometimes a smile encapsulates John Lewis' desired image of opulence and is really is that is necessary when dealing with customer matters. Therefore assessing the situation is probably the most important thing an employer can do.
As a Volunteer at my local Oxfam Charity, I gained firsthand experience of working on the shop floor. My creative competencies were allowed to shine when I personally designed signs for the various produce shelving - CDs, Clothing, Books etc. Each sign encapsulated the store's interior motif. Most of all it was concise and conservative in its appearance but this is fundamental. Busy customers do not one dense floral designs overshadowing a barely legible font. Concise is key. A sign that immediately grabs your attention, yet looks great is what's best. A perfect synergy between creativeness and rationality is optimal.
After demonstrating aforesaid skills, I moved onto cashier work. This is where my interpersonal skills shined. I have a slight stammer (stutter) that I now have under control. My communication was inhibited for a brief period when during my adolescence but then I discovered the McGuire Programme. What's great about the McGuire programme is that not only is it a course designed to improve my eloquence (fluency), the heart of the course was social interaction in a professional manner. Answering telephone calls formally is invaluable in the work environment. The person on the receiving end of the call cannot see your physical presence so they make deductions based on intonation of speech. The companies reputation essentially lies with your voice and how you choose to conduct yourself via telephone.
Teamwork was probably the best part of my time at Oxfam. I felt I had a crucial role within the establishment. From a manager's perspective, being able to delegate responsibility to peers is crucial. For example I was given a task to iron and press a pile of clothing but I had never ironed before so instead of failing to commit to this task, I kindly asked the assistance of an older employee who taught me how to iron in 5 minutes!. Not only am I a fast learner, but I felt as though our efforts counted towards something special. Now this is also an example of honesty. If I hadn't have confessed to the manager (Jackie Sidwell) that I couldn't iron then it's likely I would have ruined a pile of resalable clothing (Not good for relationships/business profits)!
Looking as presentable is key. I have developed myself physically by keeping fit and keeping to a strict diet of healthy foods. I am a Geography Student and my aim is to develop myself through a future career abroad in Canada with my uncle.
Teamwork happens on a daily basis, some teamwork is discrete but other team work requires a greater personal involvement. My idea of teamwork is leaving a personal stamp on a collective group idea through collaboration and delegation. An example of a teamwork exercise actually occurs outside of the workplace but the skills can be interchangable within the work place too. I am a member of a Baroque ensemble (a older version of a Orchestra if you like). My role as harpsichordist underpins the structure of the group. I provide the momentum for the other instrumentalists to play their melodic lines. Without my presence, the integrity of the group's structure comes crashing down and no one knows quite how to continue. I'd imagine the same principles apply to John Lewis in that without shop floor employees, the other roles become useless. Therefore teamwork occurs everywhere but this particular example emphasizes the importance of individual presence and perfect timing within a gro up.
I have excellent creative competencies and like to leave a personal nuance in all of my work. If it's shelf stacking then I make sure the items are symmetrical and alluring. I like to arrange items in ways that draw customers in and sometimes thinking outside of the box though inventiveness is one approach to achieving this.
________________________________ _________________________
Will I receive an interview based on this and a good set of grades? My personality is attentive to detail, kind, polite, quite chatty. I fear that I will be rejected because of my looks if I do receive an interview offer.
Thanks :)
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment